By Daniel Lenz
Mean Mister Brownsville
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| Daniel Lenz |
If Downtown Brownsville were a “Destination” of specialty shops, nice sit down restaurants and entertainment venues, along with the historical factor, then raising the meter fees would be logical to keep traffic moving and allow more people to experience it. As of now it is not a “Destination”, it is mostly, (not all) dollar stores, ropa usadas and low budget restaurants.
But these are legitimate businesses that have invested in downtown and fulfill a need in our community. However, the people that frequent these types of places cannot afford to pay the increased fee, and in the short term the Downtown will suffer the consequences along with the property owners. Now take into account the minimum wage person who works downtown, they have to park somewhere also, but can they afford $150.00 per month in increased parking fees, I think not. And yes people will, and do spend the money on gas to shop in McAllen and Mercedes, because it is a “Destination” and a pleasant experience that they are willing to spend money for, just as they would spend the increased parking fees if Downtown Brownsville were a “Destination”.
But lets be clear, those people are a totally different group of people that do not shop downtown Brownsville for the most part. When the Downtown starts attracting different types of businesses to make it a “Destination”, and allowing for higher wage jobs, then raise the meter fees to $0.75 per hour and people will pay for it. However, this will never happen without the City providing greater incentives for businesses to locate there.
The City could simply start by enforcing codes and ordinances on ALL downtown businesses and property owners, keeping the downtown clean and spruced up, addressing the homeless problem that engulfs the area, and getting rid of the little cantinas that allow people to get drunk by day and loiter on the sidewalks while smoking a cigarette, thereby intimidating day shoppers from frequenting stores nearby these cantinas.
Read rest of article at:
www.meanmisterbrownsville.blogspot.com
10 comments:
I hope the idiots at city hall read this. It could not have been simplified any more than this. Good job, Mr. Lenz.
Totally agree. One can't argue with logic. On the flip side, however, if the city needs more money, don't just raise prices. Conserve, streamline, utilize and so on and so forth. Think positive first. Negatives like cutbacks and price increases should be the last resort.
Somebody please hand this guy a thesaurus. He seems to be stuck on the word "destination." Anyway, if downtown merchants don't do their part and fix up their stores then how can this ever become a destination? All the stores look like a dump. Downtown parking is used mainly by employees and a few customers. At one meeting it was said that the traffic department manages the meters and they have to be subsidized by our tax dollars. Why should we have to pay for something that most of us never use? If you work or go to downtown then you should pay, not me. And stop crying like 75 cents were 75 dollars. The damn newspaper has more than tripled since the last meter rate increase and what else hasn't, gas, milk, utilities? C'mon, people, you're not in the 70's anymore.
El Culo,
Unido,
Nunca sera vencido.
"the litle cantinas." Juan, why are you supporting this anti-Mexican!
The city hall idiot commissioners are there to fill their pockets. They are an odd ball group.
4:05
Take a remedial math and business class....PLEASE. Name a city in the developed world that doesn't attend to the needs of their own downtown. This guy is obviously an intelligent downtown business owners expressing what any educated person understands.
There are many "free" parking spaces around downtown and I suggest those earning minimum wage seek them out. On the other had, like students at UTB and TSC, people want a parking spot directly in front of the business or classroom they are going to. Downtown is a destination, but one I choose not to visit. Every now and then I will take a visitor downtown, so they can see what a Mexican city looks and smells like. Raising parking fees just fuels the anti-downtown view by those who do go there...the poor and the minimum wage earners.
Daniel Lenz is spot on in his analysis of the situation. We should be looking at why business are not attracted to downtown and neither are city residents. This town caters to Mexican Nationals who are even poorer than our own citizens, which is fine to a degree, but should not be the end all that we settle for as a community. Employee's should not have to pay just to be at work when the city provides free parking to city employee's who make more per hour with benefits than a minimum wage earner. Footing the bill on the backs of already low earners is just wrong. Commissioner John Villarreal stated "no one showed up at the Dec. 10 city meeting", so that means what exactly? I'll tell you what it means...the city does a lousy job of communicating and that includes you Commissioner Villarreal, because had we known with complete transparency instead of obscure language that appears to mislead, people would have showed up on Dec. 10, 2013.
I recommend to do away with meter fees, that will encourage more shopping downtown period.
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