Big businesses get gold mine, small ones get shaft

To The Daily: I cry for a city that once was a beautiful place to live, but is no more.

I have lived in Decatur for 57 years. Decatur was once a wonderful place to live — friendly, neighborly, peaceful — but alas, it is no more. Now, thanks to our city councils of years past and present, Decatur has become a critical, hateful, nasty, in-your-face town.

The City Council has decided that small businesses and citizens cannot decide for themselves how to run their businesses. Instead of promoting neighbors helping neighbors, our City Council wants neighbors against neighbors. Snitch on your fellow citizens who smoke, don’t mow their lawns enough, park on their lawns, have too much stuff in their yards, etc. Let’s not be concerned with the decay of the roads in Decatur or the illegal immigrant problem causing the defacing of our public parks, homes and the unemployment of our legal citizens. Big business wants them here, so turn a blind eye.

Look at all the billboards up and down Sixth Avenue and Beltline Road. Horrible, aren’t they? That’s big business, so it’s OK. However, it’s not OK for small businesses to have big signs.

The Decatur City Council is concerned with the quality of life in Decatur, but not with the rights of its citizens. Look at all the businesses struggling to keep afloat with this latest ordinance. Why can’t the City Council admit it made a mistake, rescind this ridiculous ordinance and start over with one fairer to our small businesses and our citizens?

Big business gets a free ride with tax abatements. Small businesses get the shaft with sign ordinances and smoking bans.

Terry Runager
Decatur

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