For retail stores to remain open, they need enough customers. Target closing is a blow to North Minneapolis, and I hate to see this happen, but a store has to make a profit to stay in business. Many retail stores have a hard time making a profit in low income neighborhoods. There are often not enough residents with enough spending money to do the job. We can not support policies and programs that perpetuate concentrations of poverty, and then also complain that there are not enough retail stores in the neighborhood. You can't have it both ways.
I do not promote the displacement of current low income residents. In low income neighborhoods, if public tax dollars are spent for the addition of new housing, then that housing should be made to try to intice middle income working people. This is the inner city, and I believe that high density middle income development can work. This would help to reduce urban sprawl and would help to revitalize troubled low income neighborhoods. Dyna Sluyter has railed against yuppies moving into her neighborhood, and yes, some of them are irritatingly smug and arrogant, but they would have a some disposable income to help keep local retail stores open. And, as far as I know, the great majority of yuppies hold down full time jobs and very few are into thug street assaults and gang shootouts. Maybe it would be good for the neighborhood to move from low income status towards something a little closer to average income. An average income neighborhood still has half the population living with below-average income. Besides yuppies, Dyna has also railed against the Upper River Redevelopment plan, but then she also rails against all the problems in her low income neighborhood. Maybe the Upper River plan would actually make life more livable in the neighborhood. Dave Stack Harrison From: Bill Dooley Subject: Another Blow to North Minneapolis > The West Broadway Target store to close. Target says it is too small. ... > TEMPORARY REMINDER: 1. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait. 2. If you don't like what's being discussed here, don't complain - change the subject (Mpls-specific, of course.) ________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
