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Whether you're looking to keep your job or recently unemployed, it's a tough spot to be in during these tough economic times.

Thank you all for being here today, and, my thanks to the Portland City Club for hosting these important civic discussions. We are a fortunate people to live in a city so distinctive, so spunky and so unique; to live in a city of small city blocks, big hearts and open minds; to be fortunate to live in a tri-county region that is economically better off than many others in this nation.

Who owns your mortgage? Hmmm. Didn't you always think that the owner it was the bank where the loan was made? Most of us take out a mortgage after sitting down with at a local bank or savings and loan with officer that could be personally known, or even recommended by family or friends. Unfortunately what they probably didn't tell you is that your mortgage might be sold, and in many cases, split among several, if not many, parties. Here is Julian Delasantellis at Asia Time: Travelers visit

The following is a transcript of the newspaper’s third annual Economic Roundtable: