Webster’s Bookstore Cafe in State College Loses Lease

Thank you for this excellent report.  Indeed, once Webster’s is gone, what will be left?  In 23 days, cannot something be done to keep Webster’s here?  There are rich people here who could easily float a loan until the economy turns around.

Who will float a loan for someone who was paying 30 (you heard right, check the CDT) people to work at a used bookstore? Someone who opened a second store on top of it, in addition to a catering business? Anyone want to loan her some money now? Remember, you’ll be supporting many an unwise decision.

With regards to the previous anonymous comment, it seems to me how wise or unwise a loan would be, would partly be determined by the terms of the loan itself.  I would assume anyone with the money to lend, can determine how much wisdom lies behind such as decision.  What is the value of your comment? It simply sounds like destructive rhetoric, someone trying to sound like an authority. 

She tried to expand her business and provide more services.  There are real financial considerations, the economic reality.  It is not correct to say saving Webster’s violates economic wisdom.  There is no wisdom within the discipline of economics, in the sense that it is virtually valueless. Our great sacred cows such as commercial aviation, energy extraction, professional sports are they sustainable in a reasonable sense?  Is it wise to invest so much personal energy there? 

What I find most destructive about that post was that it pays no respect to the efforts of the members of the community, who if nothing else, are expressing a deep felt understanding that there is a sense of community in State College after all. As a culture we do a great job of tearing things down and moving on.

Even if the effort to save Webster’s fails, clearly the people of this town will have been given a chance to understand that little things do matter.  There is a town here and people who care for it.  When you set out to save something, you set out to save a bit of yourself too don’t you?  People, ,for a bunch of reasons see a bit of themselves in Webster’s, as a part of it all.  The finances and the institutions that determine who gets a loan….... do they need your help here?

Peace, Robert V

That’s a great comment. Too often we are lead to believe that the values of Wall Street or Madison Ave must guide how all of us spend our money, but in fact we have choices. I don’t know what the solution here is. Maybe the owner needs to take on partners. Maybe they need to cut expenses somehow. Maybe it needs to be a coop. But whatever the solution is, I’m encouraged that so many people are showing that they care about a community gathering place, which is a cause for optimism, regardless of the outcome. As was the case with the State Theatre, if enough people care enough about something, it can be maintained as a community asset.