The Ivory Tower reports:

The Southwest Business Association, which tracks business in the area, said the holiday typically draws in more than 100,000 visitors and boosts sales as much as 20% overall for the neighborhood's 170 restaurants and 1,700-plus businesses.

"Over the last several years, Cinco de Mayo has been good for us," said (Ken) Koehler (owner of the Honey Bee Market in SE's Mexicantown), noting that sales of fajita meat, guacamole and chips and salsa are through the roof. "We've seen a lot of new faces in here."

Koehler put up Mexican flags and set up a stage for mariachis. He planned to sell ice cream, tacos, hot dogs and Jarrito sodas out of his Bagley Street parking lot over the weekend, everything for $1. His cashiers distributed more than 4,000 flyers promoting festivities in the area.

Local business owners were expecting a big weekend and then today's the capper.  Just make sure you're watching your surroundings closely if you're driving anywhere late tonight.  The Chamber of Commerce can tell you that 5 May is all about mariachi and fried ice cream and fajitas but that'd be like saying St. Patrick's Day is about green bagels.  I mean, sure, there are green bagels, but bagel shops aren't the hot spots once the sun goes down.  

Still, a boost is a boost and while there might be less sloppy ways to get there than mass inebriation and corroded livers you don't see anyone donating the profits to Mothers Against Drunk Driving.  Especially not in this economy.  And with reports like the one found in the Grand Rapids Press over the weekend you might just want to thank your lucky stars (either your lucky stars or hundreds of years of French failure on the battlefield) there's something out their boosting the economy today.  

Crime often runs in cycles, with Grand Rapids reflecting the rest of the country, said William Crawley, in charge of Grand Valley State University's School of Criminal Justice.

But he said the state's poor economy probably plays a role in robberies, since it leads to "blocked social opportunity" -- including lack of employment -- particularly for young offenders or at-risk youth.

"It's really difficult once somebody's been labeled a felon," Crawley said.

Belk said drugs continue to be the driving force. Unemployed users, especially those on heroin, will find a way to feed their habits.

"We're not seeing people who lost their jobs and resorted to armed robbery to support their family," Belk said.

Not that it hasn't happened. Three years ago, a suspect in tears told Grand Rapids detectives he robbed a bank with a toy gun after his 2-year-old son cried for something to eat. Police confirmed cupboards were empty.

One might assume that amidst the economic turmoil and what with the State itself needing to look to one-off ethnic holiday celebrations to find any sort of good economic news the leading candidate for the Democrat nomination for the Presidency might jump on the opportunity to score some brownie points by showing he "cares."  But you know what they say about assumption.

We're all pretty well aware that Barack Obama doesn't think much of Michigan.  He still won't step foot in his neighboring State and isn't doing anything himself to boost our economy but yesterday in an appearance on NBC's "Meet the Press" the nation's most liberal senator took things a step further.  One thing to avoid Michigan but it's another entirely to kick us when we're down.  The Detroit News reports:

Sen. Barack Obama defended his opposition to a temporary break from the federal gas tax Sunday and put part of the blame for the nation's dependence on imported oil on the domestic auto industry.

Repeating criticisms of the Detroit carmakers he has made throughout the campaign, Obama faulted them for failing to build more fuel-efficient cars during an appearance on NBC's "Meet the Press."

"Detroit ended up making investments in SUVs and large trucks because that's where they perceived a competitive advantage and that's where they felt they could make the most profit," the Illinois senator told host Tim Russert. "I think it was a mistake for them not to plan earlier, and now we're seeing a huge growth in fuel-efficient cars that is benefiting the Japanese automakers and Detroit is getting pounded some more."

The `pounding' he refers to is coming, by the way, at the hands of the Democrat controlled Congress via massive fuel economy standards spikes that are expected to add thousands to the cost of every vehicle made in the United States... read: Michigan.  

We've all heard the lefties rattle on for years now about how every problem in Michigan lies at the feet of the domestic auto industry.  Never mind that the Big 3 are directly responsible for their fundraising, voting and polling-place-thugging advantages... it's all their fault.

OK, let's assume it is.  Now we've got their top pick to become the next President of the United States.  If the problem is with the domestic auto industry then it might be important to know how he's going to help the domestic auto industry, right?  I mean, that's where the problem lies.  

All we've got from the Barackstar are insults and thousands in new taxes on every vehicle rolling off the lot.  From a safe distance of hundreds and usually thousands of miles, never within ear shot of Michigan voters.

Nice to know he cares, right?  Palabra para tu madre.