Inside Out

[XLFD]

As we approach winter, the three week pause caused by a resurgent coronavirus that recently morphed into a five week pause has raised concerns as to whether restaurants can withstand the impact.  The government imposing these restrictions on restaurants that have limited options has developed a new program to help them survive, but does it make any sense?

WOOD TV reports:  GRAND RAPIDS — A grant program helping bars and restaurants winterize their outdoor dining spaces during pandemic restrictions gets an injection of money.

Wednesday, Grand Rapids’ Downtown Development Authority approved up to $175,000 in additional funding for the Winter Ready grant program.

The move comes two days after the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services extended its order prohibiting indoor dining to Dec. 20.

The initiative rolled out in October reimburses businesses for supplies needed to improve their al fresco experience during Michigan’s coldest months. So far the program managed by Downtown Grand Rapids Inc. has provided $47,300 to five businesses that have purchased tents, canopies, heaters, lighting and other eligible supplies. Mark Miller with DGRI says another nine businesses are in the process of securing $120,000 in funds, leaving the program with about $33,000 of its original funding.

With about 15 other businesses “seriously interested” in the grant program, according to Miller, the DDA approved boosting funding to the program, bringing its total to $375,000.  Miller said DGRI came up with the amount based on the average reimbursement request, which is $10,000 to $13,000.  DGRI will use the funding to purchase structures directly from builder Prestige Products and propane tanks and fuel from Crystal Flash. DGRI says Crystal Flash has agreed to discount installation and fuel for downtown businesses in the program.

Miller said allowing DGRI to directly purchase supplies eliminates the up-front costs to cash-strapped bars and restaurants, cutting down on possible costly delays in opening their heated outdoor dining spaces [END article].  

Do two crazy policies multiplied together equal a sane policy or is this just a new way for DDAs to spend money skimmed from the businesses in peril?  

[Freedom Seeker]

Haven't heard that slang lately! Lake Lady. So true, couldn't express it better! Like making everyone at Walmart go crowded through one door... how does that help the spread of the virus, jamming everyone together?

[XLFD]

If 2020 has taught us one thing, it's that a government's solution to a potential supervirus is to close almost every business other than your mega-retailers, close every entrance and exit except for one, and have them cut back the hours they are open.  Each practice tends to make people shop in heavier concentrations and be more likely to spread the virus amongst themselves.  Ergo, the lesson we've learned is that heavy-handed government solutions, without a solid basis, generally create more problems than they solve.

[Willy]

People have just got to say no to all of this nonsense and go about their business. If they want to wear a mask and stay 6 ft away, that's up to them. But this has to stop or this will become permanent.

X, very clever explanation of the process for eating outside. So they are contemplating letting the public eat inside out, even though people will still be inside in spirit only they will in fact be outside, inside a mock up of inside pretending to be inside but outside eating their meals. So the whole idea is to have people eating inside outside. Makes sense to me.

[XLFD]

One of the weaknesses of the DHHS's emergency orders is that they do not define "outdoor", thus taking a less restrictive definition of "not enclosed", a business could effectively leave a window or door open to the elements and be considered an "outdoor" establishment, yet many of these outdoor pavilions and tents in use are unlikely to be "outdoor" using that same definition.  As Epictetus indicates, obtuse rules lead to responses that seem crazy under normal circumstances.  

[MED]

But then, none of wHitler's orders throughout this year have made sense.

[Epictetus]

After travelling quite a bit during my life (prior to COVID), I have witnessed true outdoor dining and drinking in many places outside of the United States. Particularly interesting were the places in Scandanavia that would provide heaters and blankets while you sip on a cocktail or consume a brick oven pizza. You just learn how to dress better instead of complaining, but what X has shown above is not that. We are just trying to skip around the rules with crazy anwers.

[Willy]

Amen, Lake lady. What is the Airbnb IPO?

[MED]

Willy, Airbnb went public yesterday with their initial public offering. As usual with these things, stock price went through the roof.

[Willy]

Thanks for the information, MED and Lake Lady.