Posted on 02/09/2014 8:02:24 PM PST by 2ndDivisionVet
The Trader Joe’s grocery chain has withdrawn plans to build a store in the heart of a predominantly black neighborhood after a black leadership group fought the move.
The Portland Development Commission was set to give the grocer a large discount on property that had been vacant for years, pricing it at just over $500,000, down from an appraised value of $2.9 million, according to The Oregonian.
The Portland African American Leadership Forum sent a scathing letter in December to city leaders, saying the plan would price residents out of the area and the group“remains opposed to any development in North/Northeast Portland that does not primarily benefit the black community.”
Trader Joe’s would increase displacement of low-income residents and “increase the desirability of the neighborhood,” for “non-oppressed populations,” PAALF wrote.
“[This decision] reflects the city’s overall track record of implementing policies that serve to uproot, displace and disempower our most vulnerable community members,” the letter said.
Trader Joe’s bowed out amid the controversy.
“We run neighborhood stores, and our approach is simple: If a neighborhood does not want a Trader Joe’s, we understand, and we won’t open the store in question,” a company spokesperson said in a statement to The Oregonian.
But not everyone is happy about the outcome.
“There are no winners today,” Adam Milne, owner of Old Town Brewing Co., told The Oregonian. “Only missed tax revenue, lost jobs, less foot traffic, an empty lot and a boulevard still struggling to support its local small businesses.”
"I hear their gentle voices calling Old Black Joe."
Not a word in the local press.
The liberal bubble must be kept inflated.
Make sure all depressed sections of a town stay depressed so all will be equally depressed. This sounds like Henry the 8th era in England and the French in the same era. Keep the classes divided, dumb them down more and the goal is to have a lower class and a higher class and nothing in between. That is also the communist method of people control.
I guess their is just to much money to be lost by the Leaders of the “oppressed” by keeping their own depressed.
You aren’t kidding re: the south and east sections of DC being filled with blight. About 15 years ago, for work, I was sent to Coast Guard Headquarters in DC for a week. I was told by my government boss (who worked for Navy R&D in San Diego, where I also lived) that “in NO UNCERTAIN TERMS” was I to take the rental car down to “Buzzard’s point” — the REAL “old time term” for that area — which is, as the crow flies about 2 miles directly south or so of the US Capitol building, right on the river. He said he’d basically “kick my @ss” because for sure if I did not arrive at the crack of dawn to park in the CGHQ underground parking, I’d have to park on the street, and I might as well just park up on concrete blocks and leave the doors open, because the car would be stripped by the time I got off work. He said I was to take public xport to L’enfant Plaza, and catch the government run bus for people who worked at Coast Guard HQ — and not to take other public transport down there, ONLY that bus. And promptly when work ended to take same xport back to L’Enfant plaza. And frankly, try not to hang around on street at either end.
What I saw, is something EVERY American should see, just once. A ghetto, with a CAPITAL G, and something so disgusting every American should be ashamed that an “urban area” like this exists at all in the US, much less in our nation’s capital, so relatively close to all the nice “tourist areas” — L’Enfant Plaza itself, is more or less lower-class. That is the LAST possible street anyone would want to live on that far south, and frankly, even that’s too damn close to the ‘hood for safety. Because that’s where the hoods migrate north to shop. For every 2 to three blocks you went south for the next mile until CQHQ, you literally saw the neighborhood deteriorate. The first few blocks south, you could tell that people still had jobs, because the little houses, were reasonably tidy and kept up to an “okay but not fabulous” degree. Some self respect. Then you literally went another 2-3 blocks, and you could tell, trash in the little yards, people sitting out drinking, then the next few blocks, public high rises that were throughly trashy. Litter EVERYWHERE, cursing teens cutting school, hanging out up to no good, then the next few blocks. You could see boarded up windows, evidence of FIRE damage — but incredibly, people walking into these dumps. Vacant lots with trash....further south. Completely unoccupied “public housing” that was all boarded up and completely burnt out. More vacant lots with trash piled high that you’re sure rats would love for miles around. And then, at the tip of “Buzzard’s point” Coast Guard HQ.
You took the elevator up, and you could literally see vacant lots with a burnt out car or two at your feet, and two-3 miles off in the distance, our nation’s Capitol building. I imagine Soweto might even have it better.
L’Enfant Plaza, yeah....I remember the area. On Friday evenings if you traveled Metro in the summer after work....this was the location where the punks would go after someone....five or six attacking one individual on the platform...grabbing your bag or your cellphone, and leaving you on the floor.
If you go one block east of the White House....you start to question yourself on safety and start moving back toward the White House for safety. Seventy percent of the district is unsafe after dark.
The reason why the Georgetown area is safe....the residents demand cops....which is why almost half the police force is based out of this one district (of the eight). The southeast folks get the jobs that the city council can dump their way....which involve no-firing status....and why so much of the city government is so corrupt today.
L’Enfant Plaza, yeah....I remember the area. On Friday evenings if you traveled Metro in the summer after work....this was the location where the punks would go after someone....five or six attacking one individual on the platform...grabbing your bag or your cellphone, and leaving you on the floor.
If you go one block east of the White House....you start to question yourself on safety and start moving back toward the White House for safety. Seventy percent of the district is unsafe after dark.
The reason why the Georgetown area is safe....the residents demand cops....which is why almost half the police force is based out of this one district (of the eight). The southeast folks get the jobs that the city council can dump their way....which involve no-firing status....and why so much of the city government is so corrupt today.
Trader Joe’s is not being stupid. They’re trying to run a business. Whoever the Portland version of Reverend Al and his shakedown gang was giving them nothing but grief. If they were to open, they’d have to live peacefully with those clowns or face protests, boycotts, etc. Who needs that? WHen Trader Joe’s refused to pay the blood money, the shakedown gang issued a statement that they didn’t want Whitey. Trader Joe’s took advantage of the opportunity. Now the shakedown gang has to live with what its done. A message has been sent to all the shakedown gangs in gentrifying neighborhoods across the country: Trader Joe’s won’t play. Don’t even try.
I’d been to DC before, but just the tourist areas, during my youth in the 60s before it became a complete hell hole. Seriously, if you visit research WELL before you go and know where to keep your butt out of, and if you visit those tourist areas STAY IN THEM and do NOT stray. Dead right about the area not too far from the WH. And I could have stayed in DC or Arlington or Northern, Va. for accommodation, bet your bippy I picked Arlington because I knew the crime rate would be much lower.
Or maybe Trader Joes didn’t want to pay the shake down money
Glad to hear the “Chain” will not build there. Let the idiots starve to death. The store would have thrived on food stamps I’ll bet, assuming the smash and grab groups didn’t steal everything before the food stamp users got there.
I guess there’s always room for another liquor, check cashing, or pawn store in the area.
In 2010 we moved to where there are no Trader Joe’s. Have heard that Two-Buck Chuck is no longer $2. True?
With the exception of a small class of political elites there is no such thing as a non-oppressed population anymore.
A segregated community discriminates against food that is culturally un fit. Trader Joe’s was profiled by the black leadership and rejected.
I think that the Fred Meyer chain would have put a store there already if they wanted to, but they don’t. (Yes, we called it “Freddie’s” too, or sometimes “Dead Fred’s” after Fred himself died around 1980 or so.)
Better nothing than a bunch of icky White people. This is a perfect outcome for the “Black leadership group.” Good work fellas, that’ll show ‘em.
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