Nice rides! Where are they today? Thanks to John Prutzman for sending us these links.
My ViewPOINT on the above news report:
Cruising/Classic Cars have matured as a base industry providing a lot of income to the areas that welcome it. I am amazed that a handful of people "We got rid of the cruisers" decided to rid Pottstown of this base industry/gold mine because of a few disruptions.
What were they thinking when they spent taxpayers money to rid Pottstown of the cruisers? Did they not see the wealth potential for our tax payers? We have a great police force and should let them do their jobs for the handful of bad actors. You don't throw the baby out with the bath water they say. But that is what a few people did to a town struggling financially in many sectors of business.
With this mentality maybe we should get rid of all of the trees because we have a few bad ones wrecking our sidewalks.
Our car club forbids wreckless driving during our events and recommends taking it to the racetrack, not the streets.
Classic car lovers spend lots of money on this hobby. Look at the Woodward Dream Cruise
http://www.woodwarddreamcruise.com/About/History.aspx.
It brings millions of dollars and lots of jobs to that area each year. Classic cars and cruising is an industry. What is Pottstown's base industry today? I can't name anything. Used to be manufacturing plants all over the place and that brought people and people bought property and spent money here to live.
After seeing the articles about how popular Pottstown had become with its love for the classic cars, I am shocked that this town did not develope this into a national event. I believe I read that Woodward brings in $56,000,000 dollars a year and is professionally run by the community. That means jobs! "A market research study conducted after the 2007 event found that the Woodward Dream Cruise generates more than $56 million each year for the Metro Detroit economy"
From a business standpoint. Business needs traffic going by their storefronts. Anyone who fought to rid Pottstown of all of this potential income did not care about our local businesses. Classic Car lovers spend tons of money on their hobby and they also eat, use gasoline, have their taxes prepared, get haircuts, nails, cars serviced etc. etc. by our local businesses. People even buy homes where their hobby is welcome, establish businesses and send thier kids to those schools and shop the grocery stores
and malls etc.
Compare the businesses today on High Street...Many empty storefronts and we have found some low quality stores that were better off empty.I see an effort to bring back High St. to its once great status but without traffic and people going by and checking out these businesses, the tumbleweeds will roll. I beleive that this town is awesome. It can be great again.
Cruising industry has matured and may not be the only answer to our towns prosperity but in a time like today, people are still attracted and spend money for this great American hobby. Please support all local car clubs and associated businesses to make the cruising/classic car industry benefit our dying community.We can only dream of having a national event. Dreams do come true!
One of my dreams is to see Pottstown prosper.
