Harry, Walmart is cheap and I do shop there. Something about the end of small stores and the fact that Walmart and others use basically a temporary work force that will have to live totally off of SS at the end it would appear.
Bill On Mon, 09 Jun 2003 16:13:04 -0700 Harry Pollard <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes: > Bill, > > I have no objection to LETS if people want to adopt it locally. But > there > is nothing about it that makes it a true reform of any kind. > > On the other hand, what is wrong with Walmart? > > It provides what people want in an inexpensive and pleasant manner. > If > people want to shop at a corner store no-one stops them. > > Don't think it needs any balance. > > Harry > > ----------------------------------------------------------------------- > > Bill wrote: > > > > > >Harry, > > > >What is your feeling about the efficacy of LETS as a balance to the > > >Walmarts of the world? > > > > > <http://www.gmlets.u-net.com/>http://www.gmlets.u-net.com/ > > > >Bill > > > >On Sat, 7 Jun 2003 08:29:05 -0700 "Karen Watters Cole" > ><<mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]>[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes: > > > >Last weekend I attended the first national gathering of a group > formed to > >promote local living economies, partly as a personal growth > exercise and > >for writing research. The group�s name, BALLE, stands for Business > > >Alliances for Local Living Economies > >(<http://www.ballenetwork.org/BALLE/>http://www.ballenetwork.org/BALLE/) > > >and includes mostly small local entrepreneurs trying to remain > vital in > >their communities, centered around sustainability themes and a > strong > >desire to promote local business first. Some of these good people > are > >unabashedly anti-global, anti-multinationals but most of them > simply want > >to succeed in the places where they live, raise their children and > pay > >their taxes. These are not provincial people insisting everyone be > of the > >same color, creed or cloth, otherwise I would not be interested in > what > >they are trying to promote. > > > > > > > >This is a lot more than a new version of the old Lions clubs or > even a New > >Age Chamber of Commerce, although they are forming affiliations to > promote > >and market local ownership business first rather than Big Box > retail > >dominating consumer choice. This is a new group, attracting the > support > >of community and economic development professionals, government > officials > >and those interested in sustainability and local, place-based > economies. > > > > > > > >This group is trying not to be a political organization but they do > want > >everyone to know that despite current perceptions, most small > business > >owners in this country are not all Republican diehards espousing > Reaganism > >and a monoculture. > > > > > > > >What they are suggesting is that if we spent as much time and money > > >practicing economic development of local talent and experience > instead of > >wooing foreign and/or out of state corporations there would not > only be a > >lot of tax revenue saved but fewer jobs sacrificed. > > > > > > > >Studies show that Wal-Mart, the world�s largest corporation and > supplier > >of most consumer goods in the US, including food, displaces 3 local > jobs > >for every 1 it creates, and their profits go to one centralized > place in > >Arkansas. For many, this behemoth symbolizes the power and > corruption of > >the current free market system, which deprives people in their > communities > >with choice and independence, not just threats to regional variety > and > >culture. > > > > > > > >Some of you might be interested to know about this alliance because > of the > >free market and globalization conversations we have on FW. Some of > you > >will be intrigued by the commitment of small businesses asserting > >themselves under the growing big foot of giant corporations. > Others like > >me will hear the human spirit reasserting itself, as it will, > because no > >matter what sociopolitical and economic theories and institutions > do, the > >human spirit will continually strive to be heard and felt, to > thrive. > > > > > > > >There are many websites and groups working in this arena, locally > and > >regionally, to collect data, promote and support local > >entrepreneurship. I am going to list a few, but if anyone would > like more > >details and links, please contact me offline. Names that some > might > >recognize include Judy Wicks, David Korten, author of When > Corporations > >Rule the World and The Post-Corporate World: Life after Capitalism > and > >Michael Shuman, Going Local. Korten uses the phrase �suicide > economy� to > >describe what we are currently practicing (see > ><http://www.pcdf.org/living_economies/>http://www.pcdf.org/living_econom ies/). > > >- Karen > > > > > > > >Institute for Local Self-Reliance @ > <http://www.ilsr.org/>http://www.ilsr.org > > > >White Dog Caf� @ > ><http://www.whitedog.com/foundation.html>http://www.whitedog.com/foundat ion.html > > > >Positive Futures Network @ > ><http://www.futurenet.org/aboutPFN.html>http://www.futurenet.org/aboutPF N.html > > > >Rudolf Steiner Foundation @ > ><http://www.rsfoundation.org/home.asp>http://www.rsfoundation.org/home.a sp > > > >Bainbridge Graduate Institute @ > ><http://www.bgiedu.org/BGI-index.html>http://www.bgiedu.org/BGI-index.ht ml > > > **************************************************** > Harry Pollard > Henry George School of Social Science of Los Angeles > Box 655 Tujunga CA 91042 > Tel: (818) 352-4141 -- Fax: (818) 353-2242 > http://home.attbi.com/~haledward > **************************************************** > > ________________________________________________________________ The best thing to hit the internet in years - Juno SpeedBand! Surf the web up to FIVE TIMES FASTER! Only $14.95/ month - visit www.juno.com to sign up today! _______________________________________________ Futurework mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://scribe.uwaterloo.ca/mailman/listinfo/futurework
