On 6/29/03 8:11 PM, "Anderson & Turpin" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Mark Anderson reply: > I've been in the business world for 25 years, and I've seen over and over > again that big companies pay higher wages on average than smaller companies. > Do you have any statistics, or even anecdotes, that would indicate that for > 25 years I've been living in a fantasy land? Do you have any basis for this > comment at all, beyond your prejudice against big companies? If my > experience is correct, then your objective of higher paying jobs should lead > you to begin shopping at only big stores.
Robin Garwood provided evidence of higher wages at smaller stores when he described his and others' experiences with natural foods coops. He said folks there can earn as much as $28K a year, which is a bit more than $13 an hour, plus he had health care coverage. Other than maybe unionized grocery stores, no big box retailer offers that kind of salary and benefits. > If all I shopped at were big box stores (or chains, which aren't the same > thing), I wouldn't care what happened to the other stores. I do shop at > smaller stores also, such as auto mechanics, restaurants, convenience > stores, and gas stations. It would be nice if they continue to exist. But > I'm already patronzing those stores. I don't see any point in helping a > store survive if I wouldn't otherwise shop there -- what's the benefit? Tax base. If you take two plots of equal size, one with a single big box and the other with numerous smaller retailers, which is going to provide you with more tax base? The smaller stores will. Their property values are still appreciating, whereas many big box sites are seeing depreciated values as Vicky Heller has pointed out with the Target sites. You also get more individual income tax collections because you have more owners realizing profits within the state and more business income taxes they're not large enough to do the kinds of off-shore shenanigans that many of the largest corporations are doing. And while folks like to talk about Jerry's Foods not seeking a TIF subsidy, that's the exception and not the rule. Both times that Supervalu tried getting in on Central Ave. NE this year with a Cub Foods, the primary roadblock in addition to neighborhood opposition, was the lack of opportunity for a TIF subsidy. So supporting locally-owned small businesses and helping them thrive helps offset the need to increase your income or property taxes. That's your benefit and that's why you should give stronger consideration to shopping at locally-owned businesses instead of just chasing the lowest price. What people aren't realizing is that we're going to pay for our city's and state's government programs regardless of whether it's as a consumer or as a taxpayer. Me personally, I'd rather it be as a consumer. It makes more sense to me to help create more jobs through supporting locally-owned businesses than to have my tax dollars be spent on government programs for the jobless. While those programs are needed and important, we need to realize that our shopping habits of constantly seeking the lowest price at the expense of supporting our communities are part of what creates the need for those government programs. Mark Snyder Windom Park TEMPORARY REMINDER: 1. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait. 2. If you don't like what's being discussed here, don't complain - change the subject (Mpls-specific, of course.) ________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
