I would rather see seminars on ethics and public policy instituted in the halls of city government before another shekel is spent.
By LETTERS TO THE EDITORLetters(photo credit: PIXABAY)
It looks like we will not have a spring/summer tourist season and many retailers throughout the city center will fold; others will be hard-pressed to maintain their presence with dreadful revenue figures. All the while rent, arnona and other expenses will continue to mount. It will not be a pretty picture.Government relief will come too late, and when it does, the bulk will go to the big players and to those who have protekzia within city hall and in government, leaving only public relations by city politicians to convince the citizens of Jerusalem that they work for the common good.To that last point, the mayor of Jerusalem recently announced that the city would waive the NIS 500 fee to start a new business, and to my eye, that is a perfect example of myopic thinking. After all, we are talking about the capital of the country. What we citizens can expect is that the city center will see more of the same: a squeeze on independent businesses and a redoubling of efforts to assist the hotel chains financially with subsidies and with an increased allocation of city resources for their benefit.Isn’t there a more just way to approach city management? Isn’t the correct vision of the city of Jerusalem one that is pure and of light, and of right? In my opinion, city hall should not carelessly and willy-nilly spend citizens’ tax monies, nor should the self-interest of politicians, both financial and interpersonal, be allowed to influence or allocate the city budget.I would rather see seminars on ethics and public policy instituted in the halls of city government before another shekel is spent.AHARON KATZJerusalem
