Fun City Redux?
As my bus eased through the gray morning I was struck by the amount of abandoned commercial real estate we passed. A bakery, a few bagel shops, car dealerships and a corner grocery store that were all in business a few months ago were all closed. The grocery store had been razed, its parking lot dug up leaving a muddy lot in its place.
It worries me.
It worries me because I have my suspicions about what will happen next if businesses do not fill these storefronts. The structures begin to rot and sag, vandals break in to party and eventually either fires are set or human scum use the structures as bases of operation for petty crimes, muggings or even more serious offenses like kidnapping and rape.
Or maybe I’m just paranoid. Or maybe the book I’m reading about the crime and porn-ridden world of Times Square in the 1970s and early 1980s is skewing my judgment. I do think there’s a real possibility that the Great Depression II can return New York to that “Fun City” era of crime and crumbling infrastructure, and as much as life long or long time New Yorkers make fun of the urban theme park that is the current Times Square I doubt any of us want to take a ride all the way back to the way things were (though a little bit of sleaze around the edges wouldn’t hurt…)
So what is to be done about it? I heard on the news this morning that the main thing keeping the economy down is consumer confidence. People just aren’t buying enough. That, I think is an interesting message to send since a couple months ago we were told that the whole mess was caused not by greedy scumbags at investment banks or bumbling government policies but by the simple fact that we the people were living too far above our means and relying too much on borrowing. The bill, we were told, had finally come due.
I digested all this this morning and said to myself “Self, let me get this straight. The whole economic mess was caused by people spending money they didn’t have, particularly on housing. The way we’re going to get out of this mess is by spending more money to help out those poor fellows at the banks and car companies and other consumer goods. So the cause is also the cure. Hmmmm.”
It’s times like these I wish I had paid more attention in my economics classes in college.
You have to admit it’s a curious thing we’ve seen develop in this country in the first decade of the 21st century. The notion of Patriotism Through Shopping. Remember how immediately after the 2001 terrorist attacks everyone was told to go spend money to keep the economy moving? We’re no longer a nation that makes sacrifices in times of crisis. Today we’re told that the key to our long term strength and stability is to get out there and consume. Spend, spend, spend. Treat the economy like it’s a kid who wants that candy right next to the cash register – just go ahead and buy it for him, what’s the harm? Of course, the kid might get spoiled, might grow up and become a thief. But who cares about the future as long as everything is fixed for now?
Meanwhile more and more empty storefronts line the boulevard I travel each day. Other lots where construction had started on new homes or businesses lay quiet and muddy. Oh silly consumers that we are. If only we were a smart and savvy as “The Market” we would ride a never-ending wave of prosperity. I think I’ll go downstairs and spend $1.75 for that new “jumbo” 20 ounce coffee that the nearest coffee cart debuted today. They say it’s a bargain compared to the $1.25 16 ouncer I’ve been buying, and I’m just a dumb consumer so I know they must be right.
It worries me.
It worries me because I have my suspicions about what will happen next if businesses do not fill these storefronts. The structures begin to rot and sag, vandals break in to party and eventually either fires are set or human scum use the structures as bases of operation for petty crimes, muggings or even more serious offenses like kidnapping and rape.
Or maybe I’m just paranoid. Or maybe the book I’m reading about the crime and porn-ridden world of Times Square in the 1970s and early 1980s is skewing my judgment. I do think there’s a real possibility that the Great Depression II can return New York to that “Fun City” era of crime and crumbling infrastructure, and as much as life long or long time New Yorkers make fun of the urban theme park that is the current Times Square I doubt any of us want to take a ride all the way back to the way things were (though a little bit of sleaze around the edges wouldn’t hurt…)
So what is to be done about it? I heard on the news this morning that the main thing keeping the economy down is consumer confidence. People just aren’t buying enough. That, I think is an interesting message to send since a couple months ago we were told that the whole mess was caused not by greedy scumbags at investment banks or bumbling government policies but by the simple fact that we the people were living too far above our means and relying too much on borrowing. The bill, we were told, had finally come due.
I digested all this this morning and said to myself “Self, let me get this straight. The whole economic mess was caused by people spending money they didn’t have, particularly on housing. The way we’re going to get out of this mess is by spending more money to help out those poor fellows at the banks and car companies and other consumer goods. So the cause is also the cure. Hmmmm.”
It’s times like these I wish I had paid more attention in my economics classes in college.
You have to admit it’s a curious thing we’ve seen develop in this country in the first decade of the 21st century. The notion of Patriotism Through Shopping. Remember how immediately after the 2001 terrorist attacks everyone was told to go spend money to keep the economy moving? We’re no longer a nation that makes sacrifices in times of crisis. Today we’re told that the key to our long term strength and stability is to get out there and consume. Spend, spend, spend. Treat the economy like it’s a kid who wants that candy right next to the cash register – just go ahead and buy it for him, what’s the harm? Of course, the kid might get spoiled, might grow up and become a thief. But who cares about the future as long as everything is fixed for now?
Meanwhile more and more empty storefronts line the boulevard I travel each day. Other lots where construction had started on new homes or businesses lay quiet and muddy. Oh silly consumers that we are. If only we were a smart and savvy as “The Market” we would ride a never-ending wave of prosperity. I think I’ll go downstairs and spend $1.75 for that new “jumbo” 20 ounce coffee that the nearest coffee cart debuted today. They say it’s a bargain compared to the $1.25 16 ouncer I’ve been buying, and I’m just a dumb consumer so I know they must be right.
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