What's the scoop?

I have spent a lot of time walking around Metuchen handing out literature and talking to people about my opposition to the proposed Metuchen Downtown Alliance (MDA). As a lifelong resident of Metuchen, one can't help but bump into someone you know - it's a community! In the nice weather, people are eating and/or drinking at tables on the sidewalk. It's a great social gathering environment to say, "Hi!" and catch up - What's the scoop? One beautiful Sunday, I stopped to speak to four millennials sitting at a table eating the delicious ice cream and pizza at What's the Scoop. It turns out that none of them were from Metuchen, nor did they live anywhere nearby. I asked them how they ended up sitting eating ice cream in Metuchen. It turns out they had just been to Rebounderz Edison, an indoor 21,000 sq.ft. floor-to-wall trampoline jumping arena in Edison, New Jersey. They had bought a Groupon deal for the trampoline fun and afterward stopped in downtown Metuchen to relax and eat before driving home. My small business, South Shore Marina has used Groupon for pontoon boat rentals on Greenwood Lake. From personal experience I can say that Groupon does a great job of target marketing and brings in new customers. If you go to Groupon, you will find that local Metuchen businesses are offering deals on Groupon as one form of advertising their services: Laser hair removal at Body Care Med Spa Candy baskets at Lollipop Land Dine-in or take-out at Thai Garden Restaurant Massage at Dr. Kevin J. Holton Dermatude face treatments at Golden Pair Clinic Fitness classes at Bounce Back Fitness Cocoa 12 class at Chicks With Chocolate These are examples of TARGET marketing, which brings interested consumers into their place of business. Then, if there is easy to find and pay parking (from your phone so you don't have to walk back to the meter) and the downtown is clean and inviting, hopefully these customers will walk around and discover and patronize other establishments in the Metuchen downtown. Taxing the small business owners for downtown revitalization and "group" advertising is not the answer to vacant storefronts and business retention. A safe, clean, convenient to park and walk-around downtown environment is (that's the Borough of Metuchen's responsibility.) Then, it's up to the small business owners to offer delicious pizza and ice cream, with friendly service, clean tables, and an inviting environment in order to keep the customers coming back. Please attend the Monday, May 2, 2016 7:30 PM public hearing at Metuchen Borough Hall to VOICE YOUR OPPOSITION to the proposed Metuchen Downtown Alliance. Show that you are using your brain and thinking about what is best for our downtown and that you agree with "I Love Brainy Boro" - STOP the proposed MDA!