Well, so are most people. But Eric Anderson just signed a contract extension with the city that ties his next raise to national economic statistics.

In March, Anderson asked to forgo a raise recommended by a compensation review of the city's non-union employees. In Anderson's case the raise would have amounted to 14.5 percent over two years.

Given the recession and the city's uncertain budget situation, it would be better “fiscally and symbolically” to not accept a pay hike for the moment, Anderson said at the time.

Most of the city's 940-some unrepresented workers ended up getting pay increases, averaging about 8 percent.

Anderson, too, will get a pay raise, but only when the economy turns around.

Here's the language in a resolution passed 9-0 Tuesday night by the Tacoma City Council.

"... under this agreement, the City Manager's salary will remain at its current rate of $200,449.60, annually, until such time that the National Bureau of Economic Research announces two consecutive quarters of growth..."

The NBER is the quasi-official entity that – among other things – determines when economic recessions and economic recoveries occur. Often that declaration comes well after the change in economic conditions has begun.

What happens when we get two consecutive quarters of growth?

"... should this growth be announced, the City Manager's salary shall be adjusted to the market rate as determined by Ordinance 27775, passed December 16,2008, at step 6A of the salary range, effective the first day of the following quarter..."

For those of you who don't have your city salary range handy, that's $235,372.80. For now, Anderson continues to make $200,450 a year.

Just got a call from Jamie Swift, one of the spokesmen for the state Department of Transportation in Pierce County. He said later today, DOT will announce that a contract has been awarded to build carpool lanes on Interstate 5 between the Port of Tacoma interchange and the King County line.

This is the project that will use most of the $70 million in federal economic stimulus money for transportation projects in Pierce County. It was one of those projects that was pretty much "shovel ready" because the state DOT was going to use state funds to do this project this biennium. As it works out, federal money will pay for this project and the state funds for this project will be shifted to the second half of the Nalley Valley Viaduct project.

That project was facing a two-year delay -- until the 2013-15 time frame -- under the governor's budget proposal. But after we got assurance of the federal funds, the eastbound Nalley Valley project was put back on the Legislature's schedule. It will be done in 2011-13.

Also, the way contractors have been competing for projects, I'm expecting the DOT to announce that the bid for the I-5 carpool was well below the DOT engineers' estimate.

UPDATE: (3:10 p.m.) Here is the DOT news release. Tri-State's bid amount of $31,095,383.05 is about 25 percent below estimated cost, continuing a trend directly linked to tough economic times.

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A sampling of the signatures that Tim Eyman turned in on Initiative 1033 petitions shows the measure has more than enough valid signatures and will appear on the Nov. 3 ballot.

Secretary of State Sam Reed's office issued a news release to that effect a few minutes ago.

Eyman claims it sets a record for its relative low level of invalid signatures. It might be a record for Eyman's many ballot measure petitions, but state election officials can't confirm it's a record for all initiatives.

Scroll down below the "More" to read Eyman's take on things, which includes useful explanation of some parts of his ballot measure.

Election ’09: Eyman’s Initiative 1033 cleared for November ballot

OLYMPIA…Secretary of State Sam Reed announced Wednesday that Initiative 1033, Tim Eyman’s measure dealing with revenue limits and property tax relief, has enough valid signatures to qualify for a spot on the statewide ballot in November.

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