Most Likely to Happen In 2010 in Kittitas County

By Clem
(4 votes) (report abuse)

The past year was interesting with the collapse of the real estate market and ensuing financial problems for our local governments.  The story though is still continuing.  For Twenty-Ten what do you think might happen?

Suncadia will go into receivership/bankruptcy with more layoffs

One of the Upper County Cities or Ellensburg will report by July they are having budget problems and lay offs or pay cuts will be in order.

Teanaway Solar Reserve will announce the project isnt feasable or they have selected a new location.

The Teanaway development will be resolved/property sold or owner will drop development plans.

All the school district levies will pass

Sapphire Skies will drop their "900 house" City Heights development.  They might not this year but it still seems pretty far fetched.  

 

This is mostly Upper County stuff but feel free to add your own.  Interesting to see in the coming year what happens. 

RE: Most Likely to Happen in 2010 byClem2 months ago (4 votes) (report abuse) (reply)
Looking back last year no one thought the Oak Rail would be shut down but thats what happened. So will one of Garry Owens and friends video's find a receptive ear somewhere? I am going to say no but then again we still have 12 months.
RE: RE: Most Likely to Happen in 2010 byAureliux2 months ago (3 votes) (report abuse)
Wonder what is going to happen to all the empty and unoccupied real estate in our fine county? Big fed stimulus package for new owners didn't seem to have as much effect as had been planned and it still appears as though every 3rd place around has been on the market for two years or more.

Have seen auctions, short sales, and then bank owned disposals.

And I've never seen so many houses for rent. Occupancy in all the apartment complexes is also at an all time low.

CWU is having their own budget problems, tuition is going to hike up, and I'm certain that will have an impact on the number of resident students.

So here we go. What is likely to happen? Whatever is coming from this mess, it doesn't look good.

Perhaps I may be able to finally move out of an apartment and into a house again? That would be nice...

A.
2010... bygorilla in the room2 months ago (3 votes) (report abuse) (reply)
I think the one thing that bothers me the most is seeing some "financial analyst" on television saying the worst of the recession is over and America's money troubles are ending. I don't think so. 2010 has not started out well with unemployment at about 10%, empty apartment and houses and spending (post-holiday) at a huge low.
The real-estate market in my neighborhood is non-existent. For example, a house nearby has been vacant and for sale for over 18 months and I have only seen 1 person go inside with a real estate broker. There are fewer college students renting in this neighborhood also...it may be quieter here but it's also eerie to see all the houses dark and lonely-looking.
Not only will CWU have budget/tuition/registration problems but the lack of students will impact the local budget immensely.
Aureliux, you are SO right...it doesn't look good.
RE: 2010... byAureliux2 months ago (2 votes) (report abuse)
Rent is going down. I have been checking around. And I do not believe that any of the larger complexes are at 100% occupancy like they have been in the past.

A.
2010 on the positive byIn thought2 months ago (6 votes) (report abuse) (reply)
It appears that the perspective from a few is nothing but sorrow and fear for the worst. From my vantage point things are looking up. There was no minimum wage increase a bonus for the employers. This should help keep costs down as businesses don't have to increases prices to pay employees, and they can keep the same number of employees without laying people off. This is a good thing. Home prices are at a low and is a great time to buy a house if you are renting. College registration is up which means more students in Ellensburg renting places and buying things in the county. How is that a bad thing. Yes the college has budget issues but so do many of the large employers in the nation. We live in a county with many great things to do in the outdoors that don't cost anything. We can find a million things to complain about but how about looking at 2010 differently than we have posted in 2009 and turn the page on doom and gloom and write about the positive things that are going on. What I see in 2010 is our counties unemployment rate going down, sales tax revenue increasing, the Republican's taking back Washington D.C. and health reform being blocked by legal challenges.
Unemployment Going Down byClem2 months ago (8 votes) (report abuse) (reply)
Yes the postive may be that the unemployment may go down from historical highs as people leave the County. I dont see any new jobs anywhere in the county. Sales tax revenues may increase only because they have fallen so far. Home prices will continue to fall but thats really only a positive for people renting. How about when people get "upside down" in their homes. We will have more foreclosures in the next year. Lets face it the County hit a high mark in employment and real estate two years ago and it will be years until there is any recovery. Ellensburg can take some comfort with the college in town but the rest of the County wont see any recovery anytime soon.

That a laugh that things will be better with Republicans taking back DC. The Republicans havent put forth one solution to anything in the past year including the runaway health care spending. Interesting isnt it that some want to deny affordable health care to those who pay the bills for Medicare, Medicaid, and VA health care.
Re: unemployment going down byIn thought2 months ago (4 votes) (report abuse) (reply)
Clem:
It is apparent you can not see the light at the end of the tunnel. Unfortunately you also don't see the failures of socialism. My 401K took a dive with the stock market plummeting and I could have pulled it all out but thankfully I know the value of sticking through times when they are tough and my 401K is stronger now than it was a year ago. Home prices are just the same they go up and down with the economy and when the government interferes to much things only get worse. Look at the upper county well moritorium didn't do anything for the upper county government meddling at its worst. The county has not hit a high mark in employment and real estate. Greed took over and people built to much to quick. The old fable of the turtle and the hare should have been the mantra for the home builders but now maybe they have realized the error of their ways. If they build slower home prices would not have plummeted as much. However if you review the Daily record property values actually increased throughout the entire county and landowners wanted the value reassessed because of the national economy. Jobs have been created throughout the county and businesses continue to pop up all over the place. Ellensburg is not the only beneficiary of the college. The students recreate in the county and spend tax dollars in the county not just in Ellensburg.
You say some want to deny affordable health care to those who pay the bills. Let me open this can of worms then our hospitals will be overrun with people using the emergency room for the sniffles and our doctors offices will not be taking patients because there is no profit in it for them when the government dictates who they will treat and how much they can make. Free health care is not the way to go. Our government can not keeping taxing the citizens who are working to provide for themselves and their families to support those who choose to do nothing for themselves. Health care needs overhauled from who is recieving the benefits not providing them with more entitlements. 2010 looks promising in Kittitas but it takes all of us doing our part to continue with the successes and learn from the failures. If we continue in 2010 making the same mistakes we made in the past then 2010 could be a horrible year but I think we have all learned something we can build on and make it a great year in our own lives as well as in the lives of those who live around us.
RE: Re: unemployment going down byMC2 months ago (3 votes) (report abuse)
Given that so many working people here in the county are dependent on the government already for health care, or have none at all, I find it very hard to be celebrating the possible failure of health care reform.

I know of a very intelligent, responsible, self-employed guy in upper county who once tried to use a razor blade to remove a bump under his skin. When it didn't work he finally broke down and went to the doc, who informed him it was some kind of blood vessel that would have bled out dangerously had he nicked it.

And here's hoping Eric Prater won't be buried in bills for his misadventure...
Laugh A LOT in 2010, please. byAureliux2 months ago (4 votes) (report abuse) (reply)
And here's one good reason, check this out:
http://www.seattlepi.com/lolcats/gallery.asp
Funny little cat pictures with hilarious captions, 100 of them in fact.

Anyone out there finding a way to distribute and accomplish anonymous random acts of kindness and beauty? Just wondering...

Yes we NEED health care reform. No matter if you are of the RED or BLUE persuasion. Hope this doesn't get off on the wrong foot, however, as did the NAFTA situation where EVERYONE seemed to WANT a trade agreement, then it was reworded, and then all it's former supporters were marching around EVERYWHERE holding posters saying, "NOT THIS NAFTA".

Time to grow up and get on with life and governing, break out of the old molds of political platforms and stale agendas, quit blaming Reagan, Bush, and Clinton for everything and find some positive steps towards real growth and not just "stimulus". The blame game does not contribute towards progress. WHICH I might add? And please let me state it again, CONGRESS is the exact opposite of PROGRESS, is it not?

Let us please get things going forward. Time to move on from the past, let us please get to work on current problems and situations, and knock off the hassle of RED team against BLUE. FIND some areas of agreement and work on those.

We have a country to run, ladies and gentlemen.

A.
Right and wrong in the same breath byIn thought2 months ago (5 votes) (report abuse) (reply)
You are right health care reform is needed but not at the expense of every American. There are aspects of the health care reform bill that are good but look at the big picture socialism is wrong and this bill is continuing the trend towards socialism. Everyone should not be entitled to the same treatment and the same pay. Review the history of Washington State. We have the highest minimum wage in the state and what does this do unemployment. As a previous business manager in multiple businesses I was expected to raise the cost of my products and do so with less people. Simple math will tell you that for $100 I can higher 20 employees at $5 an hour but when you raise that minimum wage to $7.50 for that same $100 I can only employee 13.3 employees this causes me to lay off 6.7 employees or not to higher those 6.7 employees when people leave. Minimum wage is a beginning wage and should never be a living wage. Those making minimum wage if they need more money should be getting a second job. From an employment stand point keeping Washington as the highest minimum wage drives out employers and keeps people on unemployment longer.
Now consider government ran health care this is what our military personel have. If you have ever been to a military hospital the lines are long and personal attention is limited as the great doctors we have in the service are required to see patients that would not go to the doctor if they had to pay for that service or manage their own personal health care. Government ran health care will create long lines and not put your best interests first. The government should regulate some aspects of health care but not provide it that is why we have a free market. If the government wants to help out Americans they need to limit their expenses and be more accountable to the citizens.
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