Have you always dreamt of owning a combination petting zoo / bar in Palm Springs? Or maybe a drinking establishment where customers are not allowed to wear pants? Perhaps you think that a classic Irish pub that only serves Adios Motherfuckers is the way to go? Well, bad news. The city of Palm Springs is no longer giving out free money for your terrible, terrible business ideas.
As the Desert Sun reports, a judge ruled that Richard Meany, the former owner of the Hacienda Cantina (a giant mess of a pool/bar/restaurant thing that quickly shut down in Palm Springs after being given a $250,000 from the city), does not have to pay any of that grant money back to the city. This, of course, is just more fine work from people at the city who should really get these things right, considering how much of your taxpayer dollars are going to their insanely high salaries.
But, nestled in the story is some bad news for everyone else: Palm Springs is done with handing out loads of cash for terrible ideas:
Palm Springs has also quietly defunded the economic grant program that gave money to Meaney in the first place, although city officials insist the decision was not a reaction to the failed investment into Hacienda.
“No, that had nothing to do with it,” said Councilwoman Ginny Foat.
“When you start programs, you have to go back and look at why they were started,” Foat added. “Does that mean you keep them in effect for the entire life of the city? The answer is no.”
So throw away those plans for Midgetville The Bar, #PouGhazi‘s, and The Snowbird Seagrams without a Tip Pub – Palm Springs is not wasting money on you! Well, unless you are opening a hotel.
