Business owners and community leaders as well as anyone else from the city or elsewhere will gather tonight to voice their opinion about the new municipal law that limits the hours of operation for businesses that are open late at night in the city; the reasoning behind the law is: businesses that remain open late cause individuals to congregate around it which inevitably results in fights, gun violence, and vandalism.

Shop owners, one profiled in another newspaper, said it is during that one hour after midnight when he makes much of his profit, and it is for that reason he is against the new measures. The same shop owner also contests that, the part of Paterson in which he runs his business is safer and less crime-ridden compared to other parts of the city.

Proponents of the law, including councilman Anthony Davis, who runs the violent 1st ward, said one hour makes little or no difference in profit.

City residents echo the same sentiments, they, mainly concerned with vandalism and crime, want the new law passed so that their neighborhood becomes a little safer.

Leaving from late night lounges, often times drunk-drivers smash into other vehicles parked near the curb — police when responding to the scene, one resident told us, do not write down that the driver was drunk nor do they conduct necessary tests to determine if the driver was sober or otherwise.

Those that live near late night establishments say, litters and garbage of all sorts, are scattered all throughout the sidewalks.

As a result most residents are for the new laws curtailing business by one hour.

It seems the angers of residents are targeted in the wrong direction, sure there is crime, but the new law will limit businesses which will make the city poorer than it is: businesses will not make the same profit as they once did.

Residents, convinced by speaking to each other and with an intense need to do something about their plight, think reducing the hours will somehow help, but it is not likely: the litter from late night establishments will be the same — it will simply be dropped at an hour before midnight during week days, that’s all.

The hearing begins at 6pm at the City Hall.