In my book,

the city of St. Paul owes this guy another $150,000.

A 43-year-old artist and small-business owner who goes by the name "Grease," Lehman saw his first business literally demolished when the city of St. Paul seized his tattoo parlor for a street-widening project three months ago. Still fuming, he went looking for new digs, found a place at 360 Clifton St. on the city's west end, was given a verbal OK to relocate there and bought it.

That's when the city killed his dream for the second time.

Despite initial assurances from city officials, he soon learned that tattoo parlors aren't allowed on Clifton Street. This week, Lehman exhausted the last of his appeals, and he's now the proud owner of a $150,000 building that he can't use — all because of a bungle that even City Hall officials acknowledge.