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Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz has decided to "unvite" Cracker Barrel from visiting Brooklyn. Last week, politicians, community leaders, and even our readers were up in arms about Markowitz having the Cracker Barrel folks up for a courtesy visit, to bring some Southern chain-style cooking to Brooklyn. Markowitz alluded to some of the chain's past problems with gay and black employees when he said:
"I do not believe they are ready for Brooklyn. It is our greatest source of pride that Brooklyn's diversity of races, faiths and ethnicities is unrivaled anywhere in the world, and any company that is interested in doing business in Brooklyn must respect and celebrate that diversity. We have no plans to meet with Cracker Barrel."You have to give Markowitz credit for at least trying to encourage more business or more Brooklyn pride, but City Councilman Charles Barron wonders if we should be researching who else Markowitz is trying to woo to set up shop here. However he does find himself in the middle of controversy, like the time when Italian-Americans didn't like the Fuhgeddaboutit signs or the Jewish community didn't like the proposed Brooklyn Oy Vey signs.
Learn more about what a borough president does.
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Damn, and I did like the Cracker Barrel food when I went to Florida, but the lynching music they played in the bathroom was a little disturbing.
Hurrah!! Rejoice!
It's good to see that judicial bribery scandals, increased violent crime, and fraying relations between Markowitz's office and City Hall haven't distracted we citizens from the important business of the buro: i.e., deciding what half-assed biscuit shop that nobody was gonna go to anyway can set up shop here.
Hoorah. Marty is a tool who thinks people here can't wait to enjoy the same retail mix as 3rd-ring suburb America. He needs to be yanked out of office by the ear. What a damn dolt.
I applaud Marty's efforts to clean up after this mess. But I can't look at him the same way after learning that he just had his office cold-call and get this chain to consider Brooklyn to begin with.
He's a great showman. But it blows my mind that not just him but his whole racially diverse office allowed the process of even talking to Cracker Barrel to happen.
He had my vote at one point. Now, I don't know. Clean up house Marty.
Why in the world anyone would give marty credit for "encouraging new business" when everything he ever talks about is a chain store is beyond me. He should be helping local business. Opening cookie cutter places around the borough has nothing to do with brooklyn pride and instead is some kind of weird inferiority complex he has about not having the same kinds of places that the suburbs do. Marty has to go!
I live down in the Carolinas now and I like Cracker Barrel. Whenever you have a chain there'll be yahoos in 1 or 2 units who treat others badly resulting in lawsuits against the entire chain. Cracker Barrel, by the way, is a restaurant/store combination with cutsy items in the store part and a fireplace. Also included are pans, old tobacco signs, etc on the wall. Popular with the over 65 crowd.
I live in Kentucky AND work at a Cracker Barrel. There is nothing wrong with this restaurant. Yes, in the past they have had some disputes in court, but I have worked at one for 2 years without any complaints of discrimination. It is a fun family atmosphere with an old country feel.
Friends,
Come on now. What is your problem? Marty is actually my neighbor, and, contrary to public and popular belief, he is quite nice. Though his hair attracts bugs and his room is a breeding grown for mutated strands of bacteria, we live with him anyway. I think you should all re-evaluate what you are saying about this individual. I know you complain about the "mess" he has made, though I believe we should concentrate on the "mess" he has had to clean up. He has built a bed out of 2x4's, nails, and bolts just so he can clean up the mess that is his room. There is now a stylish couch beneath his bed that I personally found lonely in the street.
Come on now.
Let's be reasonable. Go Senators!
Sincerely,
Jeff@BallsOnChin.net