In Reply to: Re: Woodstock Farm Festival Begins May 28th posted by Woodstock Farm Festival on April 06, 2008 at 08:16:22:
Justify this anyway you want, but once again, it undercuts the extent of the costs of doing business for legitimate businesses in Woodstock which have to incur liability insurance, pay local and sale taxes, property taxes and the like.
It is unbelievable that the Chamber doesn't get who they are supposedly suppose to represent. It is outrageous that they would not require these same people to incur the same costs that the rest of legitimate businesses have to incur. Why should anyone open a retail business in Woodstock when you are encouraging the sabotage of the legitimate markets at work?
Why should the rest of us in effect, give a tax break to these traveling "gypsies" who don't contribute to the tax base of the town of Woodstock? Does it benefit the rest of the businesses in the same extent? Hardly. Your argument is crock. This wouldn't be tolerated in any other town and it undercuts the businesses who do support the local economy by paying their fair share of legitimate taxes, sales taxes, property taxes, liability insurance and pay a fair wage to workers. Just who does this benefit in the long term?
Your reasoning here has no basis in economic fact, and that is precisely the problem with doing any sort of legitimate business in Woodstock and why the town is in dying mode. Look around, how many businesses are left? How many are leaving? How many have closed their doors when they should just set up a craft stand on Rock City Road and avoid contributing to school taxes, town taxes, liability and everything else that any other town would protect? Who is the Chamber? What are they doing here? Why isn't this issue raised to protect the businesses that have to rent store fronts, pay triple net leases (what is that you ask? Look it up) and the real estate merchants that own all the best storefronts, 15 years ago Woodstock was a town that was vibrant and thriving, this so called "Market" further undercuts attracting legitimate businesses that actually in the long term benefit the tax base of the Town of Woodstock from school taxes, to property values, property taxes and the infrastructure of the town at large.
It is one more attempt to by pass the legitimate tax paying businesses that foot the bill for the Town. It is completely outrageous and would not be allowed in Hudson, Catskill, NYC, and or any other town that cares about its long term tax base.
Whoever is running the town and the Chamber needs a quick lesson in economics and how to run a town that is both beneficial to town residents as well as the local businesses and the overhead they incur before they even realize a profit.
I am appalled by this lack of sense and outraged at the lack of concern here. It is a complete farce to force this Market onto the town without any care for existing merchants and business people who have struggled to eek out a living in this town.
Obviously, you don't own a business, you have no recognition or care for them and that is why the town is a revolving door for businesses who decide it simply isn't worth what is going on here. That is economic reality, not some pipe dream from the 1960s and that wasn't anymore true then as it is now.
Bette Del Gioarmo