Double Dealing

A while back, a couple of friends of mine decided to open a mom and pop store. They found one and agreed on a rental price. It was a really cheap price, because the store was a mess. Wanting to attract customers, they fixed it up, whereupon, the owners decided that since the store was in better shape now, they should raise the rent. They should have gotten a firmer contract. That's the thing about this place. You need to watch every word you say, everything you do, and always assume that the other person is out to scam you. It's exhausting. It's like trying to live around a bunch of Rumpelstiltskin wannabes. As Mr. Worf would say, these people have no honor.

It reminds me of this county. Walmart tried to move here and found utilities unavailable because the ruling families didn't want the competition. McDonald's found the cost of land suddenly raised when they tried to buy. Of course, when the ruling families decided to get into fast food, all these barriers vanished. And people wonder why no one wants to relocate businesses to Appalachia. The state thinks it has to do with taxes or increasing the number of college graduates. It's nothing of the sort. If you want a healthy business environment, look to the corruption and the attitudes of the people.