As 2010 comes to an end, there seems to be no joy in Mudville. In our online survey of readers this month, the mood is considerably dark. We asked readers what signs they were seeing that the economy is improving and almost half of the 808 respondents said, “None, the economy still stinks.”

Few of our readers think the economy is getting better or that their region is headed in the right direction.

J. Clayton Hering, president of Norris, Beggs & Simpson, pushes his company through a historic real estate downturn.

When it staged its first leadership summit in 2002, the Oregon Business Council faced an incoming governor, high unemployment, a sluggish economy and a state budget shortfall of nearly $2 billion.

Portland Metro business owners have been slashing asking prices when selling their companies, even though their revenues have been about the same for the past couple years.

Joel Grover worked at the Bike Gallery in Portland for more than 20 years before he decided to set up Splendid Cycles on his own in May, selling nothing but cargo bikes.

As other agricultural businesses in the area such as plant nurseries struggle because of the anemic housing market, 60-year-old food processor New Season has seen steady sales over the past five years thanks to vegetable powders it produces for a line of Japanese soups and its strong relationships with local farmers.

Intel had just announced in late October that it would invest billions of dollars and create thousands of jobs in Oregon, and Sen. Ron Wyden was beaming. His tie was Intel blue, his re-election campaign was gaining momentum (he would end up winning comfortably) and he was full of praise for Ronald Reagan.