City Hall Isn’t a Marketplace

Despite pumping taxpayer dollars into its farmers market, City Hall cannot make it work. The venture was failing when it was held weekly on Friday mornings. City staffers moved the market to Saturday, claiming they were responding to popular demand. Regardless of which day it is held, the market has no visibility, and it is across the street from two popular grocery stores.

According to information released by the city staff last week, the farmers market has added “Artisan Alley.” City Hall claims to be business-friendly, but it instead competes with and undermines private enterprise – services, classes and its own marketplace.

Mission Viejo resident Joe Holtzman responded by sending a message to City Hall:

Subject: Artisan Alley at Saturday’s Farmers Market

Time to pull the plug. This venture is a failure. I doubt that a swap meet / Flea Market was part of the resolution to create a farmers market as part of the "Heal" program.

We have spent over $12,000 now.  This is an egregious abuse of the $500 limit on promotions.

Joe Holtzman