They would encourage more home based businesses in Greensboro's more disadvantaged neighborhoods. The would heed the Action Greensboro study that stated:
"Government’s role is to provide a business climate that nurtures and promotes effective growth without being onerous for businesses of all sizes to operate profitably."
You see, Greensboro's "leaders" are in the habit of only hearing what they want to hear even when they spend our tax dollars to learn the truth.
When I was a little boy growing up in Bessemer (what we now call East Greensboro) there were home based businesses everywhere. Some were like the candy store at the other end of my block where an old retired African American gentleman supplemented his income selling prepackaged candy bars to the kids in the neighborhood. All our parents loved the fact that it was so close to home and in plain sight of many watchful eyes. My favorite was Butterfinger.
Other neighborhood businesses went on to become successful larger businesses who left the neighborhood to move to bigger locations Downtown or in the newly built shopping centers and industrial parks and Greensboro's economy grew.
Then what happened? Greensboro's "economic leaders" turned protectionist, outlawed many of the same types of home businesses they themselves once operated in their own homes, garages and backyards with the end result being an end to Greensboro's organic growth.
I look at the names of Greensboro's leaders and when I weed out the transplants I find the names from Greensboro's old working class neighborhoods like my own Bessemer and I think it's too bad you no longer care about where you came from.
You see, bedroom communities only sleep and sleep produces nothing. Those businesses that moved out of the neighborhoods were so worried about competition they forgot to realize those small time competitors were in-fact some of their biggest customers. Yes, we'll need limits on hours of operation and some things just can't be done at home but the current restrictions are overbearing on our working class neighborhoods. Keep Irving Park the way it is or let it die, we don't care, but let Greensboro's poor neighborhoods grow and prosper. Or, be satisfied to die with us... It's not like we make the rules.
"Government’s role is to provide a business climate that nurtures and promotes effective growth without being onerous for businesses of all sizes to operate profitably."
You see, Greensboro's "leaders" are in the habit of only hearing what they want to hear even when they spend our tax dollars to learn the truth.
When I was a little boy growing up in Bessemer (what we now call East Greensboro) there were home based businesses everywhere. Some were like the candy store at the other end of my block where an old retired African American gentleman supplemented his income selling prepackaged candy bars to the kids in the neighborhood. All our parents loved the fact that it was so close to home and in plain sight of many watchful eyes. My favorite was Butterfinger.
Other neighborhood businesses went on to become successful larger businesses who left the neighborhood to move to bigger locations Downtown or in the newly built shopping centers and industrial parks and Greensboro's economy grew.
Then what happened? Greensboro's "economic leaders" turned protectionist, outlawed many of the same types of home businesses they themselves once operated in their own homes, garages and backyards with the end result being an end to Greensboro's organic growth.
I look at the names of Greensboro's leaders and when I weed out the transplants I find the names from Greensboro's old working class neighborhoods like my own Bessemer and I think it's too bad you no longer care about where you came from.
You see, bedroom communities only sleep and sleep produces nothing. Those businesses that moved out of the neighborhoods were so worried about competition they forgot to realize those small time competitors were in-fact some of their biggest customers. Yes, we'll need limits on hours of operation and some things just can't be done at home but the current restrictions are overbearing on our working class neighborhoods. Keep Irving Park the way it is or let it die, we don't care, but let Greensboro's poor neighborhoods grow and prosper. Or, be satisfied to die with us... It's not like we make the rules.
