St. Paul E-Democracy Links http://www.e-democracy.org/stpaul/links.html _________________________________________ Hi All
I have given enough thought to this to write an essay -- if only I could organize my thoughts and be patient enough to do it. But I can't. So I'll just throw out some thoughts and maybe one or two could advance the discussion. Public money has a place in encouraging development of businesses that hold the promise of improving the tax base and the quality of life. Sorry, Mitch. Cities compete for prize assets -- like pro sports, large business expansions, and even promising startups in exciting new fields. Ya gotta use a carrot sometimes. What these examples have in common is that they are uncommon, relatively unique and in short supply and they are fiercely fought over by cities and states. They'll locate somewhere else if we don't put together an attractive package. It is a bit more dicey when government is asked to "bail out" a troubled business. Chrysler was a success, for example. NWA is an arguable success. The money that Minnesota has pumped and continues to send to the dying iron range businesses is a failure. But with the number of jobs at stake, and the odds that the market will continue to exist for these employers, it makes sense to selectively help when there is hope of saving the companies. A small business that has absolutely nothing to offer than what can be found cheaper and in more abundance all over town, is deep in debt and on the brink of bankruptcy must be allowed to fail. $100K or $150K in assistance to a failing business that is at least $1.5million in debt already is sheer, irresponsible fiscal madness. The corner grocery, the neighborhood drugstore, the neighborhood bookstore, auto repair shop, barber, coffee shop and all the "Mom and Pops" need to have a large and devoted enough customer base to scrape by, and many still do just fine. Ruminator books has a loyal clientele, I am told. But it ain't large enough to sustain the business. A meager "band-aid loan" representing a 10% increase in debt, is unlikely to save Ruminator and is VERY unlikely to be repaid. An argument that makes me cringe is that "it's not alot of money compared with blah blah blah." Everything's relative, folks, and and public help must be offered based on the size of the enterprise and the likelyhood of success. It is simplistic in the extreme to argue that a mere $150K is a drop in the bucket and is deserved to help a bohemian landmark survive a few more months. In short, it made alot more sense to invest $65million on the Excel than to toss $150K to Ruminator books. I suggest that the owner seek employment and B&N. The pay and benefits are good, and you can still be a quirky snob. I'm sure the Ruminator space will quickly be filled with an equally Mac-Grove oriented shop of some kind, as it is too small to attract a "dreaded" franchise. So fear not, my birkie-wearing former hippies ;-) The "Character of Mac-Grand will not be ruined by the departure of Ruminator. Cheers! PK _____________________________________________ NEW ADDRESS FOR LIST: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To subscribe, modify subscription, or get your password - visit: http://www.mnforum.org/mailman/listinfo/stpaul Archive Address: http://www.mnforum.org/mailman/private/stpaul/ _____________________________________________ For state and national discussions see: http://e-democracy.org/discuss.html For external forums, see: http://e-democracy.org/mninteract
