Via John Stossel:
- The city of Cleveland operates a public grocery store called the West Side Market. It boasts organic foods, unique specialty items, and personal service (the DMV boasts that too, you have to deal personally with them). It looks quite nice from the pictures. But typical of government it is only open for 4 days a week, and less than 12 hours each of those days. And given that it doesn’t have to keep the lights on very long, and it is such a totally cool and awesome and ethical place to shop, it should be obvious that the city manages to … lose … money on the market.
- And because the czars in central cities think they know anything about economic redevelopment, any grand idea they think up must certainly revitalize the city. My old hometown of Pittsfield, Massachusetts spent $10 million on an old fashioned movie theater. Let’s see how much that sparked resurgence. In Cleveland, the city is spending taxpayer money on a medical convention center that will turn Cleveland into a “Disney World” for doctors! Remember this?
You just missed Rochester’s Fast Ferry debacle by maybe 2 years. You would have LOVED that! 🙂
Yeh, Speedmaster. Was it via the Niagra River, over the falls, then on to Labrador?
Count on Cleveland to make a mess. But then, count on Philadelphia to imitate Cleveland.
You may or may not be right about the specific efforts at rehabilitating any given municipality, but surely you are not suggesting that no effort of any kind is worth it. What would you propose–abandoning the cities based on some laissez faire philosophy or do you have specific proposals for Pittsfield, Cleveland or any other city?
I would like to hear your take on that. Thanks.
Alex, you’d do well to reflect on the quote at the top:
The curious task of economics is to demonstrate to men how little they really know about what they imagine they can design. – F.A. Hayek
If you would look where cities are abandoned, you would see results of planning. Especially in Cleveland and Detroit (and the list could go on).
Alex, your point is taken.
In general, Cleveland, and Philadelphia and my own little municipality, have too many people on the payroll.
You said a mouthful when you inferred that laissez-faire economics implies abandoning Cleveland and Detroit.
I hope you will continue studying this blog, which, if you are diligent, will help answer the many questions you raise.
Best wishes!