Outside the Box

Every once in a while I like to try to think outside the box. Get away from my preconceptions and presumptions and biases. Impossible, of course, but it's instructive to try.

So what would make Bend breeze through the housing bust and economic slowdown?

Believe me, I have many doubts, caveats and yes, buts....about the following, but brainstorming doesn't work if you let those in. Maybe in the comments. Suffice to say, I don't really believe any of the following.

1.) Watch the unemployment rate. If most people are keeping their jobs, than they are going to maybe cut back slightly but pretty much go on as usual.

2.) Rich people moving to town. Or maybe, just a continual flow of people with equity, opening businesses, settling in and enjoying themselves.

3.) Tourism. Not just the 'minimum wage' type tourism, but the kind that spends the big bucks on ski trips and golfing and rafting and everything else.

4.) Enough high tech or small businesses start-ups keep coming to keep the local economy afloat. For steps 2, 3 and 4 there is the thought that Bend is a pretty fabulous place to live.

5.) Corporate continues to come to Bend, and because they have a longer time line, they bridge the next couple of years with construction and jobs.

6.) A national recovery begins soon enough that we simply never have a chance to fall deeper than we already have.

Any others?