Does anybody have an exact count how many empty/shuttered business buildings dot the Montclair landscape these days? And how long before they turn into squatters' tenements? To our great elected town "leaders" - are you ever going to do anything about this epidemic? Or are you all just content to snipe at each other for five hours once a week, so you can get your talking heads in the papers/forums/internet sites? And look, I know it's not entirely their faults, but any attempts at constructive solutions? Any at all? Not referring to the grandstanding opinions they're always ready to share, I'm actually asking for a legitimate game plan.

They just want to bleed the private sector montclairdad - we're all made of money! No wonder these businesses are drying up -- we're all going broke paying the insane taxes; we can't afford to shop locally because our discretionary spending accounts are being sucked away.

Here's a plan for the council -- take on the unions, negotiate from a point of strength rather than making concessions. It's unsustainable! Look to other towns that have successfully made transitions that are more cost efficient but perhaps not popular with public employees. Stop wasteful spending! I know for a fact that is what is wrong with this town -- look at OBAC's findings, but people like Mayor Fried, Nick Lewis and Demming Weller don't want to hear it. That's our problem. Now this reassessment which is going to hurt the town even more -- these people in charge need to go and we should start with a fresh new team more fiscally responsible and intelligent. I pray the people of montclair truly wake up to how badly the people in charge have screwed things up -- they just need to go.

Chris,

Your point of "taking on unions" is really not as easy as you and many think.

First, police and fire can not strike by law. This leads to arbitration when both sides can not agree. Once in arbitration, the arbitrator uses his independent discretion to find similar towns to Montclair and use their contracts as a baseline for what is "FAIR". then bingo, presto, magically the contract is set! Truly with police and fire there is no position of strength. Also we use the Manager as a negotiator, who knows who that will be the next time the MFD or MPD contracts come up for renewal.

Second, the MEA(teachers union) will strike if the BOE negotiates to tough disrupting school for 6000 kids and their parents. This will cause huge amounts of distress. Along with bad press and possibly show the fallacy that is "great schools" in Montclair. This will be a contentious year. Be ready!

Third, we shouldn't even negotiate with the other union employees. We should just OUTSOURCE their positions. We can not trust our elected officials to hire a Manager with tax payers in mind. The last manager reduced employee size in Montclair by extreme measures, yet spending on Salaries, Pensions, Benefit costs just keep rising. We should just find private companies to provide Parks/Rec services, Janitorial Services, Trash/Recycling, Water Utility, Parking Utility, Animal Control, etc. The only union employees we should have are Fire, Police, Education! Period........

Wouldn't it be interesting to see how much we would save if we implemented your ideas, Kyle? I didn't say it would be easy, I said let's get a team in place willing to make the tough choices -- I like yours.

It’s so obviously the towns fault; it certainly couldn't be that these two business failed because they provided goods and services that people didn't want. Couldn't be that business owners misread the market.

I'd eaten at QBA and was terribly disappointed; especially after all of the glowing reviews in the local media. The Home store had nice things that were/are available at other outlets some almost right around the corner in the Banyan Tree and Jafajems; never mind the internet. It is so easy to just blame town officials (who may bear some responsibilities; but perhaps those responsible are far closer to home.

That would get great Chris, but if someone ever tried to win "At-Large" with my ideas, yikes! There are portions of this town where these types of ideas would be considered sacrosanct. Maybe in Ward 2 where you have the "Have Some, Want More" types(Upper Middle Class) it might fly!

I fear not the reprise of talking about these issues openly, though i can not ever see a person winning election opining the way i do!

HCKid,

You bring up a valid point, but "Demand" is predicated on the idea that there is a "need/want" for goods or services, plus(and an important plus) "means to acquire". Could it be that these businesses offered inferior good/service at and unobtainable price point, absolutely! Though, when discretionary dollars are removed from residents of the town through abusive and uncontrolled taxation the latter must be examined as a possible cause. Also you can not forget that these businesses have costs such as Rent/Lease, which probably have been forced upwards as the property owners are forced to pay more in property taxes and undoubtedly pass that cost onto the Lessee/Renter. In turn the business owner is forced to take less profit or pass that cost onto the consumer. Its a vicious cycle!

Kyle,

I would counter that here are many successful restaurants in town as opposed to QBA; including a new Cuban restaurant that opened this week on Valley Road. And I named only two businesses similar to Watchung Home in the neighborhood.

Neither QBA which opened this year and the Watchung Home Store (circa 2008) have been around a long time. The cost of their Rental/Leases should have been factored in the business plan and in the case of QBA increases would not have been a factor. The Watchung Home Store opened in 2008 around the time of the financial crises. This for a business selling decorative home products in a competitive market could not have been helpful.

Your are correct about the restaurants, by my count there are 20 or so in town that have been open since before the financial crisis and stayed open. Also though 20+ have opened and closed in that same time frame. Whether its a function of poor goods/services versus less discretionary spending would need to be taken case by case.

We know that revenues for the town are down year over year. That is a fact, and the causation of this problem stems from Macro(national/state) economy and definitely from the Micro(Municipal) economy. Forcing average home owning residents to pay 20% more in property taxes in 4 years(Average Home in 2007 650K, Average Tax Bill $13,500) has taken roughly $3000 dollars out of their pockets. Thats not chump change when you project it out across how many properties pay real estate taxes. Its in the millions. Also besides the taxes, Fees for pretty much everything(Landscapers, Building Permits, Pools etc.) have all risen in the past 4 years, which are "hidden taxes" and surely impede on spending habits of residents. To even consider discounting that the Municipality has not been a large part of the causation of businesses not being able to sustain is ludicrous and not based in fact.

Some and many businesses fail because of poor planning, lack of quality goods/services, etc. But, pushing arduous tax policies for as far as the eye can see will really dampen spending habits of the non wealthy. The ones that spend the most.

I can't say that I'm surprised that they closed. Absolutely beautiful items, but very, very expensive. Most things were imported from France. Good business but not one built for this economy.

It's easy: just blame the unions.

Interesting that "poor economy" is blamed. About a fortnight before Christmas I was in Watchung Plaza, discovered the store for the first time, and asked if I could take some photos for a story on "great hostess gifts" that I hoped to submit to a local media outlet. Photos not used for the story were to have been blogged, tweeted, and flickr'd just because I love small business and view hyping the ones I love as a way to give back to the community. I have about 2500 twitter followers (with #photography being one of my major topics of influence) and about 10,000 flickr followers. Basically I was offering a small business FREE PUBLICITY. The response "I don't like people taking pictures of my things." I happen to have my copy of Natural History magazine with my photos as well as my business card from a local website to which I contribute, just to prove my legitimacy. Still "no." I don't know all the details of the business, and it may not have changed anything, but I didn't even sense any motivation to try to make an effort.

That same day I popped into another Watchung Plaza business and they loved the photo shoot idea, this are going live this week. (they even liked the idea that I would promote them, for free, during the duldrums of January).

The lesson I keep learning in life, and relearn often, is that challenges will always greet us, but the one constant in them is us. We must be the catalyst in our own lives to achieve success.

John Lee,

Is that your real name? Your story is completely made up. Shame on you.

Emiko
owner, wp Home

Hi Emiko.....sorry to hear about the closing...I'll stop by on Sat. to do a Goodbye story..it'll be like some of the other stories I've been doing with you over the many years you have been open...and, I will say this - the segments of Inside Montclair I've done with you, have received some of the best responses ever.

The video will appear here on Montclair Patch....Love you Emiko, and will miss you and your fab store too.

Hi Wayne! :))
Awwww!!! You are the best! Thank you for your support throughout the years. I love you too!!! You're going to make me cryyyyyyy!!!

See you Sat! Yay! :>
Emiko. :))

I have had a store on the Ave since 1999. I am struggling the last 2 years to stay open. There is no foot traffic. One of the things that would help would be some sort of professional medical building. This would get people who have appointments a reason to come here. Perhaps shop, have lunch before after or while waiting for someone . Problem is our zoing laws do not allow this. No offices on first floor. Town needs to rethink this. Times are different . Changes need to be made.
Just one idea that I think would help.

It would appear that people in Montclair already live above their means. Expensive houses, nannies even though one parent stays home, sports cars, country clubs, private schools, expensive clothes,etc and that leaves very little money left over for discretionary spending for food, amusements, shopping and other retail in town. Everyone is one pay check away from being bankrupt!