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Article filed under Independent Business | Written by Stacy Mitchell | No Comments | Updated on Apr 1, 2004

Scottsdale Voters Overturn Big Box Subsidy

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/scottsdale-voters-overturn-big-box-subsidy/

In March, voters in Scottsdale, Arizona, overwhelmingly rejected a plan to provide a massive public subsidy for a 42-acre big box development anchored by a Wal-Mart supercenter and a Lowe’s Home Improvement store.

The plan, which was approved by the city council last year, allowed the developer to keep 49 percent of all the sales taxes generated by the shopping center over the next 40 years. Accounting for interest and inflation, the total value of the subsidy is estimated at$183 million.

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Article filed under Independent Business | Written by Stacy Mitchell | No Comments | Updated on Apr 1, 2004

Albany County Declines Wal-Mart Donation

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/albany-county-declines-walmart-donation/

 

Citing Wal-Mart’s failure to provide a decent wage and health benefits for most of its employees, the Albany (New York) County Legislature voted in March to decline a $1,000 donation from the corporation. Continue reading

Article filed under Independent Business | Written by Stacy Mitchell | No Comments | Updated on Apr 1, 2004

Community-Owned Stores Provide Alternative to Chains

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/communityowned-stores-provide-alternative-chains/

RKG concluded that Middlebury consumers are spending nearly $7 million elsewhere each year and recommended that the city stem the leakage by enticing Wal-Mart to build a supercenter. But many Middlebury residents refuse to accept the inevitability of the low-wage retailing giant. They have their own ideas about solving Middlebury’s dilemma. They want to open a community-owned department store in the center of town. Continue reading

Article filed under Independent Business | Written by Stacy Mitchell | No Comments | Updated on Apr 1, 2004

Corvallis Business Alliance Urges Residents to Shop Locally

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/corvallis-business-alliance-urges-residents-shop-locally/

 

Three years ago, after learning that Borders Books & Music planned to open an outlet in Corvallis, Oregon, Jack Wolcott, who has owned a local bookstore, Grass Roots Books & Music, for more than thirty years, contacted Bob Baird of The Book Bin and several other local business owners whose stores were likely to be affected by the chain. They began meeting, at first discussing a possible legal challenge to Borders and ultimately deciding instead to organize local businesses and launch a public education effort. Continue reading

Article filed under Independent Business | Written by Stacy Mitchell | 1 Comment | Updated on Apr 1, 2004

Report Finds Wal-Mart’s Low Wages Cost Taxpayers Millions

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/report-finds-walmarts-low-wages-cost-taxpayers-millions/

Taxpayers are picking up the tab for Wal-Mart’s low wages and meager benefits, according to a new congressional report.

Prepared by the Democratic staff of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce and released by Rep. George Miller in February, the report concludes that the federal government is providing an average of $2,100 annually in public assistance per Wal-Mart employee.

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Article filed under The Public Good | Written by David Morris | No Comments | Updated on Mar 4, 2004

Time To Think Big

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/time-to-think-big/

Time To Think Big by David Morris Originally published on TomPaine.com, March 4, 2004 For advocates of renewable energy, these are the best of times and the worst of times. The good news is that renewable energy is growing in spectacular fashion. Wind electric production in the United States alone is up more than 200… Continue reading

Article filed under The Public Good | Written by David Morris | No Comments | Updated on Mar 3, 2004

Folly of running government as a business

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/folly-of-running-government-as-a-business/

Folly of running government as a business by David Morris Originally published in Minneapolis Star Tribune, March 3, 2004 Conservatives believe government should be run like a private business. They’re wrong. Now Minnesota is paying a stiff price for their mistake. By law, a private corporation must strive to maximize the economic return to a… Continue reading

Article filed under The Public Good | Written by David Morris | No Comments | Updated on Feb 17, 2004

Gimme Shelter

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/gimme-shelter/

Gimme Shelter by David Morris Originally published in The Minneapolis Observer, February 17, 2004 Politics involves making choices. This legislative session we’re making choices about how to spend some three quarters of a billion dollars.  The menu is largely restricted to constructing shelters(buildings) of one sort or another. It gladdens me to see how much… Continue reading

Article filed under The Public Good | Written by David Morris | No Comments | Updated on Feb 15, 2004

Cruising the Ethanol Highway

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/cruising-the-ethanol-highway/

Cruising the Ethanol Highway Hybrid cars using plant-based fuel and electricity could save huge amounts of gas. Hydrogen is no answer now. by David Morris Originally published in the Los Angeles Times, February 15, 2004 Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has declared his support for a “hydrogen highway.” By 2010 he wants hydrogen fueling stations on all… Continue reading

Article filed under The Public Good | Written by David Morris | No Comments | Updated on Feb 3, 2004

Faulty Intelligence My Eye

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/faulty-intelligence-my-eye/

Faulty Intelligence My Eye by David Morris Originally published in AlterNet, February 3, 2004 David Kay was the perfect choice to head up Bush’s search for weapons of mass destruction (WMD). He was in Iraq in 1991 with the UN inspection team. He was one of the most visible and vocal believers in the existence… Continue reading