Editorial
By Roy Griffaw
President
RTO Online

This is economic cleansing, southern style

Covington, Kentucky (population 43,000) is located across the river from Cincinnati, Ohio. The town covers 13 square miles, has a median age of 33.1 years, an average household income of $30,735, is 89% white and has a City Commission that would make Stalin shed tears of envy.

The Covington City Commission last Thursday asked planning consultant Kirk Bishop of Duncan Associates, to study an amendment to the city's zoning ordinance that would prohibit rent-to-own stores. The amendment would also prohibit "pawn shops; check cashing and paycheck advance establishments; flea markets; escort services; used goods businesses; and tattoo and body piercing parlors."

I have for hours pondered the connection between these various industries, and there is only one; They are utilized by that pesky lower middle class that the Covington Elite (an oxymoron if there ever was one) is so desperately trying to purge. If you can't legally run unwanted elements out of town, just ban the services they use. Economic cleansing, southern style.

Covington is a working class town with leaders ashamed of it's working class roots, and trying too hard for a seat at the cool kids table. They talk of being applauded by other Kentucky cities for banning "legal but unwelcome" businesses. City Commissioner Alex Edmondson was quoted in a recent Kentucky Post article on the subject as saying "I say it's time to be bold. It's time to be decisive, and its time to take back the city." Question for Mr. Edmonson; After you take it, to whom will you give it? Edmonson is a wealthy lawyer who, in between meetings to clear out "legal but unwelcome" businesses, builds condominiums for other wealthy Kentuckians.

Daniel Boone abandoned Kentucky 200 years ago when his land was taken away because he refused to kiss the west end of some eastbound politicians. Amazing how little some things change in 200 years.