[Oe List ...] Wal-Mart and the weapons of mass destruction

Wed Apr 9 10:38:28 EDT 2008

In the 1970's Ada Oklahoma was a small town of some 6 to 7,000 people. The
town center was the hub of community life. The down town was the only market
place except for a few car and service station around town, with a few
corner grocery stores in some neighborhoods. Most everything was in walking
distance or up to one or two miles. There was also some small industry and
distribution points on the outskirts. The super food market that came opened
up for the first time a strip mall center was soon filled with out of state
and town commercial activities. 

This was the beginning of a deterioration of locally owned and operated
stores in town center that happened in many other cities across our nation.
Maybe people did save money (I don't know) but maybe they lost something
else. Remember, these were the days of cheap oil and progress.

Marianna and I left Oklahoma in 1977 so I don't know what has happened in
Ada since then.

Bill Bailey

-----Original Message-----
From: oe-bounces at wedgeblade.net [mailto:oe-bounces at wedgeblade.net] On Behalf
Of facilitationfla at aol.com
Sent: Wednesday, April 09, 2008 8:43 AM
To: oe at wedgeblade.net
Subject: Re: [Oe List ...] Wal-Mart and the weapons of mass destruction

How much money did local citizens save by going to a larger store, with
probably lower prices?

Ada, Oklahoma (1974) the Chamber of Commerce & the OKC house did a joint
study of what happened to Ada's economy over the past 10 years. In 1964 Ada
had three local owned grocery stores; one on the north side, one on the
south side, and one in the town center. Each of the three stores was owned
and operated by two local families. Each store provided summer and afternoon
jobs for high school kids.

In 1968 a large grocery store chain opened owned and operated by a firm
headquarter in Dallas Texas. The managerial staff of the store lived in
Oklahoma City and commuted to Ada on a weekly basis. The new store hired
local workers from Ada at minimum wages, but none of the managerial staff
participated in the economic, political, or cultural structures of Ada. The
goods for the super market all came from the outside and the profits were
sent out of state. 

By 1972 all three locally owned grocery stores had closed, but the super
market still provided some jobs for after school and summer jobs for a few
high school kids.

The Chamber concluded that Ada had lost the economic, political and cultural
benefits to the city of: 

    1. Six residential families, 
    2. A market for some locally produced food items, 
    3. A down turn in citizen's presence in town center, and 
    4. A small number of summer jobs for high school kids.

This was just one simple story of what can happen when the chain (box)
stores come to town. Instead of circulating locally, the money and business
decisions no longer support the quality of life and economic growth of the
local community.

-----Original Message-----
From: Bill Bailey <bailey03132 at charter.net>
To: 'Order Ecumenical Community' <oe at wedgeblade.net>
Sent: Tue, 8 Apr 2008 5:34 pm
Subject: Re: [Oe List ...] Wal-Mart and the weapons of mass destruction

Ada, Oklahoma (1974) the Chamber of Commerce & the OKC house did a joint
study of what happened to Ada's economy over the past 10 years. In 1964 Ada
had three local owned grocery stores; one on the north side, one on the
south side, and one in the town center. Each of the three stores was owned
and operated by two local families. Each store provided summer and afternoon
jobs for high school kids.

In 1968 a large grocery store chain opened owned and operated by a firm
headquarter in Dallas Texas. The managerial staff of the store lived in
Oklahoma City and commuted to Ada on a weekly basis. The new store hired
local workers from Ada at minimum wages, but none of the managerial staff
participated in the economic, political, or cultural structures of Ada. The
goods for the super market all came from the outside and the profits were
sent out of state. 

By 1972 all three locally owned grocery stores had closed, but the super
market still provided some jobs for after school and summer jobs for a few
high school kids.

The Chamber concluded that Ada had lost the economic, political and cultural
benefits to the city of: 

    1. Six residential families, 
    2. A market for some locally produced food items, 
    3. A down turn in citizen's presence in town center, and 
    4. A small number of summer jobs for high school kids.

This was just one simple story of what can happen when the chain (box)
stores come to town. Instead of circulating locally, the money and business
decisions no longer support the quality of life and economic growth of the
local community.

Bill Bailey

-----Original Message-----
From: oe-bounces at wedgeblade.net [mailto:oe-bounces at wedgeblade.net
<mailto:oe-bounces at wedgeblade.net?> ] On Behalf
Of David Dunn
Sent: Tuesday, April 08, 2008 2:16 PM
To: OE Community
Subject: Re: [Oe List ...] Wal-Mart and the weapons of mass destruction

On 4/8/08 1:04 PM, "Marianna Bailey"  wrote:

> Let's not forget the economic principles that we used in human development
> projects.Money should circulate 5 times before it leaves a community. When
> Wal-Mart comes into a town small family owned businesses that have been
their
> for several generations go out of business. The family owned business
> circulated the money 5 times and use to pay living wages. Wal-Mart pays
low
> wages and the money leaves the community everyday. What we gain short term
by
> low prices does not reflect the long term consequences of our local
economy.

This is the story of Burna's hometown, Ironwood, MI--on the decline because
of a whole system of factors, but Wal-Mart didn't help. The downtown has
been dying for many years.

David

-- 
David Dunn
dmdunn1 at gmail.com
720-314-5991
Skype: dmirror
www.mirrorcommunication.com <http://www.mirrorcommunication.com/> 

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