Paul Shea, is that his real name or not who cares, hit a nerve with me this week? By the way Paul, I have nothing against you, I actually find your comments quite insightful, especially regarding the airport. All the more reason your comments bothered me.
The intent of my blog, or any of my other stupid comments, are not to drag Worcester down, but actually to pull Worcester up. I did not wake up one day and say, "Hey I cant wait to put together a list of the businesses I see leaving Worcester", so I can pay more in taxes and see the value of the under-lying properties that I own go down in value.
It just gets to a point, however, that when you hear "City on the Move", which nobody wants that to happen more then me, that I feel that I have to point out the realities of the situation. I dare say the state of Worcester in 1986 (when I started working downtown) was better then today. Which direction are we moving?
Sorry Paul, over the past 20+ plus years:
- Businesses are not coming to Worcester
- The over-all tax base is eroding creating a burden on the remaining businesses/residents that remain
Whether you putting together a list of the businesses that are coming or leaving Worcester, one only needs to to look at their tax bill to know which one is longer.
8 comments:
OK, I'll pile on here.
One word....MAGMOTOR.
If contrary to what todays T&G says, they do in fact locate outside of Worcester, do we consider it a another closed Worc. business. Probably not. More like Worc's former bride that Worc. almost got to the altar a second time.
Now let's put in perspective what I have said about some of these TIF's lately. I have claimed that TIF's seem to be going to those who do not properly plan.
The DA's new digs are being leased from a dev'er who allegedly underestimated their build-out/rehab costs, then come crying that need a TIF to subsidize their mistake(s) NEWS FLASH: all rehabs and many constr projects come out over budget.......ya gotta PLAN ON IT...it's called cost overruns.
And OMG, there's that term City Of Worcester Mirco Loans (Grants?) again............surely a prescription for disaster.
The following has been copied and pasted from the T&G re Magmotors:
"and creation of 55 new jobs — was scuttled when company officials realized the timeline for environmental and structural tests, and renovation of the building would impair its production schedule."
" Mr. Goodarzi................ said he did not realize how long it would take to complete environmental and structural tests on the property, and renovate it to his specifications."
"he anticipated being in operation by June. The current timetable will not allow that, he said."
"the schedule would hit us at a critical time,” he said. “We want to look for a property with less transition time.”
"company officials felt they could not get environmental and structural testing done by summer."
Once again bad planning.
Bottom line, the political process should not be used to subsidize business...TIF's or whatever. Politicians for the most part are clueless when it comes to business. That's why they run for office and then ++++-up municipal, state, & federal business.
Query, so what else is going on here behind the scenes???
Not that I necessarily recommend it, but maybe we can build the Blackstone Valley Visitor Centre at this same site????
Don't feel too bad about a "closing detection bias."
If a business has been operating for years you probably have some relationship to it/experience with it, or at least some vague awareness of its existence. If a new business opens you're pretty unlikely to know its owners and will not have had any experiences with it off the bat. This is probably even more so because of the demographic shifts in Worcester over the past 25 years.
Why not have a biweekly/monthly feature on the blog, featuring a short q&a where the owner can offer the obligatory jabs at Worcester's taxation?
Open Businesses in the past few months:
Overtime Bar on Front Street.
The Medical Supply Store on Chandler Street (don't remember the exact name, sorry)
Sweet T's Barbeque in Quinsig Village.
Fireside Cafe on Chandler Street.
Ray's Barber Shop on June Street.
And rumor has it that a bank will be opening up across from Foley in the abandoned lot.
In my opinion, we are a bit better off than 1986 culturally. More restaurants, more entertainment options, more involvement in the city from festivals and cultural organizations.
Economically? No, not better, but not that much worse off. Remember Black Monday in 1987? The recession in 1991? The bubble bursting in the late 90's? The Bush years?
Worcester is a product of this country's economic policies. Good paying factory jobs have been outsourced to countries with no labor or environmental standards, and white collar jobs are outsourced, downsized, understaffed or filled with temps to make bottom lines go up.....while profits continue to soar in corporate America.
Coincidentally, the corporate tax rate continues to plummet, yet our job situation in America only sees growth in the service industry. Maybe supply side, 'free market' solutions aren't working.
Fireside Cafe and some of the other things you mention are great additions.
I was thinking more along the lines of bigger businesses that have come to the City of Worcester.
Web5 on Park Ave is going into the lot across from Foley.
Really???
Right opposite that Big Commerce Bank Lion icon high atop Foley Staduim?.....opps i mean Commerce Field?
So Web 5 must be leaving behind their site at the old Kemps Hamburgers?
Wear em eye going two be Abel two drop off moi leeves in teh phucha?
Mr Dacey....and how could you possibly forget the current Obama years economy? :)
Also sir, TO SAY THAT bANK ( Webster 5?) will open up opposite Foley Staduim and that Overtime Bar on Front st has opened....well isnt that like saying Unum will soon open up on the new Front St?
I.e. all 3 of the above are a wash.....no real gain......
a. Web 5 closes on Park Avenue and moves 1/4 mi around the corner.......
b. I assume Overtime Bar is the former???......damm what was the name of that place?....
c. and Umun cant even be a 1/2 mile intra-city move as the crow flies
Not to worry our illiustrious governator, brought to us by none oterh than Jim Mcgovern will be having a sit down with Fidelity this week after his trip to China to wooo back the $60M Nevergreen Solar.
Hey, even I knew that Fidelity was downsizing their Marlboro office. I know 2 long time 'ees at that site who both lost their jobs there in the last 2 years.
But fear not when the last employees leave the Fidleity Marlboro facility this summer, Deval will stop by to shake everyones hand. He & Tobbie The Labrador will be on their way to Lenox.
Y'all s'pose Deval got some made in China Nevergreen Solar panels on the roof of his green, $1.3M Lenox manse? How abut the financing for the manse......must been either outta pocket cash from his Coca Cola settlemnt or maybe Ameriquest Mortgage fronted him the money until his book proceeeds come in :)
Chill out Bill. I never said i disagreed with you. Sometimes you can become so involved with something that you need someone to play devil's advocate everyone and a while. This is my real name by the way. Great job making new comers feel welcome on your blog. Maybe i'll just leave this blog to your an cronies.
Paul, I rough up Bill ( and toheres sometimes) on a few topics. On ocassion I'll even take the opposing perspective, although I may not be complete disagreemnt with what Bill espouses.
Stick around.
All perspectives are welcome and I wont rough you up :)....... But Paul Worc's demographics are headed in teh wrong direction for a city that wants to grow or even for one that just wants to keep its head above water.
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