Too stupid:
Quote
For over a year, Jacksonville City Council member Denise Lee and other members of a committee addressing blight in the city have been holding hearings on blight have cited pop-up car washes as a problem.
While some are legitimate businesses, the city has received complaints about illegal activity, including drug sales, taking place at these places, so council members plan to introduce a new law next week that would require more review before places like these can open.
"Some of these car washes that are pedaling drugs or what have you bring a bad element to the neighborhood, and the committee feels responsible to look at those issues at well," said Councilman John Crescimbeni.
Members of the blight committee said they began working on the new regulations after receiving a number of complaints about these types of car washes.
Willie Turner, who operates one of the car washes Moncrief Road, said his businesses is on the up and up and was surprised to hear the city wants to shut places like his down.
"Everyone here trying to make an honest living. No wrong doing up here; no drugs," said Turner. "I run a decent car wash. All the customers enjoy themselves, get their cars clean. That is what the car wash is about; nothing else."
These so-called mop-and-bucket car washes are not only in Northwest Jacksonville. When News4Jax pulled up at one on St. Augustine Road on the Southside, several people took off running and a man who claimed to own the property came up and wanted to know what was going on.
When told the city was trying to ban this type of business, the man said, "Go ban them somewhere else."
Other locations had lines of cars and were doing a brisk business and the operators were surprised the city wanted to close them down.
"It feeds my daughter," said operator Walter Merriweather. "We ain't doing nothing illegal here; this is a legitimate business."
"We are making an honest living," said Jessie Young, who runs another car wash, who added he has a permit to run the business.
Crescimbeni said permitted businesses would not be affected by the new law.
"We are not trying to put anybody out of business, We are just trying to authenticate the real car washes from the ones that are doing something else," said Crescimbeni.
Another concern that would be addressed by the law would be the runoff of soapy water from any non-permanent car wash.
The proposed law includes an exemption for charity car washes, as long as they were held six or fewer times per year.
City committee wants to limit car washes: http://www.news4jax.com/news/city-committee-wants-to-limit-car-washes/31137118
Because drug users won't go elsewhere, they'll just quit all together. Lol
Oh well off to get a "hair cut" ;) ;)
As usual, regulations will only hurt small businesses. Very sad.
Investing in blighted areas may be a better use of city personnel and resources than chasing off
soapy buckets Nothing like declaring war on the poor to solve this whole blight problem
Lol. We truly have no answers for bringing economic prosperity back to our struggling communities. Who comes up with this stuff? Eliminate drugs by going after car washes? The solutions that keep popping up sound crazier and crazier. What's next, going after fish fries, lemonade stands and bake sales?
How laughable is it to go after other businesses for environmental concerns when the city itself has been proven not to be able to follow those very environmental laws. In fact, it's internal department charged with investigating those types of concerns was put under a department head who was under a current investigation for not following those environmental laws. And done so with full city council approval and the complete support of the Mayor.
Jacksonville's leadership seems to keep ignoring one important fact when dealing with issues like this one. The very reason it is an issue is that the proper authorities lack the capacity to stop the illegal activity to start with. You can pass whatever laws you can dream up; from things like this one going after car washes or ones going after illegal rooming houses. In the end those laws can only have an effect on legal businesses; those running illegal businesses will not care what the laws say. A law like this proposed one has not one single hope of ever accomplishing anything positive. What is even sadder is that I believe those pushing it know that as well.
But won't these transient businesses put brick and mortar car washes out of business? ;-)
Quote from: urbanlibertarian on February 08, 2015, 12:11:39 PM
But won't these transient businesses put brick and mortar car washes out of business? ;-)
Considering they've been around for decades and places like Car Spa are still full, I think they'll be fine.
Quote from: thelakelander on February 08, 2015, 01:33:35 PM
Quote from: urbanlibertarian on February 08, 2015, 12:11:39 PM
But won't these transient businesses put brick and mortar car washes out of business? ;-)
Considering they've been around for decades and places like Car Spa are still full, I think they'll be fine.
Exactly. I was making a sarcastic reference to the argument for food truck regulation. Politicians prefer high profile, heavy-handed actions that usually come with negative unintended consequences for poor people and consumers.