Save Forbidden Planet NYC
The whole “donate to local business” trend is perplexing to me.<p>I know some folks who are collecting donations for local bars in the area. It sounds noble right?<p>But then think of the reverse of this situation. Let’s say times are good for the bar and I lose my job, as a loyal regular at my favorite bar. Will they pour me drinks and serve me food for free until I get back on my feet?<p>Nope! They sure won’t. Maybe I’ll get <i>one</i> on the house? But that’s about it.<p>Ultimately, it’s not our responsibility as customers, and it’s not even remotely practical, to make sure everyone surrounding us has planned for fiscal emergencies. Nobody’s donating to my savings account to support my three to six month emergency that every financial expert recommends. Why is this different for small businesses?<p>Why can’t these businesses hang on for a few months when they’ve now got zero payroll and likely have a lot of leeway with their landlords and mortgage lenders? (I’m not saying it’s easy)<p>A small business without that  basic emergency fund is going to inevitably go out of business, isn’t it? COVID-19 just accelerated the process.<p>And much as I don’t like the big chain stores taking over the cool hip trendy local weirdness, I also think there’s a very clear demand for that sort of thing. The corporate scapegoats outlined in the article weren’t really responsible for any of this, they’re just sort of thrown in as an emotional appeal.<p>And the whole idea of “these stores used to be everywhere, now they’re a dying breed” emotional appeal should apply equally to Sears and Macy’s right? Should I donate to them as well?