Both Linda and I have commented lately on how happy we are to be in control of our own fates.
Every time I read an article in the Bulletin like today's "Older Workers Lean On Each Other In Job Hunt", I'm thankful that whatever happens, I'll be able to adjust up or down, without someone else pulling the rug out from under me.
I read somewhere that stress induced by a-hole bosses was way worse than any stress that comes from self-owned business -- because you can't do anything about your bosses and what they may do to you. It may be an illusion, but I feel like if I have problems, I can try to respond to them by changing.
**********
Meanwhile, the split between the national and the local economy starts to grow larger.
Some of the questions bubble bloggers had a few years ago are starting to be answered.
There was a school of thought, for instance, that Bend would do better than the national economy. I thought the opposite, because I had seen in the '80's that Bend has to struggle alone out of the abyss, without much synergy from the surrounding communities.
Housing prices continue to drop, both locally and nationally. A double dip, if you will. Again, there were actually quite a few people who thought Bend housing prices would hold up -- whereas, I thought the opposite. I thought we'd be hammered. The worst. Devastation.
(You still see local real estate blogs blurring the lines of national and local, and cherry-picking statistics....I have to wonder if they're fooling anyone, or just damaging their own credibility.)
Still, nationally, consumer confidence is rising.
Locally? I noticed the population sign at the edge of town is 80,999 which-- correct me if I'm wrong -- is several thousand less than a couple years ago. (Another disputed point; I thought it likely we'd lose population, but most doubted that...)
A quote from another business article, "Economic Forecast To Include 1,000-Day Road Map,"
"Three years after the recession started, Bend is still losing jobs. That is not a good sign for area businesses," said Bill Watkins, director of the Central Oregon Economic Forecast Project..."
As bad as it is, and as bad as it still may get, the one positive I'm taking from all this is --well, at least I know where we stand. I can make reasonable assumptions and forecasts, and operate from there.
Because I own my own business, I can make the adjustments I think are necessary...
**********
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
1 comment:
Bend's population signs have read "80,995" (or around there) for a couple years at least. I've always noted how the city seemed to push to get just above the 80,000 mark and it's stayed put ever since. Though in reality we've probably had a population decline.
Post a Comment