Absurd In Detroit
A piece by Jarrett Skorup on MichiganCapitalConfidential.com on the challenges faced by small business owners operating in Detroit:
"One year, I get an awning tax and I call the city, and say, 'I don't even know what that is.' When I finally could get a hold of someone who could explain it to me, they says, 'Well, your awning is over a city sidewalk and you will be taxed yearly.'"
This is just one absurd example, but it it has cousins throughout the U.S. People in elected office -- whether City Council or U.S. Senate -- think that they can solve every problem by sucking more and more money out of the taxpayers. It's why a street cleaning ticket (for forgetting to move your car on street cleaning day) was $25 a few years ago and is now $68.
We're paying for, for example, that "El Grito" festival the LA City Councilturds spent $100K of our money on. Simone Wilson writes at LAWeekly.com:
To add irony to insult, native Olvera Street shops say they don't benefit from El Grito (like Silver Lake businesses would have, from the Junction crowd), because "the promoters bring in vendors who compete directly with the stands and family owned businesses."
via @reasonpolicy
Oh man, you still have that racist shit bag Villaragosa as your mayor? I'm glad I got out of L.A. years ago.
Justin at October 28, 2013 9:39 PM
Amy Alkon
http://www.advicegoddess.com/archives/2013/10/28/absurd_in_detro.html#comment-4012860">comment from JustinUm, do you not have the Internet where you are?
Amy Alkon
at October 28, 2013 10:12 PM
I just don't really pay much attention to what goes on in L.A. anymore. Just what I glean here and there.
It's still an interesting place to visit, and I'm sure I will one day. I miss In-n-Out. And Spearmint Rhino. And fresh oranges while I'm stuck in traffic.
Justin at October 28, 2013 10:23 PM
Future news:
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City of Detroit
Division of Tax Collections
Dear business owner of "Giant Bagels Deluxe":
You are located on a public street. This street is built and maintained for the public, not for the support of bourgeois, money grubbing businesses which charge decent people outrageous prices for items which would be free under a more comprehensive city administration.
You have been observed entering and exiting your business by using this street and its sidewalk. This is "a business use of a public park" under City Regs Sec 5.3.a(iii).
At $1 per trespass, 4 employees x 4 trespasses per day, 365 days per year, please find enclosed a supplementary tax bill for $5,940.00. We have added a late payment charge of $100.
Thank you for making Detroit a better place for all to live.
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EasyOpinions
Andrew_M_Garland at October 28, 2013 11:15 PM
Don't forget that this sort of thing is not new, and it's one of the reasons that shopping malls came to exist in the first place.
Cousin Dave at October 29, 2013 5:50 AM
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