No mention of Trump's tariffs in kvetch about "overtax[ed]" restaurants

The RTD lets Virginia's powerful hospitality lobby elide impact of president's disastrous trade policies

Author

Dave Infante
April 22, 2025

On April 22nd, 2025, the Richmond Times-Dispatch published this op-ed by Eric Terry, the president of the Virginia Restaurant, Lodging, and Travel Association:

Commentary: Overtaxing struggling restaurants hurts all of us

Restaurants, as a business model, are blessed to be welcome in all corners of our communities, but ours are among the most labor intensive and cost intensive businesses to run. So what may seem like a “small, reasonable tax increase” to your local supervisor or councilor can be the nail in the coffin for a number of small businesses in your community.

richmond.com/opinion/column/article_e5883044-b36d-467b-bf7b-252030e8f12c.html

Also on April 22nd, I submitted the following letter to the editor:

Eric Terry's 4/22 op-ed, "Commentary: Overtaxing struggling restaurants hurts all of us" , pitched "a break" on meals taxes at Virginia restaurants due to soaring prices and tanking consumer sentiment, without ever once mentioning Trump's corrupt trade war as a cause of those (real) trends. Nor did he note that masked state kidnappers grabbing people off the street might dissuade customers from dining out and/or going to work in Virginia's restaurant kitchens. Sure seems like that might also "hurt us all," no? I'm not surprised that Virginia restaurant owners' lead lobbyist would push this view-from-nowhere schlock, but it'd be nice if the Times-Dispatch's Opinion editor demanded basic intellectual honesty and important context from contributors rather than just handing over the paper's editorial imprimatur to them. Ah well, maybe next time.

As far as I know, my letter was not published in the RTD’s Opinion section. I received no response.

Trump’s Tariffs Are Raising the Cost of ‘Business as Usual’ for Food Purveyors

Following the announcement of sweeping reciprocal tariffs, companies like Burlap & Barrel, Natoora, and Tuk Tuk Snack Shop face an uncertain future.

www.eater.com/24401316/trump-tariffs-effects-on-food-spices-explained-burlap-barrel-natoora-tuk-tuk-snack-shop-interview

Fewer diners, tense workers at L.A. restaurants amid Trump's immigration crackdown

'This fear is killing me.' Restaurant workers and customers are afraid to lead normal lives with an increase in ICE raids expected as part of Trump's heightened immigration enforcement.

www.latimes.com/food/story/2025-02-11/amid-trump-immigration-crackdown-fewer-customers-tense-restaurant-workers

Mad Enough to Blog It™️ is Richmond media criticism by The Lookout's founding editor, Dave Infante. Read more, and/or submit terrible local media to be considered for future critiques.

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