[Winona] living wage

[MJ Greenwald]

I have read with interest the conversation about Walmart, and have some questions and a suggestion.    A question:  who sits on the board of the Winona Port Authority?  If there are complaints about the businesses that have developed or are proposed in the new industrial park, it is hard to avoid the observation that these businesses are all permitted by current zoning and ownership patterns.  Did the Port Authority have a vision for what should happen with that land, and were they making any attempts to bring that vision about?  If Judy Bodway knew Walmart was interested 10 years ago, there must have been a lack of concern about the consequences of Walmart's arrival.  Are there any elected officials that can be held accountable for the priorities or lack of priorities for the development of this parcel of land?   What is Winona's vision for the downtown?  There are many cities that have needed to grapple with the arrival of the mega stores by developing a vision for the unique niche their downtowns could play.  I see no evidence of such a vision in action here in Winona, but the downtown does have some assets that could be capitalized and expanded upon.  Decorah Iowa is one regional example of a city that has managed to maintain a viable downtown despite huge recent wars over Walmart expansion plans that went all the way to the Iowa Supreme Court.    A suggestion:  if living wages are a concern in Winona, I'd suggest elected officials take a look at the living wage ordinances that have been established in some cities.  Minneapolis passed such an ordinance, that made this a requirement for any business benefitting from more than $100,000 in city assistance.  Visit www.newrules.org/equity/wage.html to learn about such ordinances around the country.   "Without vision, the people perish" Proverbs 29:18.   Martha Greenwald