Don Brunell - Butch Otter courting Washington employers

When Idaho Gov. Butch Otter published his “Love Letter to Our Neighbors,” he touched off a political firestorm asserting his state is better for business.

Otter sensed a weakness in Oregon’s business climate after lawmakers raised taxes on businesses and the wealthy by $727 million. Nike founder Phil Knight called it “Oregon’s Assisted Suicide Law II.” Perceiving Knight might be fed up with Oregon, Otter started putting incentives together to lure Nike across the state line.

With Washington’s Legislature about to raise business taxes to balance its $2.8 billion revenue hole, Otter upped the an...