Archives

December 10, 2008 - Big Wine Weekend Has Mixed Revenue Reviews

By Nike Kern, Biz Reporter More than 100 members of the Willamette Valley Wineries Association hosted its annual Wine Country Thanksgiving this past weekend across the region where revenues and participation were mixed depending on the winery due in part to the economic crunch along with other events throughout the […]


December 9, 2008 - Market recap. Where we have been. What next.

By Mark G. Neil, ChFC, CLU President Northwest Wealth Advisors, Radio Host, Your Money and Your Life Now that the elections are over and the political bickering is on hold for awhile we can take the time to look at where we have been and where we might be headed. […]


December 8, 2008 - Officially a Recession, and Why Did It Take So Long to Determine?

By Bill Conerly, Businomics, Conerly Consulting We’re in recession. The Business Cycle Dating Committee of the National Bureau of Economic Research, a non-profit foundation, announced that the last economic expansion peaked in December 2007.  Read the full report. I’ve been asked frequently why it takes so long for an official […]


December 5, 2008 - Current Event Quiz 12/5

Which of the three US auto firms indicated that they might need to use bailout funds from Congress? A) Chrysler B) Ford C) GM Which NW based company Saw annual sales rise 50% compared to the other companies which reported declines this week? A) Cascade Corp. B) Alaska Airlines C) […]


December 5, 2008 - Portland home prices see further declines

Dr. Eric Fruits, Ecobnomist Econinternational Portland housing prices dropped another 1.3 percent in September, marking the fourth straight month of declining home prices. Nationwide, the Case-Shiller composite index continued 27 months of declines. While Portland’s market has not seen the same declines as the composite, the graph to the right […]


December 4, 2008 - Economic report shows Oregon recession worsens

By University of Oregon Index of Economic Indicators Analysis The University of Oregon Index of Economic Indicators™ fell sharply in October to 90.2 (1997=100), a 0.7 percent decline from the previous month. Compared to six months ago, the UO Index is down 8.0 percent (annualized). Indicators pointed to widespread weakness; […]


December 3, 2008 - Fast Fact: Total US debt = $450,000 per family

“Estimates for what the government is willing to spend on bailouts and stimulus efforts for this year reach as much as $7.7 trillion according to Bloomberg.com — a full half of the United States’ yearly economic output…That trillion-dollar figure is the tip of the iceberg when it comes to checks […]


December 3, 2008 - Hospitals react to Governor’s 4% hospital tax

Andy Davidson, president & CEO Oregon Assoc. of Hospitals and Health Systems Oregon’s hospitals have a shared objective with the governor, the Oregon Health Fund Board and members of the Oregon Legislature when it comes to increasing health care access for all Oregonians, especially children.  Access to appropriate care, as […]


December 2, 2008 - Fast Fact: Cyber Monday web traffic up 46%

Global visitors per minute comparisons: 2008 =  6.7 million 2007 = 4.6 million ZDNet reports that web traffic (although not sales) was significantly up on Cyber Monday — the heavily watched day for internet shopping after Black Friday.


December 2, 2008 - Oregon Restaurant Industry Hit by Economic Downturn

By Nike Kern, Biz Reporter With today’s economy in a tailspin one of our state’s leading industries is being hit harder than most.  The Oregon restaurant industry employs an estimated 110,000 and creates a whopping economic impact of 9.7 billion dollars annually into our economy.  With more than 9,000 restaurants […]