Found has been Lost

[ron_newman]

Found, the used clothing consignment shop at 255 Elm Street, has closed. Someone identifying himself as the owner was standing outside a few minutes ago, and he told me that the landlord is "a greedy jerk who jacked up the rent, and is not a good person." He also said the shop had suffered from shoplifting. He hopes to find a new location where he can reopen it.

Comments

[achinhibitor.livejournal.com]

So "making money" is at once and always a socially laudable value?

Assuming that we permit commercial landlording to be a market system -- and we may decide otherwise, but we seem to permit it in this country -- then the landlord is organizing his behavior to maximize his profit. Conversely, the store owner is organizing his behavior to maximize his profit. And naturally, their interests in the matter of the amount of rent are in conflict. But both of them are morally permitted.

Now if we want commercial real estate to be a resource which is managed for the overall benefit of the community, then we would naturally expect the community to pay for building the building and maintaining it. But as long as we expect a landlord to build the building and take care of it, I think landlords will act like landlords.