Dire Straits

No not the band. Life here in Port Angeles is getting hard. Here are a list of businesses off the top of my head that are closed or are closing.

1. K ply mill
2. zen zizi clothing store
3. round the clock
4. Ma Ma's grill
5. Landing grill
6. Camera Corner

Empty storefronts, lots of empty commercial space, and no construction.

I think it's happening, the state and county governments have finally squeezed enough to make people give up. For the longest time running a business here felt like walking on a razor blade, always tipping, never feeling balance, never having time to breath. Keeping employees, and customers happy, taxes, regulations. The mantra has been said before, but the stark reality of the consequences are in empty buildings all over town. People have lost hope.

I have had lots of ideas for businesses that would do well in downtown Port Angeles.

1. Scooter rentals: summer only, but it would be a fun business to run, an especially fun enterprise to train FBLA teens.

2. Communications store: AKA cell phone outlet, there are lots of tourists moving through town in the summer, keep them talking.

3. Bakery, we have a doughnut store, this town has no bakery, no good bread.

4. Large open market, copy the market on Granville island in Vancouver.

5. Light manufacturer I really miss ThomBin, I loved their products when there were here in Port Angeles, it gave PA an identity. I was proud to buy and give his stuff away it always made me feel good. Port Angeles needs to make something, anything.

Where are all the business people? why not teens? why not college students? I know the answer.

Fear.

Why would anyone expose themselves to the risks of running a business, and the risks of prosecution in the form of taxes and regulation from the state. It's almost stupid to start a business today, the economy has crushed your profit margin, congratulations we still need our B & O tax on your GROSS! now your in the red again, why not declare bankruptcy. Gone are the employees, gone are the hopes of more tax revenue, with no renters commercial real estate will be owned by the banks, and it will sit stagnant until the gates are opened up.

Why not experiment with Port Angeles and see what happens? make downtown a regulation free zone, no minimum wages, no labor laws, no employment security tax, B & O tax, real estate tax, sales tax, no unions, no signage regulations, minimal building codes, and make business owners free from liability. Ok, no brothels (not that Port Angeles hasn't seen its share)
but after that I wonder what would happen? Why not just one sheet of paper to start a business, better yet one form on a web site, why isn't it that simple?
I would seriously consider moving to a place that was exempt from B & O tax. Businesses can't breath anymore, we're suffocating, and the worst part is the state thinks it can save us by choking harder.

Help, drowning here, stop pushing, stop choking, just stop.

Twilight Priemere Port Angeles

My son works at Deer Park cinemas, and they are expecting large crowds of people to see Twilight where Bella saw a movie in the book. I'm expecting strange things to happen. More later.

This summer's events

Tall Ships
I'm still pushing for another pirate festival, it was one of the most fun events to hit our small town in a long time.

Our weather

So much is made of the weather here, today at the end of March we're going to get snow. We learn to take the weather day by day and appreciate whatever it brings. Many that move here are shocked to have to deal with schizophrenic weather,but it's part of the charm here I love it. It creates new interesting markets for clothing like the waterproof insulated jacket that has vents to unzip when it gets hot. Multipurpose stuff for those sunny, snowy, rainy, foggy, hot, cold days that are the norm here.

cest la vie

Photos of Little River

Great views of the valley we live in, soon I'll be fishing the Elwah maybe salmon in the strait, spring is coming.

Bella Rosa

This Sunday at Bella Rosa sipping a coffee with the snow line visible on the mountains, and the water in the harbor like glass it finally feels like there is a chink in winters armor.

I hope to post more here soon, but if you want to see Port Angeles quiet, before tourist season, before people come here with that distant look trying to take it all in and scared at the same time, com here in March. its a great place to hang out now to just be.

Halo 3

Halo 3 for sale at midnight my son will be in line waiting I'm sure he will come home and play a bit.