Name: Grand Rapids
Age: 191
Occupation: 122nd largest city in America
Last Seen: southwest Michigan
Bee-otched For: making the rent too damn high
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If you live in the west end of Grand Rapids, you'll have to find a new place to buy groceries soon.
Duthler's Family Foods is closing their location on Bridge Street after 20 years in business. The store's sales had been slumping, according to a store manager. Meijer recently broke ground on a new store on Bridge Street, though the Duthler family claims that it had nothing to do with it.
After the store closes in a few weeks, the chain - which once had nine locations - will be down to just two: Four Mile Road and Madison Street. Many of their past stores have been sold off, including their longtime location on 28th Street, now a Ken's Fruit Market.
According to the store manager, there's a simple reason why their sales have fallen over the past few years, and it's quoting the great Jimmy McMillan: The rent is too damn high.
In the past few years, people in the Grand Rapids area have seen their rent increasing many-fold due to multi-million-dollar new developments. With rent going up, people are abandoning traditional stores like Duthler's for cheaper options.
True, it's better to see more affluent neighborhoods over ghettos, the sad thing is that some people simply don't have the money to live in a nice place. Hell, I know how it felt to live on minimum wage. It sucks. Many who live on low wages aren't those with a poor education and a lack of a drive to work, but rather because they get fucked over by a system that favors the wealthy over them.
One place that I think of when it comes to rising rent is the property at 234 Market Street here in Grand Rapids. It's set to be a mixed-use project consisting of offices, residences and retail. Over a decade ago, it was the Showgirl Galleria, a split strip club that had two spaces for full-nude and topless dancing so they could serve alcohol. In 2006, the city banned nude dancing, and some put the blame on the Devos family since the law's brainchild, Judy Rose appeared in a Dick Devos campaign commercial.
The sad thing is, instead of entertaining horny men who are lonely, many of whom work hard and are middle class, this is a city that would rather build luxury apartments for those with six-figure incomes and higher. I'm no George Jefferson and cannot afford to be movin' on up to that deluxe apartment in the sky. Hell, I'm a swiper and am lucky to get one decent match per month since this town doesn't seem to have good single women. Usually, I match with women who live 50 or more miles from here.
Look, I'm for making towns beautiful over slummy. But, I think this town needs to do something to help those who have to decide between paying the rent or eating. With Drumpf trying to eliminate Obamacare, things will only get worse if things go his way. What might be even more sad is the fact that Grand Rapids' current mayor, Rosalynn Bliss helped to pass the city's current strip club laws.
Sadly, she IDs herself as a Democrat. Maybe she oughta change that (D) to a (C) after her name. You know, for that word that rhymes with the last name of the guy who created Candid Camera?
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Got a Bee-otch to nominate? E-mail us @ chuck69dotcom@gmail.com. All suggestions (except for me) are welcome!
Bee-otch of the Day Archives can be seen on http://beeotchoftheday.blogspot.com
Bee-otch of the Day is a production of Chuck69.com, Grand Rapids' site for Stern, politics and more!
Age: 191
Occupation: 122nd largest city in America
Last Seen: southwest Michigan
Bee-otched For: making the rent too damn high
--
If you live in the west end of Grand Rapids, you'll have to find a new place to buy groceries soon.
Duthler's Family Foods is closing their location on Bridge Street after 20 years in business. The store's sales had been slumping, according to a store manager. Meijer recently broke ground on a new store on Bridge Street, though the Duthler family claims that it had nothing to do with it.
After the store closes in a few weeks, the chain - which once had nine locations - will be down to just two: Four Mile Road and Madison Street. Many of their past stores have been sold off, including their longtime location on 28th Street, now a Ken's Fruit Market.
According to the store manager, there's a simple reason why their sales have fallen over the past few years, and it's quoting the great Jimmy McMillan: The rent is too damn high.
In the past few years, people in the Grand Rapids area have seen their rent increasing many-fold due to multi-million-dollar new developments. With rent going up, people are abandoning traditional stores like Duthler's for cheaper options.
True, it's better to see more affluent neighborhoods over ghettos, the sad thing is that some people simply don't have the money to live in a nice place. Hell, I know how it felt to live on minimum wage. It sucks. Many who live on low wages aren't those with a poor education and a lack of a drive to work, but rather because they get fucked over by a system that favors the wealthy over them.
One place that I think of when it comes to rising rent is the property at 234 Market Street here in Grand Rapids. It's set to be a mixed-use project consisting of offices, residences and retail. Over a decade ago, it was the Showgirl Galleria, a split strip club that had two spaces for full-nude and topless dancing so they could serve alcohol. In 2006, the city banned nude dancing, and some put the blame on the Devos family since the law's brainchild, Judy Rose appeared in a Dick Devos campaign commercial.
The sad thing is, instead of entertaining horny men who are lonely, many of whom work hard and are middle class, this is a city that would rather build luxury apartments for those with six-figure incomes and higher. I'm no George Jefferson and cannot afford to be movin' on up to that deluxe apartment in the sky. Hell, I'm a swiper and am lucky to get one decent match per month since this town doesn't seem to have good single women. Usually, I match with women who live 50 or more miles from here.
Look, I'm for making towns beautiful over slummy. But, I think this town needs to do something to help those who have to decide between paying the rent or eating. With Drumpf trying to eliminate Obamacare, things will only get worse if things go his way. What might be even more sad is the fact that Grand Rapids' current mayor, Rosalynn Bliss helped to pass the city's current strip club laws.
Sadly, she IDs herself as a Democrat. Maybe she oughta change that (D) to a (C) after her name. You know, for that word that rhymes with the last name of the guy who created Candid Camera?
---
Got a Bee-otch to nominate? E-mail us @ chuck69dotcom@gmail.com. All suggestions (except for me) are welcome!
Bee-otch of the Day Archives can be seen on http://beeotchoftheday.blogspot.com
Bee-otch of the Day is a production of Chuck69.com, Grand Rapids' site for Stern, politics and more!
CHUCK69.COM IS ALWAYS ON!
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