August 27, 2007
Monday

Jewelry Store Initiative... mystifying, isn't it? Can't say I've been following this Initiative closely because [I thought] the idea was about future Jewelry Stores... emphasis on FUTURE. Is the "Potential Mayoral Candidate" saying the current population of jewelry stores is going to be "thinned out" or that Tourists will shun our beautiful city because we won't allow jewelry stores to multiply till they saturate our city? Not getting this, Amsterdam we are not, where is the crisis of lost business? Tourists will not give "spit" if there is a mandate limiting jewelry stores from becoming "dress right dress all the way to the city limits".

Creating a hostile business environment, random discriminatory decisions for the downtown area... you say there is so much more involved than just a few jewelry stores but where are some examples, Prince Rupert? Getting your pushing hard with dark, angry sarcasm, Mr. Edwardson, just not getting any honest, "out on the table" valuation. The market will define what businesses will thrive here, any concern that tourists will need to stand in line to the point where they might miss their boat or a ride around town on the trolley because there aren't enough jewelry stores, just doesn't add up.

No, I didn't grow up here, but live here and am staying. This isn't a hick town, people here are smart, talented and motivated by more of the best and fewer of the worst interests of human nature. I'm not against greed, self interest or honest business practices... but your angry message begs for some analysis. This concern that a significant percentage of the population might want to make our little town appear less mercenary than it is, well... seems to fall hard on the side of a positive moral message. If the initiative were to pass, how many more jewelry stores could there be in the downtown area? Give us [the voters] some well mannered, reasonable, logical, quantitative arguments to bolster your position, you sound like you own "potential jewelry store property" or represent those with the political muscle who do?

Just think, wouldn't it be nice to read some honest critiques instead of all this desperate saturation of sarcasm? Prince Rupert isn't going to steal tourists away from Ketchikan because of this; way I see it, tourists come here expecting to see Alaska, and you're trying to give them Disneyland with jewelry stores! Okay, your turn Mayor, but please, take a deep breath, maybe sit quiet for a moment, calm yourself and think about those people you are in conflict with, cause they're people too. They might even have a point.

Ken Bylund,
North Point Higgins.

Received August 27, 2007 - Published August 27, 2007

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JEWELRY STORE INITIATIVE By Charles Edwardson - Ketchikan, AK

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