First hour: Can brick-and-mortar stores survive in the age of Amazon?
Second hour: Rehabbing vacant homes to give families a new start
The retail giant Toys “R” Us has filed for bankruptcy and is closing its stores across the nation. The move is leaving more than 30,000 employees out of jobs, health insurance, and severance pay. It’s the latest retail chain owned by private equity firms to close its doors. Companies taken over by these firms are often shouldered with the firms’ high debt loads, pushing struggling companies to a faster decline. Progressive groups say the pattern is a reminder of the human cost on working class people, and the cycle needs to stop. But others say private equity firms do bring value to some companies. Toys “R” Us closing its doors also raises another question: can brick-and-mortar retailers survive and thrive in the age of Amazon? Our guests weigh in on the economics:
- Michael Kink, executive director of the Strong Economy for All Coalition
- Amit Batabyal, professor of economics at RIT
- Rocco Pellegrino, owner of Small World Books
Then in our second hour, several nonprofit organizations are teaming up to help provide housing options for people in need, while reducing the number of so-called zombie homes in Rochester. Flower City Habitat for Humanity has launched its Vacant and Abandoned Homes pilot program with the City of Rochester. According to a report released last summer, there were about 600 vacant and abandoned homes around Monroe County, which contributed to a more than $11 million loss in property values. But the program goes beyond the numbers; it’s giving families a new start. We’ll talk with two new homeowners who are part of the program, and learn how it is helping to reduce poverty in Rochester. In studio:
- Matt Flanigan, president and CEO of Flower City Habitat for Humanity
- Rene Hagins, homeowner
- Myeisha Wesson, homeowner
