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Jewelry Store Initiative
By Michael Moyer

 

September 15, 2007
Saturday PM


It is true that one the intentions of zoning codes is to control the growth of a community in a certain direction. However in order for a initiative to become part of the code it must pass several tests built into our system to ensure it will be, enforcable by the municipality, beneficial to the community, and if it sets a precidence for other legal action then it must be able remain when challanged in the courts. The present "Jewelry Store Initiative" is not a viable choice for the planning of the community.

1.) It is NOT ENFORCABLE; Who will police the percentage of jewelry in stores? Who decides what is art and what is jewelry? How will the jewelry nazis make a store owner put away items determined to be too much jewelry?

2.) It is NOT BENEFICIAL to the community; What alternative merchantile business are being offered in exchange for the taxes that will be lost to the community when growth is limited to failing cork shoe stores and kippered herring shops? What form of reimbursement will be offered to building owners who will be forced to sit on empty stores that cannot open because there is no capital to open them?

Who will invest in a community that reacts to capital investment with prejudice and distain because if finds certain healthy clean businesses unsuitable for its town?

3.) It will NOT SURVIVE LEGAL CHALLANGES; This code addition will be challanged time and time again in court until it is removed from the books. What is jewlery? When a store owner is told he cannot open as a jewelry store he will call it something else, "Wearable art", The terms will draw both sides into court. The city will be forced to prove its code addition is enforcable. If it is shown to be unenforcable it will dissapear.
This initiative is a complete waste of time, energy, and peoples' money.

Michael Moyer
Donegal3[at]go.com
Ketchikan, AK

Received September 15, 2007 - Published September 15, 2007

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