Closed on Broadway

Another walk this morning down Broadway shows the very local thoroughfare to be in similar straights to its southern sister--B'game Ave.  There are seven empty retail spaces on Broadway today.  Let's assume that the Il Piccolo expansion next door takes that space as planned.  And let's assume the gift shop at the west end of the street has a new tenant coming as the sign indicates.  But we also have to account for US Bank moving down to the Pacific National Bank space on the Avenew as of May 15th, so that leaves six empty spaces on Broadway.

In general, Broadway felt a bit more vibrant perhaps because there are more smaller spaces and more services businesses where you can see people through the front windows.

 

Comments

[Holyroller]

The business's and future of business is really bad.
Look at all the empty store fronts on Burlingame Ave.
Consider the lack of Car Sales, Home Sales, that are the basis of what funds the day to day operations of the City of Burlingame Infrastructure.
I do not know how the hotels are doing business wise, but things are looking grim. I do not believe this has anything to do with Obamba's preidentcy. It has to do with the eight years of Bush, and all that that entails. However, I am disappointed with the lack of honesty regarding employment reporting.
I think it would be a good time to look at Prop 13 again. Every time a school teacher gets laid off, or a maintenace person in the school district gets laid off it is the direct result of Prop 13.
We really need to re-think it.

[Howard Jarvis Lives]

What a perfect statement of why this state is so screwed up.

A know-nothing union-loving tax-grabber wants to rethink things but is too blind to see that HE is the type that needs to do the rethinking.

Prop 13 is the last sane thing that happened in this state. Bush spent too much and then Obama spends 3 times as much in 1/8 the time and it fails. Yeah rethink that. Dont take too long OK

[ad something]

"A know-nothing union-loving tax-grabber"?

Nice ad hominem there. Way to lift the qualify of discourse.

(I bet someone could call you a name too. And then you can call them a name back! Won't that make everyone feel better?)

[JROC]

So raising taxes will spur the local economy? The only problem with Prop 13 is that some people pay a lot more than others who live in an equivalent home. Have you looked at the assessed value of your neighbors? The disparity is unbelievable.

[Holyroller]

The disparity(Prop 13) is what contributes to the lack of funding for the school district, infrastructure, and the tax money not being collected by the "underground economy" caused by the employment of undocumented workers, their children attending public schools, and the "free" medical care recieved.
As well as the drain placed on the legal system, and the housing of the undocumented in the prison system.
I believe that if the people who voted for Prop 13 knew what was coming their way 20-30 years later, they would have been a little more creative with where and how the savings would used.

[Ron Fulderon]

Hollyroller, I'm trying to understand what you just wrote. Are you trying to say that prop 13 caused illegal immigration? If so, how?

Or are you trying to say that because of prop 13 we don't have the funds to pay for the problems that come with illegal immigration?

[Holyroller]

RF
Due to Prop 13 we do not have the funds to pay for the problems that come with illegal immigration.
If the people who voted for that in the 70's realized the impact illegal immigration would have on the entire infrastrue of California, they would have thought more about where their tax dollars went.

[Howard Jarvis Lives]

It is hard to know where to start when I read such nonsense. California is the fifth most taxed state in the union although Oregon is now challenging us for that title. Prop 13 is a tiny little defense, like the wall a child builds on the beach in front of her sand castle.

Let's get rid of Prop. 13 so we can pay more to the government so they can pay more for illegals? Is that your plan?

[Ron Fulderon]

Hollyroller, Prop 13 was about taxation. Voting for Prop 13 was not an endorsement for allowing illegal immigration. The people who voted for Prop 13 were not voting to allow illegal immigration, they were voting to reduce property taxes because the state politicians continually were raising their taxes and there appeared to be no limit to where they would stop. They had no expectation, nor should they have, that their country was not prepared to enforce it's borders.

The illegal immigration happened because liberal interest groups and republican business groups lobbying together created a situation where politicians dem and republican alike choose to ignore the will of the people and choose to not effectively enforce our borders.

Raising taxes is not a solution to this problem. There is not enough money in the world to pay for the problems that are created by lack of borders. (and if you think we have problems now wait until the Cantarell oil field goes completely dry in the next few years.)

[Holyroller]

I know what #13 did.
However it has been a catalist for every lack of funding that effects "groung zero communities" every where in California.
I am very aware the illeagl immagration is a federal issue.
I thought that the State of California's fiscal problems , were the States problems as well.
However, The State, can take money from our community(City of Burlingame) at will. Pay it back?
We will see.
So how do "the people" benefit from the tax reductions #13 gave us?
Redueced school budgets, police, fire, medical, road maintenance, sidewalk repair, etc.
What is the upside of #13 now?
Most of the people who were effected by #13 in the 70's are dead.
Now the new homeowners are making up for that very short sighted social experiment.
As well as the effect the lack of tax base is having on the education of our children.
How can you defend that?

[Ron Fulderon]

The upside? I bought my home 8 years ago and certainly pay more property taxes than 2/3 of my neighbors. But I know that those taxes can't go up by more than 1% a year. That extra money that the state of California won't take from me will allow me to save for my retirement and will allow me more funds to live on when I do retire. If we were to drop Prop13 I'm sure I'd be paying a lot more property taxes within a few years. That's how "the people" benefit.

As for education: It is thoroughly broken in ways that have absolutely nothing at all to do with lack of funds. ~50% of the state budget is already spent on education. Throwing more money at the problem won't fix it.

[BoogeyMan]

And- an interesting fact: The property tax, if not raised by that percent each year- can be raised at the end of say, 10 years, or 20 years for a 10% or 20% increase all at once and forever.

So- save your money for any ugly surprises from the taxman.