The Downtown Development Commission recently met to discuss, of all things, sidewalk displays.
Infantile though it may be, our “best and brightest” spent the better part of a meeting fretting over, pondering, and debating sidewalk displays. After Gateway’s Gary Morgan advocated for business by calling for less government interference and more entrepreneurial freedom, our esteemed Chamber President, Bill Edwards, ever on the side of business, claimed that business people actually showing their wares and being customer friendly “is going in the wrong direction.” Edwards then said, “This right here will be opening up our sidewalks to something we can’t police.” Mayor Pete O’Geary, speaking for the city of Henderson, chimed in and said, “I think so, too.”
Police!? Police?! When did the Chamber of Commerce and the Downtown Development Commission assume police powers? When did it become Edwards’ job to police independent downtown merchants? This isn’t East Berlin before the Wall came down. This is Henderson, NC, USA!
By their own words and actions, the Chamber and Downtown Development Commission showed themselves to be anti-retail, anti-business, anti-advertising, anti-consumer, anti-success, and perhaps, by singling out Abdo Saleh, anti-Muslim. Very bad, possibly illegal, form!
Edwards and the Downtown Development Commission leaders claim they want businesses to locate downtown. Mr. Saleh, owner of several successful businesses, chose to legally open a store downtown with his own resources, no begging for grants…no begging for tax dollars. Mr. Saleh probably paid more in taxes last year than Edwards and company have in a lifetime. Yet they choose to treat him like a criminal and make him jump through their hoops. So much for a business friendly downtown.
Downtown merchants, Mr. Saleh, and other local business people deserve much better. They provide opportunity; they create jobs; they serve their customers; they produce more than they take; they provide goods and services that people voluntarily purchase.
Their detractors, vocal at the recent meeting, are takers, not producers. They don’t serve us…they service us, in much the same way that my granddad’s bull serviced his cows.
Maybe a better name for Edwards’ organization would be Chamber of Horrors.
Rusty McMahon
Vance County