May 22, 2007
Tuesday

With all due respect for the citizens for Ketchikan coalition. I think we should keep in mind the residents of Ketchikan, the "LOCAL" building owners who lease and sell their stores and buildings to "those darn Jewelers" had the first opportunity to identify a market, recognize a market or create a market that the hundreds of thousands of tourists that visit Ketchikan each year, want.

The buildings did not just all of a sudden magically appear as jewelry stores. The LOCAL owners negotiated prices ,befriended, and helped finance in some cases those jewelers, and in many cases inflated the prices to the maximum amount and cashed in (in a big way). I SAW IT. The jewelers are not the only ones making the most of the American tradition of capitalism.

The CITIZENS OF KETCHIKAN who own these buildings have not only exploited this market,they have also encouraged it by overinflating the building prices, and rent to make it seem to a market that first explored this community that, "KETCHIKAN IS THE PLACE TO BE". Ketchikan citizens perpetuated and encouraged this market.

I have watched this town grow into a jewelry store mecca. I have torn down historical monuments - if that is what they are being referred to as now, such as the Alaska Bar or the PBAR (Pioneer bar ), June's cafe on Creek street, THE Old Union Room's Hotel . Not one Ketchikan citizen with the exception of the owners of the old June's cafe. (now named Somthin' Fishy), stepped up to the plate and said "wait" I will invest any where from 1/2 to 1 million of my hard earned money and renovate this run down old building" and turn it in to an authentic Alaskan what??. Not one Ketchikan citizen, including myself, had enough faith in tourism to invest in the particular stores I have built (no less than eight stores I have personally turned into jewelry stores). It is not the over utilization of this industry by foreigners that is at fault here. It is the under utilization of this industry by locals that is responsible for what you do or do not see downtown.

To me this initiative looks like a case of misguided ,local patriotism and unfair business practice. Instead of trying to crush free trade, think of a better business. Buy an old run down building yourself, go get financial backing , and take over the town. Call 254-9000 and ask for the owner of Edwardson Enterprises for a free quote.

Charles Edwardson
Ketchikan, AK


Received May 20, 2007 - Published May 22, 2007

About: "lifelong ketchikan resident"

Related:

Citizens' group asks, "What fate do we choose for our community?" - Citizens for Ketchikan's Future (CKF), a newly formed citizens' group, has submitted a voters' initiative to the Ketchikan Gateway Borough Clerk's office to limit the density of stores exclusively selling jewelry within the City of Ketchikan. Upon approval by the Borough Clerk, the group will collect the required signatures of the 533 registered voters necessary to have the item placed on the regular October ballot. - More...
Friday - May 18, 2007

 

 

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