Mega-dittos on that, Hans.  My favorite spot in downtown Tempe was the 
Changing Hands Bookstore, and they drove that away.   I guess that the only 
way to have a "world class" downtown (and lots of yummy tax revenues) is to 
drive out the local mom-and-pop businesses and replace them with Starbucks.

Vaughn

On Wednesday 17 September 2003 03:21, you wrote:
> Am 17. Sep, 2003 schwätzte Alan Dayley so:
> > >Not in downtown Tempe. I will not be supporting MAMA. They've driven off
> > > all the good businesses.
> >
> > MAMA?  What is that?
>
> Mill Avenue Fascists ( Merchants ) Association
>
> They're the ones who decided sitting on the sidewalk is a crime, who banned
> Traveler from playing because people like the group, who've run all the
> cultural centers out of downtown Tempe, who've replaced those cultural
> centers with chains and meat markets...
>
> ciao,
>
> der.hans