I find it most curious that, when opining on the failing health of local business in this moribund economy and the few long standing empty storefronts, it is the landlord that is first and foremost held accountable and much maligned. Local banking institutions, nervous about lending to potential new businesses, plus the self-imposed collective death grip on our wallets, are summarily ignored or outright dismissed. I have been in a unique position of late to hear many otherwise rational and responsible people immediately jump to the conclusion that it is the "greedy" property owner who is responsible for all of Old Takoma's woes. When queried, none of these otherwise intelligent people seem to be aware of the rent relief that has been offered, nor are they aware of the tireless efforts to find and maintain full tenancy, all the while facing their own economic hardship as construction delays loom, sinkholes appear, property taxes continue to come due, and their own bank accounts dwindle. Somehow, the logic that landlords are losing income with empty spaces seems to have escaped the thought-less reasoning. Nor, I might add, are the naysayers even familiar with the names of those they malign who have conducted business in this community for decades and have done so honorably.
Of course, there are a few bad apples in the bunch, but is it really fair to blame the entire profession for what ails our town, particularly when the majority of Takoma Park residents are homeowners...i. e., property owners, themselves?
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