Bulletin Fodder.

BEND SEES DECEMBER TOURISM REBOUND. Bulletin, 2/4/10.

This would seem good news, but in reading the article it's pretty clear the increase is strictly due to the USA Cycling races; and as I mentioned the other day, I wasn't impressed by how much money was estimated to have been spent. In fact, this just sort of confirms that most of it was lodging, and the rest would almost have to be dining. (1 million divided by 2500 visitors = 400.00 over 3.5 days.)

Better than nothing, I suppose.

I find when business is stagnant that stirring the waters is a good thing, even if it doesn't result in immediately higher sales.

Meanwhile, if the county receipts were down 14%, one can only imagine how bad it would've been without the 22% increase in it's only metro area. This is especially bad since it compares to the 90 pound weakling of 2008.

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BANK OF THE CASCADES: A $49M Quarterly Loss Brings '09 Losses to $90M.

Not to worry. According to Patricia Mooss, it was "partly because of two one-time tax charges."

Those don't count, I guess.

I kind of think her defenses of the situation have become somewhat muted, compared to when the bank first started having difficulties...

(As of this writing, the stock has hit a new low of .59.)

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SENATE CLOSE TO DEAL ON TAX CREDIT FOR HIRING UNEMPLOYED WORKERS.

Oh, sure, wait until after I've already hired people!

But really, I think all that may happen here is that businesses that were intending to hire anyway will wangle a deal out of the government...

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I don't know. The offenses by Jack Jones, former Sheriff of Jefferson County seem kind of minor, somehow. No worse than Sarah Palin's interference in her own domestic situation. Letter of the law versus spirit of the law, I guess.

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BEND CITY COUNCIL: TIGHT BUDGET.

It feels to me like they think this all temporary, or something.

New initiatives are all well and good, I suppose. But taking care of basic services would seem to be the most important thing they could do right now.

Interesting that Bend doesn't have an Enterprise Zone, isn't it? I mean, wouldn't this be pretty basic? Were our city councilors too wrapped in visions of sugar plums from Juniper Ridge to do the basic groundwork growth strategies?

I mean, this may be me damning them if they do and damning them if they don't.

At this point, they kind of deserve it.

(I'll say again, though, I don't envy them their task....)

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