By Duff McKagan
The New American Business Person: It’s Not Who You Think It Is
My job as a touring musician allows me the chance to see a lot of places. My job here as a financial columnist sharpens my skills of observation when I’m out on the road and makes me see things differently or to notice things I might have otherwise missed.
A couple of weeks ago I wrote about how Huntington, West Virginia seemed to be a place that exemplified how America can and will recover from this recent economic downturn. I like to be able to highlight positivity and to shine a light on the things we can do to help pull ourselves up by our collective bootstraps. Well, I’ve just stumbled upon another little town that I think needs a mention. Let me explain.
The other day, I woke up on my bus and hopped out to go into my hotel room. Apparently, I was in Freeport, Long Island—in New York state. We drive all night and at times I have no idea where I am at when I wake up. The Freeport Inn and Boatel offered clean, comfortable rooms right on the water (all for $111!). By the way, sometimes I will “tweet” if I make a cool find on a hotel or restaurant (I am Duff64, FYI). I tweeted this place and got a tweet back that this was the hotel where the Joey Buttafuco and Amy Fisher had their now-famous trysts back in the day. But none of this is my point here, actually. What I really noticed about this place was the new paint and clean landscaping. A real pride of ownership was obvious.
I love the water, and as far as I’m concerned anything waterfront kicks ass. I was greeted in the parking lot by the general manager of the hotel, Joseph Creamer, and we started to talk. Joseph is 29 years old and also serves as the VP of the Freeport Chamber of Commerce. Creamer has a plan to spruce-up some of the blight that currently dots many areas on an otherwise pristine and potentially income-producing waterfront area. He envisions the industrial buildings and power plants being moved out of the area to make way for boardwalks with nice restaurants, boat marina services, and clothing shops.
Joe pointed across a little sliver of water to a big vacant building. Right on the water. Apparently, the Freeport Fire Department uses it once a month to do real fire drills; the rest of the time, it stays empty and unused. Joe suggests that another building be built for the F.F.D. in neighboring Hempstead so this one can be leased to a catering service that could hold waterfront weddings, parties and corporate events. The money that Freeport would make on the liquor license would pay for the fire department facility in Hempstead and Hempstead would come out a winner, too. This was only one of many prudent and well-thought-out ideas Creamer had for what he hopes can be a thriving and prosperous Freeport. He is the kind of person we need to eventually lead us out of these muddy financial times.
It seems common in our cities and towns for mayors and city managers to be in their late fifties or older. Many are stuck in an old way of thinking and perhaps a little too comfortably entwined with the business and banking establishment that got our country into the fine mess we are in right now. It might take guys like Joe to see a “toxic asset” like a foreclosed house as an opportunity to put some people to work refurbishing that house and getting money circulating again from the ground up. Simply put, it’s time for you 20- and 30-somethings to get off your asses and let your voice be heard. Get active in your community like Joseph Creamer has. He is the new paradigm of the American business person—tattooed and full of positive energy and fresh ideas.