The Multiple Effects of Destroying and Burning Businesses

The burning and/or destruction of businesses has multi-layered economic and social consequences. First, business owners lose their businesses. They may receive insurance payouts. They will not, however, have ways to support themselves until the insurance pays or they rebuild their businesses. Second, employees in the businesses will have to find new jobs. Jobs are difficult to find and may require job training, an expensive and time-consuming process. Third, landlords will lose rental income because destroyed businesses cannot pay rent. Without this money, landlords may not be able to pay their mortgages (thus losing the property), support their families, or pay employees. Fourth, customers will have to find new stores. If the new stores are not "walking distance," they could be a hardship if the customers do not have cars. Public transportation can be expensive as well as difficult to manage with shopping goods. Fifth, the communities in which these shops were located may decline. Shop owners and workers may have to relocate to be closer to their new jobs, and customers may move to communities with shops in "walking distance." Better protection of these businesses would have prevented these problems.