Posted on 04/15/2010 8:05:22 AM PDT by quesney
What are you seeing in your neck of the woods? Are business conditions getting better -- or worse -- for you and the people you know? Any concrete details? And what are you expecting over the next year?
Montana’s kinda like ten or fifteen seconds after the train wreck at the edge of a great big cliff.
....the first impact was pretty bad, but that crump coming looks like a real mutha.
Where I live the question is kind of pointless: Riley County, Kansas, the county the recession forgot. Of course, Manhattan, KS is a government town, the Ft. Riley and Kansas State U. as its main “industries”, soon to pick up NBAF and another Federal lab dealing with arthropod-borne illnesses. (Still, at least government around these parts is the part of government us conservatives can support—national defense, and one of the several states providing for the education of its populace.)
No
I am seeing more engineering and construction proposals for refinery and petrochemical plants, new and upgrades. Most are outside the US. A couple are to disassemble an existing US facility and move it to South America.
All of the Domino’s Pizza stores in my area have disappeared. Word is the franchise owner forgot to pay his license. A good friend lost her job a few days ago after 20+ years with a major health insurance firm in our area.
Yep, the economy is booming around here.
My county- Lyon County in N Nevada was the fastest growing county in 2004-2005.
It is now the county with the worst conditions when they combine all the indicators: unemployment is over 20%—and that is the amount they will admit to. I think it is over 25%.
The foreclosures are higher than anywhere else, and the empty houses that are subject to further desicration by the local druggies and criminals are being sold for about $75,000 with 4.77 acres of land. Same homes went for $180,000 4 years ago. Most of them were brand new, also.
Nevada has one of the highest forclosure stats in the country.
There is no sign of anything getting better here. Wood Truss company that took 2 years to get permits, etc, and get environmental reports to satisfy the greenies closed already, barely after it opened. Was supposed to bring in 160 jobs.
Fernley has a large Amazon location- and they are talking about closing down. Trex is also there with a large operation, but with no construction, that is quiet and trying to hold on.
Fallon closed a metal truss company on April l that had been there for years...90 jobs lost.
Harry Reid trying to take water from ranchers in Fallon- Yerington-Smith Valley. He wants to trade the water rights to Los Angeles for the water LA gets from the Colorado River. There is absolutely no way to get this other source of water to LA...no pipeline or infrastructure.
Yerington/Mason Valley produces over $100 million worth of alfalfa & onions.
Think you don’t need alfalfa?
Your Dairy cow does- and lots of people use milk, butter, cream, etc.
It would cost $400,000 +++ to rebuild what I have here for sale, and I have people telling me they will give me $150,000 or so for a horse property that is fully turn kay & set up for 12 horses in separate paddocks/pens, etc.
The only “greenshoots” are in the employment of government Census workers.”
I gave them the minimum answers-—can’t wait until they try to come on to my POSTED property here in N Nevada and try to coherce me into more answers.
Even the fed Marshalls need a local sheriff with them to enter a property in Nevada.
Casinos in Lake Tahoe are empty”
A couple of long time casinos in S Lake Tahoe are closed-—with absolutely no idea when they will resume business.
At the same time, the TRPA-Tahoe Regional Planning Authority—has now passed a new regulation that every boat that launches into Lake Tahoe has to pay a $75 annual fee to do so, because it needs to be ‘inspected’ for traces of gasoline/oil/sewage leaking from the boat.
There are hundreds of people who used to come to Tahoe for a long weekend, a week, or whatever.
There is no ‘day fee’ or short time fee....just the $75 ANNUAL fee.
Might work for the high dollar homeowners on the Lake, but will cut off the weekend boater, IMO.
Won’t help get those casinos/hotels open again anytime soon, either.
First the good news...here in my little Hamlet in SE Pa., I see some houses being sold that haven’t had signs out for 6 months or more. Some construction picking up (And my man just got on a construction job last Friday...after almost 18-months, although he got about 3-4 months of work in between.)
More and more articles in local papers about the local and state budget messes and the crazy pension crisis coming
The bad news, my place of work is gearing up for layoffs.
It ain’t over by a longshot.
The other good news? Toomey in a 10 point lead over Specter, 20 point lead over Sestak. We’re going to get at least a hat trick in November, Rep., Senator and governor.
Sobering to say the least.
Our area is doing better then many since we are a gold mining community. Our unemplyment rate is 8.3 percent. That said, the paper this week had headlines of local government raising taxes big time and Burglaries have doubled compared to all of last year so far.””””
Sounds like you are in Elko, Nevada.
The local spenders in the legislature in Nevada are considering taxing mining companies on their GROSS REVENUE-—not the NET, like our tax codes are built upon.
This must NOT happen... it will set a precedent for any state in the union + the Feds to start a similar type of taxation.
One thing about owning a mining lease versus running a ranch or farm-
Those owners can just sit on their holdings, and nothing rots. Cannot do that will cattle, chickens, sheep or any kind of crops.
Taxing mining in this manner could not be more wrong....on several levels.
Not at all. The lastest unemployment number for this county were 15.7%.
Poor job prospects, very little employment available unless you’re a OTR truck driver “””
My neighbor is a OTR trucker- self employed. He used to make at least one run a week, sometimes 2, hauling potatoes from N Nevada to So California.
He hasn’t made a run in over 6 weeks, and is running up against trucking companies wherre the driver gets paid by the mile and does not own the truck that have a one way haul out of LA which will take the potatoes south for less than he can buy fuel for. He is parked for now.
Things are worse this year then last year and I sadly have the numbers to prove it. Profits are down (expected because we slashed prices) but raw sales are also down.
Georgia coast...
Storefronts emptying out...
Most prestigious Realtor’s office shuttered...
For Sale signs on lots of homes... commercial real estate... businesses. Frequently with “ask about our new low commissions...”
Employment agencies- closed, except for the manpower types that cater to day labor...
My guess is 20% unemployed, often after going through several other jobs that did not pan out.
It’s grim- as a quip I saw said:
“The New Wealth?
Having a job...”
Austin Texas - Sales tax receipts up 11.4% over same time last year. (Not due to any tax increase, but increased retail sales).
My home lost over $200,000 in value since the peak - and lost another 5% last month (according to Zillow). Never saw my home as an ATM - and no plans to sell, so I’m OK. That said, some are not as lucky. I feel for them - things are getting worse at the edges...
_________
.... so well said.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.