Well, that's pathetic

So, it appears I won't be eating at Five Star Day again.

Bill Hamby, the restaurant's owner, has generated some controversy with his Flagpole column, and I say the more criticism the merrier.

It's not that it's awful for a business owner to promote his product by any means since, you know, he or she wants to make money and support a livelihood.

What is rather pathetic, however, is that Hamby took advantage of an editorial aimed at promoting local business and transformed it into a shameless begging marathon. But this type of begging, however, is something that apparently has permeated throughout local eating establishments. There's a sense of entitlement and resentment among many local restaurants that has bubbled to the surface as the economic crisis has taken its toll on businesses of all sorts.

Now I'm not saying you shouldn't support local businesses or that they don't provide a unique and wonderful environment that helps make Athens-Clarke County the special place that it is. What I am saying is that there's a big disconnect between a handful of the owners of these establishments and the actual reality confronting people these days. What I am saying is that this small group has blatantly abused their editorial platform and transformed it into a self-serving infomerical for their businesses.

What I am saying is that this small group of folks has misrepresented the hard-working local business owners in this community who, day-in and day-out, have busted their tails to build a successful business and keep their head afloat in this economic climate ... all the while providing top-notch, quality service to local residents.

And here we have Hamby who uses his column to chastize consumers.

Apparently only his economic woes, and those of his fellow local restaurant owners, are to be considered during these tough times.

We had a yard guy who used to come cut our grass. I liked him, and I thought he did a great job. But, the bad economy has impacted our day-to-day living dramatically, and I have opted to cut my own grass this summer (and beyond). And, because I respected the guy, I told him to his face what was going on and that I appreciated the work he had done for us.

And you know what? He got it.

He didn't throw a hissy fit and complain about how the economy was hurting him because, as a professional, recognized that would hurt his business down the road. More importantly, he respected the fact that the economy was hurting me too.

Bill Hamby, apparently, doesn't get that at all.

It's all about him ... and because it's all about him, he could care less about your economic situation. Instead, he's belittling you for tipping at a level appropriate to the quality of service provided (and casually ignoring that his woefully low wages are the real reason his servers barely scrap by) and throwing a temper tantrum because you want to drink water.

Listen, Bill, I always order a Coke when I come ... it's just that I won't be coming anymore.