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BBC's Bend Bubble Story Fizzles
The long-awaited (well, since last week) BBC piece on Bend's big boom and bust appeared Friday, and The Eye reluctantly must conclude it was a
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H. Bruce Miller says:
Perhaps most disappointing of all, though, was the BBC's conclusion that Bend is now sadder but wiser: “But no-one expects the housing market ever to revert to its previous, ferocious levels of activity. And many will tell you they have no desire for it to do so, that Bend has learned a lesson about bubbles.”
Sorry, old chaps, but I see no evidence that the people who run Bend have learned a damn thing. I see no sign of any serious effort to broaden and diversity the local economy. What I see is people just waiting, hoping and praying for the next bubble to come along so the good times can roll again.”
Sorry old chap, I see no evidence that the State has learned a damn thing.
Most corporations are moving to States like Texas, and Arizona, which are “right to work” States with lower taxes. Why would a business, or an individual, seek to move to the highest taxed entity in the world save for Denmark?
If you want diversity do you not think one should vote for people that are willing to make the State more attractive to others?
Swipies: If you’re going to use every post, regardless of topic, as an excuse to write another rant about taxes you run the risk of being banned. Fair warning.
BTW, this –“Most corporations are moving to States like Texas, and Arizona” — is bullshit.
H. Bruce Miller says:
Swipies: If you’re going to use every post, regardless of topic, as an excuse to write another rant about taxes you run the risk of being banned. Fair warning.”
Ok asshole, tell me how low taxes are in Oregon, and how many new businesses are moving here. Then tell me how Conservatives, or Republicans, are responsible for it.
If you don’t want to talk about how high taxation is destroying Oregon, as it is the US, then say so. Don’t just whine, and threaten, or close the blog to comments like you did the last one about Democrats running for office. Have some kind of guts aside from trying to use your pitiful “power” to shut off dissent.
As for being banned, so what? Do you think my life is based on this forum? I know you would be glad to have a spot in life where no one challenges you. That is the leftwing loonie way. Kind of like their support for the “fairness doctrine” which would suppress the free speech of any who oppose them.
Democratic Underground, Huffington Post, etc., all do the same. You can’t stand reality so eliminate the competition. Kind of like when I remarked about Oregon being the most expensive State to live in, and your phony website you referred me to which had no listings on the subject. However, I did find a website that had the numbers, and Oregon ranked 11th. in 2007, and that was before the most recent increases in taxes, fees, and whatever the Democrats can find to acquire more from the people.
Your just a big frog in a little pond Miller. Accept it.
“BTW, this –“Most corporations are moving to States like Texas, and Arizona” — is bullshit.”
Do some research before acting stupid, ok. Texas, and Arizona, are the fastest growing States in the US corporate wise, and population wise. And it is due mostly to their low taxation, and “right to work laws”.
http://www.indianachamberblogs.com/business-news/lacy-right-to-work-would-benefit-workers-taxpayers/
“In a 2002 study entitled “The Effect of Right-to-Work Laws on Economic Development,” economist William T. Wilson of the Mackinac Center for Public Policy compared Michigan's economic performance to right-to-work states. Wilson found that during the 30 years between 1970 and 2000, RTW states created jobs nearly twice as fast as did Michigan. While poverty rates dropped dramatically during these 30 years, Michigan was one of seven states (all lacking right-to-work laws) that witnessed an increase in the percentage of residents living in poverty. Finally, the study showed that right-to-work states created 1.43 million manufacturing jobs, while non-right-to-work states lost 2.18 million manufacturing jobs during the same three decades”
How about this one:
http://www.nrtwc.org/blog/topics/general/economics
Try this one:
http://www.bizjournals.com/dallas/stories/2009/07/27/daily18.html
Or this one:
http://www.oregoncatalyst.com/index.php/archives/704-Businesses-leaving-Portland-represents-failed-politics.html
It does tie in though (sorry, the discussion is new-to-me). For someone shopping right now between Oregon, Utah, and Colorado you are going to look at buy-in price and ongoing tax costs. Right now I think Bend has the lower buy-in, for an “amenities town,” and that’s an attraction. For a retiree who doesn’t expect to show much income, the tax picture might be ok. Someone younger might lean the other way.
(BTW, is there a longer BBC show on line somewhere?)
odograph: Depends what kind of amenities you’re looking for. Bend has good skiing and mountain bike trails and rock climbing, but these aren’t amenities that appeal to most of the over-70 set. Ashland has a lot of cultural activities, a four-year university in town, is compact and walkable (and bikeable) and has a more benign climate. Some people are willing to pay a bit of a premium for those amenities — my wife and I, for example. We don’t expect to have as big a home there as we do in Bend, but then we don’t want one — we have no kids at home and the place is now way too big for our needs.
Somewhat oddly, the median age in Ashland is a bit higher than Bend’s (37.9 years vs. 34.8) despite the presence of all those students, and the median household income in Bend is considerably higher than Ashland’s ($56,053 vs. $39,895). (city-data.com, 2007 numbers) Of course Bend’s median income probably has shrunk a bit since then — Ashland’s too, but I’d bet not so much since the town’s economy isn’t so heavily dependent on real estate and construction.
Thanks for the info. My doctor says I’m wearing my knee out … but I think I’ve got a little skiing and mountain biking left in me ;-), if I go easy.
“My doctor says I’m wearing my knee out … but I think I’ve got a little skiing and mountain biking left in me ;-), if I go easy.”
That’s fine, but I think you need to consider what happens later on. Aside from outdoor recreation there’s not a hell of a lot to do in Bend, you’re a million miles from nowhere (anyway, about a four-hour drive from the nearest major city … assuming a snow storm hasn’t made the roads impassable) and the winters can be hard on old folks (like me).
Also, the winters drag on for seven months — minimum. And that line you may have heard about Bend having “300 days of sunshine a year”? It’s bullcrap. Our climate is dry, yes — but “dry” isn’t necessarily the same as “sunny.” Storms roll in from the Pacific and dump rain on Portland and snow on the mountains. Most of the moisture has been drained out of them by the time they get to Bend, but we still get the clouds.
I’ve lived here 24 years and could write a book about the Bend climate, but for more concise information check out city-data.com.
My god Kenneth, you must not have a life if you hate Bruce yet you rant and rave on his blog. Seriously, give it up…go take a pill and relax. Why don’t you start a blog of your own, instead of using Bruce’s as a way to disrespectfully get your point across? That way, those who want to hear what you have to say can read your blog. Hey, maybe Bruce will stop by and respectfully tell you what a bozo YOU are. I’ve seen you ranting on other topics and honestly, I kinda think you get off on it. How sad is that???