Where Have You Been Bay Ridge Politicians?
At election time, politicians tell us that they “support small businesses.” I think most of Bay Ridge’s politicians do just the opposite.
I think this is one of the first times that these Bay Ridge politicians have called business owners for a meeting. Why haven’t they done this before?
The Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce is going to be there – that site only lists businesses who paid the chamber. Why doesn’t it list all Brooklyn businesses if it is a NYC which was set up to help businesses?
We watched one politician fund a BID group that isn’t well supported. This group started over a year and half ago. Last July they asked people to vote for the BID and they don’t have the votes. That didn’t stop them from pushing the bid at the start of the Pandemic. Do these people live here and see what is going on? Rigites, Councilman Brannan used our tax dollars went to fund the BID group to force these merchants to join. We want them to do well here, so they want to stay here, so “nickeling and diming” them with more fees isn’t the way to do it.
By now the BID Steering Committee should have backed away from the idea of a BID as some merchants had problems before the pandemic. See here There is going to be bad news coming from the business owners – My Thai was the first who announced they were closing. See here
This month, I have seen one politician put out graphics to hail certain merchants because he knows them or he knows that they donated something during the pandemic. What about the donations that he doesn’t know about? What about the merchants who sell the same product and have been awesome merchants – now they are second or third best because this politician has a favorite? Making a graphic to sway customers isn’t helpful.
In the Fall, I asked Senator Gounardes to meet with the Merchants of Third Avenue. The BID group is not diverse and I believe that there was a communication/social barrier to knowing about the meetings for the steering committee. I didn’t see Gounardes announce he met with them and he announces if he is breathing on 3rd Avenue (ex. Here’s a picture of me grocery shopping – wow look at all the essential workers at work). How hard would it have been to call the merchants together and talk with them for two hours?
Finally, the government set aside money to assist businesses who they forced to closed. Most small businesses didn’t get the money because medium (also known as large and profitable businesses applied). Very little was said about this. Our newspapers weren’t loaded with the politicians outrage – just more pictures.
On Wednesday night there is a Facebook meeting. If you remember – log in. Don’t worry if you own a business, see what’s going on in the community. Are these politicians just repeating general knowledge or have they invited the Chamber and another organization to repeat knowledge that everyone has already had for a month.
Some of these politicians need to take a six month moratorium on their pictures and nonsense articles in the paper. Writing to a newspaper doesn’t help anyone but the politician. And during a pandemic – it shows they are shameless.
Hugs,
marlene
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