Wednesday, July 18, 2007

To Hell with BankofAmerica


So yeah, they are about as BIG a bank as you can get, what pundits often describe as “Too BIG to fail” (until, of course, they do), and as a result they can squander funds any way they please.

Since Bank of America touts its ‘Community Impact’ by heralding “the financial resources and expertise to help communities achieve their full potential as desirable places for people to live, work and raise families,” then why are they not rebuilding their bank at 75 East Pleasant Street, a prime commercial location?

I’m sorry for the fire, believe me. I know all too well what it’s like to have something burn down around you. My apartment complex, however, was rebuilt. And if anyone else in town owned that prime property I could assure you they would rebuild.

Last year the building was valued at $555,500 so a brand new building would probably be valued over $600,000, thus providing at least $9,000 in property taxes.

The land itself is valued at $246,300 so now Amherst loses $4,500 in revenue. And since banks, unlike Health Clubs, are exempt from the town’s “Personal Property Tax” (equipment) the drive-up ATM will not be taxed at all.

But my main concern is the loss of vitality. A cold, automated operation where once human beings dwelled to help assist customers. And those employees probably had lunch, shopped, or ran errands in our desirable downtown.

Bank of America should be embarrassed.

3 comments:

  1. I agree. That bank is a real cash cow since all the students go there because it is so close by. Can't they at least put up a decent building? Cheapskates.

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  2. Hey Tommy,
    Maybe we should organize a protest the first week of September. We can have folks burn their ATM cards in front of the cold hearted machine.

    As Arlo once lyrically pointed out: "and if your in a situation like that there's only one thing you can do and that's walk into the shrink wherever you are ,just walk in say "Shrink, You can get anything you want, at Alice's restaurant.". And walk out. You know, if one person, just one person does it they may think he's really sick and they won't take him. And if two people, two people do it, in harmony, they may think they're both faggots and they won't take either of them.
    And three people do it, three, can you imagine, three people walking in singin a bar of Alice's Restaurant and walking out. They may think it's an organization. And can you, can you imagine fifty people a day,I said fifty people a day walking in singin a bar of Alice's Restaurant and walking out. And friends they may thinks it's a movement."

    In other words: POWER TO THE PEOPLE..power to the people, right on!

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  3. Oh no. The bank burned down and now we aren't collecting taxes from it. Boo-hoo.

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