Some random thoughts, as summer slowly slips away.
First, the impact on our local economy of the national Fraternal Order of Police convention has become the subject of some debate. The question raised by some people is whether the convention was good, bad or indifferent for local businesses.
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That such a question is even raised is silly. Of course such a convention is good for our economy.
Some restaurant owners are reportedly miffed because they didn’t get quite the boost in business they expected when they heard the FOP convention would drop thousands of visitors into Rhode Island.
Many finer restaurants, in fact, upped their orders of food and beverages, only to be left over-stocked once the convention had come and gone. Others, mostly the smaller pubs, however, did see a significant boost in business.
Many of those that did enjoy a boost in business as a result of the convention had posted special signs and banners welcoming the visitors. It was a simple and inexpensive marketing effort. And it apparently worked.
If there is a legitimate complaint to come out of the FOP convention, it is the fact that too many conventioneers had to stay outside Rhode Island, in places like Mansfield, Mass., and Mystic, Conn.
Imagine not having the hotel rooms necessary, not only downtown, but throughout the state, to accommodate such business?
Greater Providence Chamber of Commerce President James G. Hagan said the lack of hotel space was the only real negative to come out of the FOP’s stay.
“The major complaint that I heard was that some of the folks had to be bused in … other than that, I heard nothing but positive things,” he said.
Economic projections as a result of the convention are anecdotal at this point. But I walked through Providence Place on a Thursday morning during the convention and it was more crowded than usual. It seemed to me that dozens of people wearing FOP badges were walking about carrying shopping bags.
And Hagan makes a good point. Many of the police and their families took the time to visit Newport and the beaches of South County.
“They’ll come back,” said Hagan.
Yes, they will. Isn’t that the point?
It’s a matter of principle
Good for Tony Demings, who you may have read about on our front page last week.
Demings is the owner of the Brooklyn Coffee & Tea House on Douglas Avenue in Providence. He has lowered the price of his coffee about 15 cents so that he isn’t contributing any extra taxes to the capital city after the General Assembly passed an additional 1 percent meals and beverage tax in the waning days of its 2003 session.
Demings operates on narrow margins. All small-business owners do. Another 1 percent tax may not seem like a lot of money, but over time it can make a difference and even turn some customers away. What’s worse for him and others is that the legislation was fast-tracked, enacted just weeks after initially discussed.
Restaurant, bar and coffee shop owners had no time to re-print menus or look into the details of having to record the additional tax separately because it goes to the city, not the state.
Demings knows his form of protest is mostly symbolic, a matter of principle. He told us that he would like to have a tax revolt and “throw tea in my water garden.”
“The days of the mom-and-pop are over … Starbucks and other large corporations, they can absorb all these tax increases,” he said.
I can see why Demings is upset about the tax increase. You ought to stop by his place for a cup of coffee. Save yourself 15 cents and tell him to hang in there.
Economy stronger than Buddy’s pull
I caught the end of an interesting talk radio conversation last week. It centered on Buddy Cianci.
The show’s host suggested that for all his faults, Cianci would probably have been able to persuade enough corporate donors into supporting events such as First Night, which has fallen victim to the poor economy.
It makes for an interesting discussion, but I think it’s unfair to Mayor David Cicilline – and paints the business community in an unfair light.
It’s true that the former mayor had pull – lots of it. But I’d like to think that if area corporations felt strongly about supporting a particular program or event, they would continue to do so. Most of them do.
And as for the current mayor, it seems he’s been busy figuring out a way to fix a broken budget. That’s not a bad expenditure of his time.
WaterFire, First Night and other events are suffering because we’re in the midst of a dreadful economy. Corporations have had to think twice about where to spend their limited dollars. They’ve had to cut back.
There’s nothing Buddy could have done about that.
