I agree with vicupstate. Send in someone, an 'unidentified' reporter to investigate, someone posing as a business person.so that we can get further insight on the problems.
As the other poster (Clayton) said, "a complicated permit process ensures job security for those city bureaucrats whose livelihood depends on that process."
This is the root cause! ---Finally, JJ, don't worry about the grammar, because your comments were right on point!
It's not fair or right that our city leaders, when they seek election or re-election, they make so many promises that they know won't be kept. We need new businesses downtown. I'm old enough to remember when we had a lively, thriving, downtown. It wasn't Madison Avenue or Rodeo Drive, but there was enough "Southern bustle" in the downtown area for the residents to feel proud.
We had May Cohen, Furchgotts, Ivey's, Woolworth's, Kreskge's, WT Grant's, JC Penneys, Diana Shop, Mangam's, Young Men's, Rose's, various furniture stores, others that I can't remember. I very rarely go downtown any more as there's just not too much there any more. Parking is a mess downtown, so that discourages visiting and too many simultaneous one-way streets one, two, and three before there is another street going in the opposite direction.
If there are "illegal" mis-spellings here, and there probably are--it's been so long since those stores I mentioned were here---I think I'd better apologize to the Spelling Police before I post my comment. :-
