Sometimes, perhaps often times, the greatest decisions are made during the greatest stresses.
    That, in part, was a premise permeating throughout a Thursday noon speech by Hood River Mayor Arthur Babitz. Only a few weeks into his first term, Babitz gave a “State of the City Address” to members of the Hood River Rotary Club.

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The mayor’s speech centered on city government — of which he is the elected leader — but the message was apropos to the private sector, as well.

“I can only guess what it was like here when Hood River’s founders decided to create a city, but I have no doubt that in the adversity of their times they found a common sense of purpose and a clarity of vision which guided them,” he said. “I believe we can draw on the adversity of our own times to rediscover that common sense of purpose, and decide together what we want our future to look like.”

Babitz delivered grim financial news — what one might expect in a slumping economy — but tempered it with a smattering of optimism. He talked about some of Hood River’s recent successes, such as the continued development of a waterfront park, and the renewal of downtown streets.

The financial nuts and bolts of the speech included: The city has few reserve funds, meaning it cannot take many — if any — risks; residents aren’t in positions to pay more, so the budget balancing act this year will be heavy on expense control.

On the other hand, a few years ago the city of Hood River had a negative balance in its general fund. Fiscal discipline has turned that around, with the next step the establishment of reserve accounts. Those reserves may be a few years off, but it’s a big-picture goal worth pursuing.

In the private sector, a few businesses are closing and others are having trouble paying their bills. Yet, the mayor alluded to a key recession-busting ingredient that probably will have a greater impact locally than any trickle-down, federal stimulus package. Like so many things, it all starts with attitude.

“Nothing has changed the fact that we live in remarkable place. Nothing has happened to diminish the vibrancies of our community or the character of our people,” he said.

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Times like these provide us with opportunities to make significant changes. “Economic uncertainty does not have to result in paralysis,” he said. “Most critical is for us to defeat the casual cynicism which assumes all government is bad.

“Over one hundred years ago the citizens of our valley created this city to provide a structure to improve commerce and their quality of life. We are now that city. We make the rules; we solve the problems; we live with the results.”

What better time to make these decisions than when people are paying attention?

We don’t get to decide what times we live in. We do get to decide how we respond to our times.