Las Mas Loan Legit

With an 11th-hour amendment, the $750,000 city loan to Las Manitas passed 5-2 at City Council. Following a brief presentation on the Business Retention and Enhancement Program, and questions from Will Wynn establishing its vetting and criteria as very thorough, several speakers sang the praises of the restaurant; the dreaded "funky" descriptor came perilously close to being trotted out when someone described Las Mas as the only restaurant where "Karl Rove, Karen Hughes, and a homeless person eat at the same time." (We'll go with the homeless person, thank you.) Only one citizen spoke in opposition – another restaurateur – citing the unfair advantage he felt the generous terms of the loan provided.

Sheryl Cole and Lee Leffingwell opposed the loan as drafted. Cole felt the geographic boundaries of the program – Congress Avenue and Sixth Street – didn't allow for significant diversity. "I don't know of any African-American businesses located on Congress or Sixth, or very many other Hispanic businesses," she said. Leffingwell said he couldn't support a loan "that's preordained to be forgiven."

Flashing back to his previous career, Wynn delved into a Real Estate 101-style snoozer on the financial benefits of the program before Mike Martinez put forth an amendment: a requirement stating if Las Manitas is closed, sold, or transferred once the loan's forgiven (i.e., from year six to 20 – the entirety – of the loan term), then the remainder of the balance will have to be paid. "The issue here is how to get protection in the out-years," said Betty Dunkerley, congratulating Martinez on his "good catch."

And all's well in the People's Republic – except for the Push-Up Foundation protesters outside, and the Eastsiders opposed to the animal shelter, and …