Speaking to the Association of Washington Business in Spokane, the state’s chief economic forecaster, Dr. Arun Raha, said he saw the recession ending in the third quarter of this year, with the economy “gaining traction” in the middle of 2010. We have learned to be wary of predictions, but Dr. Raha’s timeline would be welcome news to everyone, especially budget-writers who are already worrying about the next two-year cycle. You can read more details on Dr. Raha’s speech here.