Out of control Lawmakers seek to put service industry professionals out of work

A letter to all city and state officials who needlessly put people out of work during a dire depression.

In the course of my 15 years in the nightlife industry, I’ve seen venue after venue shut down by over-zealous politicians.  Some venues have deserved it but others definitely have not. 

Last Thursday I read an article in the local Meadowlands, NJ newspaper The Leader “Controversy at Jay-Dee’s sparks nightclub ordinance“, by Alexis Tarrazi.  It seems that indicted Carlstadt Mayor William Roseman and his town council have concocted an ordinance that seemingly targets Jay Dee’s on RT. 17s.  In her article, Ms. Tarrazi claims the ordinance “…looks to offer more regulation over businesses that attract a nighttime crowd.”  I’d say that it looks to ban any bar/club in the area, essentially putting Jay-Dee’s, and any collaterally damaged venues completely out of business.

The Carlstadt Officials seek to remove an emerging “mini stimulus” to the town’s economy.  They’re aim is to do this even in a time of economic crisis, a time where our government is willing to spend $775 BILLION (a number that dwarfs ANY other amount of spending this country has ever taken part in) on creating new jobs.  It borderlines on  criminal that this group of, seemingly, well off white men (and one woman) don’t think about the bartender, who is  barely paying rent, or the security guard who is trying to make up for the cut in hours at his full time job, or the clean up guy, who is just trying to feed his children.  Do they consider the promotional staff that needs a place like this to maintain their job?  Have they considered the liquor salesman whose income has been killed by this economy? What about the sound guy, or the lighting guy, or the bands that need that couple extra hundred dollars to keep their heads above water?  Do the surrounding businesses and their employees come into these lawmakers minds?  Consider the waitress at the diner whose extra hundred dollars a week in tips from people leaving the venue is the difference between having and not having car insurance.  Or the convenience store owner who relies on the late night sales that are made to the customers of Jay-Dee’s to help him pay his electric bill.  We’ve verified that some of these people live in YOUR TOWN, Mr. Mayor.  You are hurting the income of the people you are sworn to protect, possibly causing them to go into the red, if they aren’t already there.

Unchallenged quotes acquired by the reporter are sprinkled through-out the story, yet mysteriously absent was any reference to an attempt to contact Jay-Dee’s for comment.  That’s because, according to Jay Dee’s, there was no attempt made. The article quotes Tom Cox, a Carlstadt “zoning official”, as saying Jay-Dee’s has only one option “Turn back into a restaurant and grill.”  Anyone passing by Jay-Dee’s before it had a “night-time crowd” would have noticed its lack of business.  Essentially Mr. Cox is saying that Jay-Dee’s only choice is to go out of business.  Another quote from Councilman Joseph Crifasi said the motive behind the ordinance is safety. “First and foremost, we are here to protect the residents … This ordinance will do that.”  I’m at a total loss as to how ANYONE is unsafe.  Jay Dee’s is not known for fights or rowdiness.  Its crowd seems quite responsible and mature.  Undoubtedly, I would have had three follow up questions:  How are the residents unsafe?  How does this make them anymore safe? What about the safety of the dozens of people that derive an income from this business?

None of this is to say that I don’t understand the concerns of the town and the residents in the immediate area surrounding Jay Dee’s.  But having an empty beer can on my lawn is truly a minor inconvenience, considering the amount of people who could be put out of work if the place were to shut down.  I’ve personally witnessed, thru-out the course of any busy night, the venue consistently sending security out to secure the neighborhood and pick up any trash, by the one or two bad apples that might leave garbage around.  After speaking with the establishment’s management , they seem more than willing to alleviate the concerns of the neighbors even going so far as to offer to pay for police dedicated to the area, if it were to solve the problems.

It could be said that I have a pony in this race.  That plarawkstar.com and all its employees rely on venues such as Jay-Dee’s to be around for us to make a living.  And that would be true, but it still doesn’t make the rest of what I’ve said untrue.  For very little reason, the township government is attacking a small business, whose survival helps to keep numerous other businesses’ doors open and dozens of regular people paying their bills and putting food on the table of their families.

So to all of you who earn a buck running around with plates and drinks stacked up in your hands, to all of you who know what it’s like to cross your fingers until you’ve counted out your tip jars, to everyone who’s relied on a busy place to pay your bills, or even if you’ve KNOWN someone who relies on a place to be packed to make a car payment, call the Mayor of Carlstadt, send him an e-mail, call and e-mail every single member of The Carlstadt Town Council.  Let them here the voices of the people who they’re putting out of work.  And while you’re at it, there is a button on the bottom of this article to share it on facebook, digg, myspace, etc…  The more people who read about this the better the chance we can get the town to be more reasonable.

Carlstadt Government contact information:

Since the town doesn’t release direct contact information, or didn’t when we asked them, the only way we can get the message across is to call them at 201-939-2850.  Don’t press 2, don’t press 0, wait until someone picks up the phone.   You can also send an e-mail to busadmin@carlstadtnj.us but who knows where that goes to.   As always, the best way is to send a letter but if you’re not up for that, please try calling and e-mailing.

One other way we found:  Mayor Roseman is on Facebook here :  http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=534022891<b

And Council President Joseph Crifasi is on Facebook here:  http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1019438107

SLAM their Facebook!!!