PROBLEMS and SOLUTIONS..... ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT - Part I

  Years ago, a former City Official asked me what I thought could be done when it came to the lack of businesses in Downtown Allentown; Hamilton Street looked like a row of jack o' lantern teeth with all of the vacant buildings andstorefronts. I answered, matter of factly, that since she was the Executive Director of Economic Development and her office was on the 3rd Floor of City Hall and people applied/obtained business licenses from the 2nd Floor, then I would take a trip down stairs and request a list of all current business applications and have these people contacted and made aware of the empty locations that could, possibly, be a perfect location for their future endeavor. Now, I know that the current administration is being very selective about the type of establishments being placed on Hamilton, especially when they can offer tax-free benefits for buildings in the NIZ Zone, but I am still unsure why they continue to discount the entrepreneurial individuals that reside in Allentown; and please know, that many of them do not have the inclination to go through a non-profit program to teach them how to run a business and get start up capital i.e. loans. People, like myself, use their own resources and developed/implemented their business plan. My only question is WHERE is the support for the self-sufficient? Those who have not asked the local government or agencies for assistance when it comes to their own entrepreneurial projects? I plan, as a City Councilman, to cultivate business from our natural resources in Allentown, the People; and the individuals who need training or a boost will be referred to the available programs, but as for those who have already obtained the needed finances/collateral and have a mind/will to get started, let's make them aware of ALL of the opportunities available in the City. Let's not allow them to to stand alone in the wilderness without support just because they chose not to go through an available program... This is how we can begin to obtain TRUE economic development for ALL residents in the City of Allentown. www.votealfonsotodd.com