Wait a minute. The city will insist on walling off access to my business on a regular basis, and closing the streets around my store? But they want to charge me for putting a table of books onto the sidewalk? Or worse, maybe decide my display doesn't meet their standards?
My first thought was, who's complaining? Turns out, it wasn't any customers, it was a downtown store owner that who didn't like the looks of her neighbor's displays.
Hey, if you don't like the looks of your neighbor's display (tires?) go tell them. I'll bet you they'll conform. Don't be a weasel and go to the city council to have the city bureaucracy get involved. Bad idea. Really bad idea.
And make everyone pay. Because of your stupid complaint, we all end up paying an extra 200.00? And the Downtowners are in favor of this? Who's side are they on?
I tell you, when the neighbor can decided what your store looks like, we are no longer a confederation of independent businesses, we are a mall. Suppose someone doesn't think a comic store fits among all the jewelry stores and art galleries? Could they start deciding that?
The worst of it, the freaking Downtowners are in support of this measure, that would cost me 200.00 a year to put a table of books in front of my store.
That's it.
This organization has metastasized into a interfering, blundering mess of dopey merchants. It seems to always take the side of the most prosperous of downtown businesses -- and to ignore everyone else. In all the years since I was roped into being a downtowner against my will (I hereby resign) they have never once even mentioned my business in their newsletter.
Some examples of their overreach: wanting paid parking. Wanting to put camera's on every corner. The endless festivals and closed streets. And now this.
What are the downtowners thinking?
My first thought was, who's complaining? Turns out, it wasn't any customers, it was a downtown store owner that who didn't like the looks of her neighbor's displays.
Hey, if you don't like the looks of your neighbor's display (tires?) go tell them. I'll bet you they'll conform. Don't be a weasel and go to the city council to have the city bureaucracy get involved. Bad idea. Really bad idea.
And make everyone pay. Because of your stupid complaint, we all end up paying an extra 200.00? And the Downtowners are in favor of this? Who's side are they on?
I tell you, when the neighbor can decided what your store looks like, we are no longer a confederation of independent businesses, we are a mall. Suppose someone doesn't think a comic store fits among all the jewelry stores and art galleries? Could they start deciding that?
The worst of it, the freaking Downtowners are in support of this measure, that would cost me 200.00 a year to put a table of books in front of my store.
That's it.
This organization has metastasized into a interfering, blundering mess of dopey merchants. It seems to always take the side of the most prosperous of downtown businesses -- and to ignore everyone else. In all the years since I was roped into being a downtowner against my will (I hereby resign) they have never once even mentioned my business in their newsletter.
Some examples of their overreach: wanting paid parking. Wanting to put camera's on every corner. The endless festivals and closed streets. And now this.
What are the downtowners thinking?