Longview Washington Business Directory Blog

President Bush and his administration plan for “The Bailout” is taking shape. The 700 billion dollar financial rescue as congress is still working out the details. The Senate Democrats proposal is for our Government to hold ownership in the companies they are Bailing out. A provision being offered by the Senate Banking Committee Chairman Christopher Dodd, who by the way is a Democrat would require companies who sell assets to Uncle Sam to give the government shares in that company. In a nutshell the plan is for the government to buy up assets and then sell them at a profit.

I as a citizen of this country have a few questions and concerns of my own that I have not seen as addressed.

1. Why is our Government willing to help the big businesses out like this while ignoring the rest of the population? Where is the government when small businesses are in trouble? If the government is so willing to help out big business, where are they when the mom and pop family businesses are having hard times such as the trucking companies when fuel prices went crazy? Where were they when the lumber companies were having hard times?
2. My next question is since when was our government a for profit agency? Are we to be led into a situation where we are paying our mortgages to the government. I believe this is closely approaching socialism. Our government in my humble opinion has no business interfering with private commerce. This is a capitalistic society where we are free to conduct business. What will happen to our laws and more importantly our lawmakers and politicians when the government is intermingled in private business?

For more on this subject here are some terrific links:

http://money.cnn.com/2008/09/19/news/economy/will_it_work/index.htm?postversion=2008091914

http://money.cnn.com/2008/09/22/news/economy/the_threat_and_the_bailout/index.htm?postversion=2008092208

http://money.cnn.com/2008/09/20/news/economy/bailout_proposal/index.htm?postversion=2008092109

http://www.tdn.com/articles/2008/09/22/ap/business/d93bsa3g8.txt

Commercial Insurance or commonly called Business Insurance  

Commercial or Business Insurance in Kelso and the Longview Washington area is not hard to obtain. Your Insurance Agent who supply’s your Home Insurance or Auto Insurance usually can advise and obtain a quote for you. As a owner of a Commercial enterprise or small Business, you have several options for purchasing a Commercial Insurance Policy.

Riders and Endorsements, If you operate your Business out of your home or if your Business is small, you can possibly just add a endorsement or Rider to your existing Home Insurance Policy. For example a home office that does website work or marketing such as we do can put a endorsement on our Homeowners Policy. This a option that your Insurance Agent has the information for as all Insurance Companies have their own Policies on such Riders.

Commercial or Business Insurance Options

• Securing a Separate Commercial Insurance Policy, The small Business Owner or Shopkeeper can purchase Commercial Coverage in separate Policies to cover the needs of the specific nature of Business it may be doing. You may buy the different types of Insurance from different Insurance Agents, but usually if you feel comfortable with your present Insurance Agent they can write you Policies that address all the Liability you may incur.

Types of Commercial Insurance Available

1. Business Property Coverage,The buildings and property that your Business is operating in needs to be covered if owned by you or not. The fixtures and equipment with in the property can be covered against, fire, theft, vandalism, and other natural disasters. Earthquake and Flood Damage are usually written as a separate Policy. See http://longviewbiz.com/blog/2008/08/guide-to-homeowner-insurance-in-longview-washington/ for more information on Flood Insurance and Homeowner Insurance. In Longview and Kelso Washington we don’t need to worry about Earthquake Insurance too much, so I wont go into depth on that subject but feel free to talk to your Insurance Agent about any concerns you may have.
2. Business Interruption Insurance, If the case ever arises when a fire or other loss interrupts, or makes you close your Business until the issue is rectified, this Insurance Policy will pay your fixed expenses. This would include payroll, rent or mortgage, or other ongoing expenses you may have until you reopen your Business.
3. Commercial Auto Insurance, Most Auto Insurance Policies do not cover Business operations in that vehicle. Meaning if you use your personal car to do business errands it may not be covered under your Auto Insurance Policy in the event of a accident or other issue. Check with your Insurance Agent concerning this matter as it is a serious issue.
4. Business Liability Insurance, This type of Commercial Insurance covers any legal fees that may incur should someone make a claim against you for injury, or property loss. This would cover you in the event any work you did causes any damage to property or persons and there is a claim a claim of loss against you.
5. Professional Liability Insurance, This Insurance Policy covers you in the event of a negligence claim against you. It is sometimes referred to as Malpractice Insurance, or Errors and Omissions Insurance. Lawyers, Doctors, professionals and even Insurance Agents and Brokers need this type of insurance.
6. Employee Benefits Packages, Insurance options for employees can make your workplace a environment that keeps your good employees from looking elsewhere for work. Most employee benefits plans must meet the Employee Retirement Income Act of 1974. Before you instill or layout a employee benefit package refer to the Labor Employee Benefits Administrations website at http://www.dol.gov/ebsa/ These links can be very useful to guide you in the right direction as to the law here in Longview Washingtonof nationwide. Another terrific Website in Washington State is the Insurance Commissioner of the state of Washington.  This site has good information for Commercial or Business Insurance for reducing your liability in Longview Washington or any other city in Washington.

          Washington State Insurance Commissioner http://www.insurance.wa.gov/

          Commercial Insurance Washington State with pollution as a concern website

           http://www.plia.wa.gov/ust/reinsurance.htm

As a Business owner in Longview Washington, I was concerned about Commercial Insurance for our Business, Hence this Post. It is not meant to be definitive, rather enlightening. Any Insurance Agent that has more to add feel free to post a comment to this Blog.

Understanding Your Homeowner Insurance Policy 

 Your Homeowner, or Home Insurance Policy for all residents of Longview Washington, and Washington State in general is a contract between yourself and your Homeowners Insurance Policy issuer. It should define exactly what the Insurance Company agrees to compensate you for in the case of a loss, in exchange for the premium that you are in contract to pay. The Homeowners Insurance Policy is divided into two main sections. The first is a declarations page and the second section is the Insurance Policy. This of coarse should be read in its entirety prior to signing as well as fully understanding what you coverages are under the Homeowners Insurance Policy.

The Declarations Page, This section of the Insurance Policy should include details of the contract. Information in this section should be checked for accuracy, as to the dollar amounts of coverage, and any specific additional coverages are fully outlined. In the declarations page of your Homeowners Insurance Policy, it will outline the following information.

• Name of the Homeowner insured
• Name of the Insurance Company
• Location of the Home that is covered by Insurance
• The Homeowner Insurance Policy number
• Policy period
• The location and the specifics of the Home covered
• A detailed outline of the individual coverages outlined in this Insurance Policy
• The limits of liability for each coverage in the Insurance Policy
• Any applicable Deductibles and their amounts
• And lastly your premium you will owe

The actual Homeowners Insurance Policy, The second section of the contract is the Insurance Policy itself. Your Homeowners InsurancePolicy will outline and describe the property covered and the losses it covers. Here in Longview Washington we really don’t need to worry about Earthquake Insurance, but in some areas of Kelso And Longview Washington Flood Insurance is a issue, some mortgage companies will mandate Flood Insurance if your Home is in a Floodplain. Meaning that the Home is in a geographical area that is prone to flooding. This part of the policy will include:

• The insuring agreements (Remember this is a Contract)
• The Conditions of this contract
• All the definitions of terms used in the Insurance Policy
• The Liability Coverage, outlining any or all coverage against claims someone might make against you or the property.
• Medical insurance if you elect to include this in your Homeowners Insurance policy. This pays for the damages if someone might slip and fall on your property. Remember here in Longview Washington it rains a lot and gets slippery!

The Types Of Homeowners Insurance Coverage

There are a wide variety of Homeowner Policies available. Be sure to read the Policy your Insurance Agent prepares for you prior to signing. A Homeowner Policy is designed to be a package providing coverage the dwelling itself, personal property, and possibly other structures on the property such as detached garages, storage sheds, barns and the like.

• Dwelling or Home Coverage, This part of of the Homeowners Insurance Policy outlines the coverage provided by the insurer in the event of a Fire, Theft, or any damage from storms. This coverage will pay for the loss, meaning it will either repair, or rebuild your Home in part or entirely to put you the Homeowner back to the condition it was in before the loss. Most Insurance Company’s offer a Policy to replace the home at actual replacement cost. This is even if in the event of a loss, it will cost more to replace than the Insurance Policy was written for. Meaning if it was above the Policy limit.
• Other Structures Also On The Insurance Policy, This part of the Policy covers structures like detached out buildings, garages, barns, and shops. Most Insurance Company’s set a limit to around ten percent of the main building allowed to be covered. If it exceeds that it will usually need a separate Policy.
• Personal Property Insurance, This section of your Homeowners Insurance Policy covers the Personal Property contained in your Home. Most Insurance Companies limit the coverage allowed to around seventy percent. The amount of coverage is usually limited to the ACV, or actual cash value at the time of loss. Yes this means basically garage sale prices! You may elect to put Replacement Cost Insurance on your contents. This means that the Insurance Company will have a adjuster, with your help determine what it will cost to replace the items at today’s value. It is usually advised by most Insurance Agents Kelso and Longview Washington to document your items and contents. Take pictures and keep receipts of the larger items.
• Flood Insurance Policy’s, Your Homeowners Insurance Policy in Longview Washington will not cover Flooding. Separate Flood Insurance can be issued by your Insurance Agent. It will provide coverage and cover the loss due to , Flooding, Flood related erosion, Mudslides, and abnormal tide surges. Once again if you reside in a area that has a high likelihood of flooding like in a floodplain your Mortgage holder will make it mandatory to carry Flood Insurance. You may go int this website http://www.floodsmart.gov/floodsmart/ for more information on Flood Insurance and where the Floodplains are inKelso and Longview Washington areas. Here is a Cowlitz County website with more information on the floodplains in our local area, http://www.co.cowlitz.wa.us/buildplan/planning/floodplain.html

Another Post in this Blog that you may find interesting is http://longviewbiz.com/blog/2008/08/auto-insurance-agents-in-longview-washington/

 For more information on purchasing Homeowners Insurance in Washington State feel free to go to the Washington State Insurance Commissioners website. http://www.insurance.wa.gov/index.asp

This Blog Post is not represented to be definitive, only as a source of information and hopefully good reading!

Longview Washington Auto Insurance Agents have many types of Auto Insurance available to motorists. Some are optional and some are mandatory set by Washington State law, governed by the Washington State Office of the Insurance Commissioner. Below is the types of coverage that are available through your Insurance Agent.

• Liability Insurance, Washington State requires this this type of Insurance for your Automobile. This covers damage to property and bodily injury that you may cause due to a accident while operating your vehicle.
• Personal injury insurance, This Insurance coverage a very limited amount of hospital and medical costs, loss of income, The amount of coverage and the limits are set forth and defined in the Policy.
• Medical Payments, This type of Insurance coverage is not offered by all Insurance Companies. This type of Policy covers medical and funeral expenses in the event of a accident.
• Uninsured/under insured Motorist bodily injury Insurance, This type of Policy covers injuries an under insured or insured motorist causes to a motorist who does have coverage.
• Uninsured/under insured Motorist property damage Insurance, This type of Policy covers property damage an under insured or insured motorist may cause to your vehicle in the event of a accident.
• Comprehensive Coverage commonly known as “Comp Insurance” This covers damage to your vehicle in events other than a Collision. A example of this is if a tree should fall on it, or vandalism.
• Collision Insurance, This is the part of a Insurance Policy that covers your vehicle in the event of a collision due to a accident.
• Gap Coverage, This is the Auto Insurance available from your local Insurance Agent here in Longview Washington that pays the difference between current market value of your vehicle and the amount you still owe the bank for your vehicle. This type of Insurance is optional. Sometimes when you purchase your Car or Truck the dealer can offer you this type of Policy and tie it into your payments.
• Death, dismemberment and loss of sight Insurance, This type of Auto Insurance covers death and certain injuries to passengers and drivers named in your Auto Insurance Policy due to an accident. 
• Car rental expenses, In the event you have a accident caused by you or another motorist it covers the costs involved in renting a car while yours is being repaired or replaced. Check your Policy to see the limits of this type of Auto Insurance. Your Insurance Agent can advise or write this type of Policy.
• Emergency road side service, This type of Auto Insurance Policy covers the costs of towing in the event of a breakdown or accident. Your Auto Insurance Agent in Longview Washington can advise you as to your coverage and limits.
• Custom equipment Insurance, This type of Insurance policy covers accidental and direct loss to custom parts, or equipment. This is the type of Auto Insurance Policy you may need if you have a custom car or truck. This is also the type of Policy you may need to cover expensive stereos, and other expensive equipment you may have in your vehicle.

As you can see there are as many types of Auto Insurance Policies as there are Auto Insurance Agents here in Longview Washington. All Auto Insurance Agents In the state of Washington are required to be licensed by the state. Washington State currently regulates approximately 85,000 licenses. Auto Insurance Agents either are associated with a Broker.

There are three types of Auto Insurance levels you need to know about to make a informed decision as to who writes you a Policy.

1. Prefered Market Insurance, This type of insurance writes the lowest premiums and is usually only available to very low risk drivers with good driving records.
2. Standard Market insurance, This type of Insurance refers to the average driver who does not drive high horsepower vehicles, and has a good driving record.
3. Non Market Insurance, This type of insurance  is the most expensive type of Insurance Policy as it is available to young drivers, people who have a lot of tickets or accidents, or a DUI on their driving record.

Auto Insurance offered by Agents in Longview is a sophisticated market and it is advised that you shop for any coverage you may need. Take the time to address all the types of Coverage that is available and what you may want. Auto Insurance cost is a major concern to all residents in Washington. Longview Washington is no exception.

Insurance Companies are allowed to rate all licensed operators of vehicles. They can and do take into account all licensed members of a household when figuring the cost of a policy. This can include roommates and children who may be able to drive the vehicles.

When factoring a rate for Auto Insurance coverage these are the things that are used by your Agent to give you a quote.

• Age, including all members of the household.
• Sex.
• Marital status.
• Driving Habits, as your record will reflect!
• Claims history.
• Credit history.
• Location, meaning where your primary residence is located.
• Model, Make, and the year of your Auto.

When you shop for Auto Insurance remember Insurance Companies factor and use this information differently. Here is Longview Washington Auto Insurance Agents give you a quote based on this location. How is this factored in? In Longview Washington compared to like Seattle we have less theft, less traffic so the risk of a accident is lower. Interesting I thought.

Age has a great deal to do with the rates we pay for Auto Insurance. The statistics show drivers under the age of twenty five simply have more accidents than mature adults of twenty five or older. Statistics also show senior citizens also have more accidents due to loss of vision and reflexes.

Washington State Insurance Agents can and do use your credit score as a factor in your Auto Insurance quote. Here is a link that can explin it better than I can, http://www.insurance.wa.gov/publications/credit/credit_scoring.pdf

For more info concerning Auto Insurance offered by Agents in Longview Washington and other cities for that matter in Washington here is a link, http://www.insurance.wa.gov/

There are many Attorneys In the Longview Washington area that specialize in Real Estate transactions and negotiating disputes. There are many issues that may arise that may require the services of a Attorney that specialises in Real Estate Law and the laws that govern these transactions.

It is always wise to enlist the services of an Attorney prior to purchasing a piece of property when the property in question is out of the normal realm of the Real Estate industry or when you or your Real Estate Agent feel it is necessary.

One of the scenarios that dictate when a Lawyer specializing in Real Estate Law may be when you may be purchasing a piece of commercial property for development, or when you are purchasing a commercial building and there are zoning issues or use issues that need to be clarified.

When you should hire a Real Estate Attorney

• When you are purchasing or possibly leasing a commercial piece of property or building that the land use or zoning issues need to be clarified. An Attorney can properly represent you before the government entities such as cities, counties, zoning boards, design review boards that relate to land use applications, special variances, zoning exceptions, design review approvals, and of course special use permits.
• Real Estate Attorneys can also advise and represent you in cases of misrepresentation, and litigation. Should the need ever arise when a piece of property or building is sold or leased under false pretences such as when zoning and land use issues are misrepresented, a Lawyer is indispensable to plea your case, or negotiate your case to the proper authorities. Cases such as these can be negotiated, but many times it ends up in a court of law.
• At times when a building is built, issues may arise as to the quality of construction or materials used. Construction defects and your claim against the selling party will need proper representation of a Real Estate Attorney in a court of law. 
• There are times when the services of a Attorney will be needed when you feel your Real Estate Agent did not perform their fiduciary duty or representing you in a ethical or professional manner. Cases such as these may be negligence, fraud, misrepresentation, disclosure obligations not being met.
• Most all Real Estate transactions can benefit from the advise of a Lawyer. Even what seems like a straight forward transaction, purchasing, or leasing, can benefit from their expert advise.

Some Other Reasons to Hire A Real Estate Attorney

• When doing a 1031 tax deferred exchange.
• Commercial sale and leasing of commercial property.
• When getting a reverse mortgage.
• When setting up a living trust when real estate is involved.
• A Real Estate Attorney is helpful whenever a large construction project is anticipated.
• When presented with the issues of emanate domain.
• When there are landlord/tenant problems.

As we are not Real Estate Attorneys here at LongviewBiz.comthis Blog Post is not definitive. It is a article meant to raise thought as to when we might have the need for expert advise form a Attorney. Washington State Legislature has a website here http://apps.leg.wa.gov/RCW/. It is the revised code of law on the books that might be of help. Here is the link to a website that also has some terrific info on Real Estate Law and why the need for Real Estate Attorneys are so vital to keeping us laymen out of trouble  http://www.gnade.com/washington-state/WA-Real-Estate-Agency-Law-English.pdf. But if you are like me, it may confuse you even more!

Here is a link for another blog post  Longview Washington Personal Injury Attorneys.

The former Reynolds Aluminum Plant site in Longview Washington could be the future home for a glass recycling facility in the future. It would take glass gleaned from garbage and process it for the new Cameron Glass Packaging plant being built in Kalama Washington. Reynolds Aluminum used to produce cable on this property.

Cameron Family Glass Packaging plant is being built in Kalama Washington and will be using recycled glass not only from this area but also from the Portland Oregon area as well to produce primarily wine bottles for the wine industry. This is just another example of how one industry can spark new businesses to spring up to support businesses that already exist. Not only is this good for local business but it also is good for the environment, surly this will help with the burden of finding solutions to processing garbage at the land fills.

Longview Washington Real Estate Agents have a tough time of it now with the economy and the housing market the way it is now. After interviewing a few Real Estate Agents in the Kelso and Longview Washington area, I thought it would be informative to give a quick synopsis as to the daily life in the job of Real Estate Agents trying to sell our homes or find our next dream house. From the outside it may look like all they do is sit at a desk and do paperwork or drive around showing homes. But with a inside look at the hours and endless searches Real Estate Agents put into their jobs, I can attest they earn their commission.

There is a lot of time spent behind the scenes that no one ever sees when you are a Real Estate Agent. When you list a home the prospective seller needs to know how much their home is worth. They do what is commonly known as comparisons. Agents look up the homes that have sold in the area which your home is in. Then the Agent does a comparison of homes that have the same statistics as yours taking into account the square footage, age of the home, the number of bedrooms, baths, special amenities such as pools or shops. When this is all calculated into the equation the Real Estate Agent comes up with a good idea what your home will bring on the market. With that in hand they will discuss with you what your asking price will be.

Once an Agent and you come up with the asking price the Real estate Agent will usually have a meeting with the Real Estate Broker to come up with a game plan as to how your house will be marketed. Some of the options that are available are Newspaper ads, magazine ads, and online advertising options. Most of the time it will have a Real Estate Agent only tour, to show the house to other Agents so they have a feel for the home and what it offers to their clients that may be looking for a home like yours. Then there is of course Open House Showings we all see. They are usually on the weekend as this is when people seem to have the time to go look for a home.

Once your home is listed and advertised by a Longview Real Estate Agent, offers may come in and you will be contacted. A Real Estate Agents job is to advise you if the offer is a good one or not. You as the seller of the home have the right to refuse the offer or counter offer. Your Agent will be doing all the paperwork involved with the negotiations. There will be conversations between both your Agent and the other Real Estate Agent involved in buying your home. Sometimes counter offers are refused and you will be starting from scratch. Keep in mind the Real Estate Agent and the Real Estate Broker are not getting paid any extra for this, it is just part of the job. Sometimes a home is on the market for a few months and is involved with many showings and negotiations before a home is sold.

When you are purchasing a home and using the services of a Real Estate Agent here in Longview Washington or elsewhere, their job is a little different as they will then be looking for a home for you. Once they find you a home you are interested in they perform a comparison of the homes that meet the same criteria as the home you are interested in to see what a realistic offer would be. The negotiations begin when a formal offer is submitted to the selling agent. As we discussed in the preceding paragraphs, your offer may be refused or a counter offer could come back through your Agent. When your offer is accepted the job is not over for them. Many times they are directly involved with getting you financing. They may be involved with getting repairs done to your satisfaction that may be part of the offer. They do all the paperwork to get your home in the titling process. They also make sure all the special terms of the contract are met prior to closing. Real Estate Agents also make sure all the mandated laws governing Real Estate Sales are met such as environmental issues, inspections, and that all the piles of paperwork are done, and done correctly.

Your licensed Longview Washington Real Estate Agent must have a state issued licence by which most Agents go to school for. They must also stay on top of the new laws that come down the pike. Washington has rules and laws that govern the practice of being a Real Estate Agent in this state. Most states have very similar rules and laws but there are differences and it is important that they stay on top of them.

On top of all that think of all the questions you may have pertaining to a home you may be looking at, school systems, public transportation, crime rate, shopping, neighborhood specific questions. You name it a good Real Estate Agent has to be a source of information to their clients.

A Real Estate Agent usually is self employed being associated with a Real Estate Broker who is responsible for all the transactions that go through their Agency. In Washington a Agent has to be in the industry for a period of time before they can become a Real Estate Broker. Real Estate Brokers in Longview Washington usually own the Agency they work out of.

This is just a quick overview of the Life of a Real Estate Agent in Longview Washington and does not represent itself to be all inclusive! Any Agents who may have something to add feel free to add a comment as it is encouraged. There are several Posts related to Real Estate in this Longview Washington Business Blog

 Some other  Real Estate Blogs for Information is  http://longviewbiz.com/blog/2008/07/coldwell-banker-real-estate-agent/  http://longviewbiz.com/blog/2008/07/our-government-to-help-out-the-real-estate-situation/

Longview Washington Business Directory is nearing completion. The formal name and URL is www.LongviewBiz.com. We are into this project nearly three months now and are nearing a rough draft! Look and feel needs alot of work still as does some of the SEO. Mainly we have been getting content into the website. We finally have a completed Business Category list compiled. Although more can be added to this Business Directory it reflects the Longview/Kelso Washington areas main areas of Business Commerce. We have added a great deal of listings in all the main categories.

When coming up with the concept of a Business Directory for the Longview Washington area, it was clear it had to be a straight forward Business Directory and not a community online newspaper. First of all it is hard to market a newspaper online and still serve your advertisers with value. A well done Business Directory should be just that. It should be easy for consumers to retrieve information quickly and easily. Advertising should not be randomly put into a website so readers “might” get to see it. This means if someone is looking for a Pizza Restaurant, it should be quite apparent where it may be found. In LongviewBiz, it is laid out much like a phone book in that there are categories, and Advertisers are found in their respective place in the Directory. Clean and simple.

Another concept at LongviewBiz is that this Business Directory should be a local, community website where at all possible. Meaning, most of the advertisers in the Longview Washington Business Directory should be from the Cowlitz County area. Most Directories accept and seek out anyone to advertise in their website where ever they may be. There will be no national advertising in our site, period. This website is for the residents of the Longview area and it should reflect that. Also, we believe in promoting and helping our local economy. If we as residents of Cowlitz County drive less, and spend more in our own local, it will benefit all. If local businesses do well they can afford to hire more help. And it goes round and round.

With the completion of the Categories now in the website here is a list:

Accounting and Taxes, Attorneys, Auto Dealers, Automotive Service, Banks and Credit Unions, Boat, Cell Phones and Providers, Churches, Clothing, Computers and Software, Construction, Copiers-Faxes-Printers, Dentistry, Education and Research, Employment, Flowers-Florists-Growers, Furnaces and Air Conditioning,  Hardware Stores, Home and Garden, Hotels and Motels, Insurance, Jewelry, Landscape, Locks and Locksmiths, Opticians, Pest Control, Pet Supplies, Physicians, Pizza, Plumbing, Real Estate, Recreational Vehicles, Restaurants, Roofing, Sporting Goods, Storage, Tanning Salons, Taverns and Lounges, Three Rivers Mall, Towing, Transportation, Travel Agency’s and Agents and Well Drilling.

As you can see it is very detailed and quite easy to navigate. We are quite sure we have obtained our goal of designing and implementing for the Longview Washington area a comprehensive and user friendly Business Directory. Here are some previous Posts in this Blog pertaining to the progress of the Business Directory.

http://longviewbiz.com/blog/category/longviewbiz/

http://longviewbiz.com/blog/2008/06/longview-washington-business-directory/

Well its no secret some of our Banks are going under due to the poor lending practices of a few years ago. In the shadow of our failing economy, home values crashing, fuel prices rising, and our groceries going through the roof, what is next? I dare not ask.

Our Federal Regulators seized IndyMac, the once booming Pasadena California Mortgage Lender on July 11th. With 32 billion dollars in assets, the loan defaults finally caught up with them. Falling home prices and a steep rise in mortgage defaults have federal agencies preparing for a increase in banks failing. Should we be trying to find out if our banks are ready to go under? No, it is almost impossible to get that info prior to a failure. We should instead make sure our Banks are insured by the FDIC, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. If your Bankis insured your deposits are insured up to $100,000.00. When making deposits into your Bank, keep the balance below $95,000.00 to account for the interest that accrues. According to the FDIC, it takes only a few days to receive your check if you need to file a claim with them due to a bank failing. We here in Longview Washington need not worry about our Banks, as most of the lending companies that are in trouble are in California and the southern part of the US. www.LongviewBiz.com

The Department of Labor is now reporting a net loss of 62,000 jobs in the month of June nationally. May brought in similar losses in jobs. The unemployment rate is still at 5.5%. Experts forcast  the unemployment rate would be 5.4% There are currently 390,000 unemployment insurance claims that are active, nearing the 400,000 mark that signifies a recession.

The loss of jobs in the monthly report from the Department of Labor is concentrated in the Manufacturing and Construction sectors of business. Those two areas of business have been badly hit by the current economic situation. But those two sectors are not the only areas that are seeing a decline. Job losses by Retailers are at 7,500 and professional services cut 51,000 jobs. Believe it or not even the government cut 29,000 jobs! According to Lakshman Achuthan, the managing director of the Economic Cycle Research Institute, These numbers are proof of the fact we as Americans are in a recession.

I am starting to rethink this being a Republican! I am wondering if Mr. Bush is leading this country in the wrong direction. I do believe that this Iraq war is crazy. Viet Nam all over again with no perceivable gain. I have to wonder what good all that money would do if it were spent on us as citizens, and this country rather than attempting to be the worlds police. Here is a few excellent links about statistics on the Iraq War. They make great reading.                                                                                        http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/03/07/AR2008030702846.html 

http://usliberals.about.com/od/homelandsecurit1/a/IraqNumbers.htm

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/huff-wires/20071226/bush/

Now where does that leave us here in the Longview Washington area, I don’t Know. I do know since the mills and factories have shut down or cut back it has been significantly harder for people to get a job. And the jobs that are available are not the secure jobs we once had, or the pay is not what it once was. To acquire a job a lot of people commute to Portland or Vancouver to work. With fuel prices the way they are that is not such a lucrative proposition it once was. I think I will put in a green house! Maybe a few chickens! Something to hedge this situation. Maybe start to ride my bike again.

The City Council has decided that our water in the future will be coming from a well tapping into a deep aquifer below the Mint Farm Industrial Park. This was decided Thursday with a 6-1 vote. A $280,600.00 contract will be awarded to Tacoma engineering firm, Robinson, Noble and Saltbrush to design and oversee the construction of one main production well and up to eight “sentinel” wells which will monitor the water quality at the mint farm. Drilling and construction will cost $670,000.00, that portion of the project must go out to bid.

The other option was to upgrade and refurbish the Reginal Water Plant on Fisher’s Lane. That plant would of cost $46,000,000.00 to complete that project. The council was strongly advised against refurbishing the Fisher Lane plant because it is continuing to wear out from volcanic silt from Mount St. Helens. The silt left over from Mount St. Helens 1980 eruption is the culprit for the continuing wear and maintenance issues that are on going. City engineers estimate it would cost Longview’s citizens over a twenty year period $26,000,000.00 more to keep the Fisher’s Lane Plant operational. http://www.longviewbiz.com/

Longviewbiz.com is almost completed and will open the doors to advertising next week. It is conceived as a community business directory for the Longview Washington area including the following cities. Kelso WA., Woodland WA., Castle Rock WA. Rainier OR., It is designed to be very easy to use by customers looking for services or products in the Longview area.

As the Internet is becoming the most accepted and used way for customers to find what they are looking for, website advertising is becoming a very viable way for the Longview business owners to attract their market. Paper advertising meaning phone books, news papers are very expensive. Advertising in a highly marketed website is extremely cost effective. In some markets, 80% of customers use the Internet to find products and services. Longviewbiz.com is highly marketed by means of engineering the website to be seen by the public. Jim Hay, who is one of the owners has many years working with marketing websites on a national level. His partner Eric Key is a SEO guru who resides in North Carolina. With Jim living in Kelso WA. and being part of the community and being very accessible to the business public, personal service to his customers will be enhanced. Jim Hay and Eric have been working together on website projects for some time.

Longviewbiz.com will be accepting advertisers in the following areas of business, and then will target specialty businesses after those sectors of business are under control.

Accounting and book keeping, Attorneys, Auto Dealers, Criminal Law, Personal Injury, New car sales, Used car sales, Automotive Service, Tires, Brakes, Mufflers, Banks, Boats, Boat dealers, Boat tops, Cellular Phones, Churches, Clothing, Computers, Construction, Remodeling companies, Copiers and supplies, Dentistry, Orthodontics, Employment, Flowers, Flower delivery, Hardware, Lumber, Furnaces and Air Conditioning, Home and garden supplies, Hotels and motels, Insurance, Auto insurance, Home insurance, Jewelry, Jewelry designers, Landscape, Landscape designers and contractors, Opticians, Bookkeeper, Physicians, Plumbing, Real Estate, Real estate agents, Real estate appraisers, Recreational Vehicles, Restaurants, Roofing contractors, Sporting goods, storage, Tanning Salons, Three Rivers Mall, and Towing. These are all categories that are listed in the website at this time. Of course more could be added when the need arises to meet our advertisers needs.

We at Longviewbiz.com are very excited about bringing this business directory to the residents and businesses of the Longview Washington area.