“Should the local government regulate which businesses can set up shop here?”
Here are your responses: ■ “One can only wonder about those people who are drawn to the Third Street Promenade, which only offers high-priced food and rags and the worst entertainment on the face of the earth — including the Red Elvises, who were incapable of playing in key. Those business operators who are foolish enough to pay the high rental prices should be regulated by local government.” ■ “The local government should regulate the businesses that set up shop here because all we have are the large chain stores that many people can’t afford. They should get rid of every one of these stores and put in stores where the normal, low-income person can shop. These big chain stores are just too out of reach to most of the people.” ■ “Local governments should be able to regulate who sets up shop here. Every city, county and state have zoning ordinances. Within a zoning ordinance, it is the responsibility of the local governments to dictate what types of businesses go into which neighborhoods along which streets, and the density of those. But, regarding the Third Street Promenade, the local government should not be able to regulate how many businesses are going into the zone. That’s typical of Santa Monica and their overrated, socialist (or should I say fascist?) views. When you have a zoning ordinance, that’s what the zoning ordinance is. If you don’t like the types of businesses, or the businesses are causing a lot of problems, you change the zoning ordinance. You cannot arbitrarily go in there, when it’s a legally permitted use in that zone that has been set up, and say ‘We want to regulate how many can go in here.’ That is wrong, and I think it is illegal, but that’s typical of the Santa Monica City Council — micromanaging the city when they’re not looking at the big picture.” ■ “Local governments should be able to regulate — to a degree. If you get too many on one block, that’s not good. Too many liquor stores on one block is not good. Any smut shops or strip joints I would keep out of the community entirely. The local government should regulate some businesses, but they should only think of what will do the greatest good for the greatest number of people who live in Santa Monica.” ■ “Santa Monica has been regulating the businesses for a long time. They have kicked out many of the stores that the people who live here would have liked to have had, and they keep talking about the small-business people. Yet, when I go downtown, those small businesses are not doing too well. Maybe we need to let the market control itself. There definitely needs to be certain types of businesses in Santa Monica, but not based upon whether or not they are affiliated with chains. There needs to be some kind of monitoring in other kinds of ways.” ■ “I think the City Council needs to keeps their nose out of the debate over which businesses can set up shop here. They voted out Wal-Mart, but they allowed a big, mega-condo or apartment complex at the corner of Fifth Street and Santa Monica Boulevard. It’s a selection of who they want and who they don’t want. I think, if they keep this up, nobody will want to do business in Santa Monica, especially on the Promenade. The problems on the Promenade are also due to the homeless and the smell. If the chain stores come in, there is more variety to shop from and these little small stores can’t afford the rent. So why not let the larger stores come in? Santa Monica is slitting its own throat. The City Council needs to let chain stores in or it’s going to get pretty decadent down on the Promenade.” ■ “I don’t believe that the City Council should regulate who can set up shop here — they’ve already bumped Bubba Gump off the Pier. I think they should keep their meddling fingers out of it. I don’t think they know what they’re doing. I think the economics will take care of what needs to be taken care of on the Promenade. Business ebbs and flows, and restaurants come and go (stores as well) on their own. I don’t think they should regulate it, even though I disapprove of chain stores like The Gap, but, hey, that’s economics.” ■ “No, I don’t think that local governments should be able to regulate businesses downtown. I think they are just wasting taxpayer money when they do that. They are also stealing from the landlords who have a right to get as much as they can for their property.”
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on November 21, 2003. Read the original PDF.