Observer Now Advocates for Small Business

Why write about news when you can try to make your own! (Photo by Julie Leopo/Voice of OC)

At least so they say. Small businesses and local entrepreneurs, “play a significant role in driving community engagement, creating jobs, and fostering a sense of belonging among residents,” intones Saksia Kennedy. They need fairness from the City when it comes to outdoor dining permit fees.

Hugh Berry Way

Her model example is Les Amis that rents space from the City on left over property when the old Redevelopment Agency blew an opening from Wilshire Avenue to the parking lot off Malden. Apparently Les Amis is getting hit with back rent that was suspended due to Covid and the rent cost is real big.

Well, okay, we really know this is a backhanded swipe at the Santa Fe Depot Cafe that pays no rent on patio space outside. But we will never be told by the Observer that this is because the space is open to and used by the public, gratis.

Nevertheless, the point is interesting about public space being used for private purposes; in theory, rents should be uniform for similar purposes; but some locations may not be able to support the rents that others do because of location and other factors, a simple truth that supports individual assessments.

But hey, wait a minute. Since when did the Observer Sisters ever give a rat’s ass about businesses? Neither one has ever run a business, let alone an entrepreneurship – what ever the word “entrepreneur” might even mean to them.

For the past year the Fullerton Observer was actively engaged supporting the idiot decision to close West Wilshire Avenue at Harbor Boulevard to traffic and to keep the busy street closed. The resulting “Walk on Wilshire” was a dismal failure to anyone paying a modicum of attention: it was an inconvenience to motorists, hardly anybody used it, it lost money, and worst of all, it hurt the small businesses and property owners in the 100 block of West Wilshire who noticed a decline in business after the street was closed. A “pilot program” became a virtual bureaucratic make-work program with no end in sight.

The Kennedy Sisters made it their mission to save “WoW,” and in doing so even ran ads in their own publication, trying to put public pressure on local businesses to support the scheme. Hardly the behavior of those wanting to advocate for small businesses, is it? They never mentioned to their readers the activities of City Hall employees who deliberately kept Wilshire businesses and property owners in the dark about what they were doing.

“Okay, Joe” I can hear you saying, “so what.” We all know that the Fullerton Observer is locked into ossified ideological boneheadedness, uber alles. I know that’s true. But it’s a little breathtaking to observe people who are so steadfastly free from self-awareness; who have a world-view where practicality is so completely absent; and where it’s always the thought that counts, not the cost – even if the thought is patronizing, nonsensical, or unable to stand the scrutiny of normal people.

22 Replies to “Observer Now Advocates for Small Business”

  1. They only support things that can pay for more employees in City Hall. It’s been that way since 1994.

  2. Didn’t the owner of Les Amis speak out against continuing the Walk on Wilshire last year? Presumably because it was negatively impacting the business? Now the Fullerton Obfuscater suddenly cares about the restaurant after urging the public to continue the idiotic Walk on Wilshire? They should take up a collection to help pay the back charges.

    1. Yes. The Covid declaration and the Walk on Wilshire was a double hit. The Observer sisters should be ashamed of themselves and would be except they don’t have any shame.

  3. I don’t have a problem with restaurants setting up a few small tables or other businesses setting up displays on the sidewalk rent-free in front of their businesses as long as it doesn’t impede pedestrian traffic. I don’t support construction of structures and street closures and removal of parking spaces to accommodate this. I wouldn’t even have a problem with Mario putting tables on the sidewalk where the bumpout is…..as long as the bumpout is removed in compliance with the agreement he signed with the city. The city does need to provide *reasonable* support to responsible small businesses and restaurants to keep downtown from becoming a ghost town.

  4. Over 70 businesses supported keeping the Walk on Wilshire, but this blog only cares about what their daddy thinks about the issues

    1. They had nothing to lose by signing and were afraid of upsetting city bureaucrats. A lot of them were no where near Wilshire Avenue. Try harder.

    2. 70 businesses? You mean law offices of elder law and clothing stores on Harbor? These kind of idiotic brain farts continue to keep Fullerton from realizing any potential.

  5. Playing fast and loose with public property is how you ended up with a stolen sidewalk courtesy of the Florentine mob and the refusal to give up said stolen sidewalk by Maroprick. What’s good for the goose is good for the gander.

  6. It should also be pointed out that the Observer never disclosed that one of their long time advertisers was the only business with a financial interest in keeping WoW open.

    I wonder, does Les Amis advertise with them?

  7. Les Amis is a joke. Why open a patio to smoke and drink bourbon when several doors away is a cigar store and lounge? The public should now bail their piss poor business decision.

    1. In the spirit of good business let me propose an idea.

      First off, the city has been generous enough to let her use that larg outdoor patio for years. It’s not just about the rent; it’s about the prime location and the extra seating she gets, which should help her business thrive.

      Secondly, if she’s having trouble affording the rent, maybe it’s time to re-evaluate her business model. Exclusive patios for her patrons only might not be the best strategy, especially when other nearby business employ people who probably bring their lunch to work but don’t have a nice place outside to sit down and eat their lunch

      Lastly, the city has to consider public access and fairness. If everyone else has to follow certain rules, why should she be any different? It’s only fair that she pays a reasonable rent for the privilege of using that space.

      I think a compromise could be reached, but both parties need to meet in the middle. The city could potentially lower the rent if she agrees to make the patio more accessible to the public, even if it’s just for a few hours a day. That way, everyone wins, and the city remains business-friendly without giving special treatment to one establishment.

      There are a lot of nearby businesses, office, and many people bring their lunch to work because they can’t afford to eat out every day. If they were able to go out and sit in her outdoor patio without any hassle, that would be a great concession and a good compromise. When they go there and sit, they can get a glass of water, which is a small gesture from the business owner that could go a long way. They might even tip the waiter for bringing them water, which could benefit the restaurant in the long run.

  8. Stupid Saskia has accomplished running some kind of PI shill and divorcing a man dumb enough to marry her. Now she is burning to the ground her family Observer legacy. She sure is qualified to teach a master class on business.

  9. Since Saskia thinks it’s fair game to print Bushala legal matters in their fake newsletter in the guise of transparency, turnabout is only fair to print Saskia divorce paperwork on this blog. Would make an interesting read while I’m on the toilet.

    1. I’m more interested in Zahra’s divorce information and its relationship to getting a Green Card.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *