Quickie Follow-Ups

Just a couple of short follow-ups on previous posts. For starters, recall previous discussions about Seattle's affordability as it relates to the business climate, as well as the speculation about what would cause a high-tech exodus. Today we find at least one example of a high-tech company deciding that Seattle just isn't worth it:

GiftCertificates.com is closing its Seattle headquarters and moving to Omaha, Neb.

The closure, which is expected to occur by the end of the year, will help the seller of online gift certificates cut annual costs by about $1 million.
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Omaha certainly is cheaper than Seattle, with a median home price there of $137,300. That compares with a median price of $385,000 in King County. With cheaper housing, GiftCerficates.com can attract candidates at lower salaries, Barefield said.

Also, add this one to the various discussions about whether local governments will spend or save the increased revenue that the real estate boom has brought. With the election for King County Commissioner coming up in November, current Commissioner Ron Sims is posturing as a fiscal conservative, encouraging saving increased revenue rather than spending it. No doubt an attempt to win back some votes he likely lost with his abhorrent handling of the elections department.

Positioning himself as a fiscal conservative while running for re-election in November, Sims proposed an ordinance yesterday that would put a priority on saving over spending.
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Now, after several years of depressed revenues, sales-tax, property-tax and real-estate excise-tax payments are up.

At the very least it's a clever campaign move.

(John Cook, Seattle P-I, 10.05.2005)
(Keith Ervin, Seattle Times, 10.05.2005)