What We Stand to Lose

Since Wal-Mart came to Taos, the number of retail businesses decreased from 438 to 231.
In the last five years alone, retail jobs decreased from 3156 to 1500. (US census, pub 1/2003)

Wal-Mart sells the following:
How will it affect us?

Here are but a few of the goods and services Wal-Mart, the big-box retailer, provides under one roof:
* Apparel & Accessories
* Lawn and Garden
* Automotive
* Movie Theatres
* Banking
* Pharmaceuticals
* Books
* Snacks
* CD's
* Sports Equipment
* Gasoline Retailing
* Starbucks Coffee Shops
* Electronic Equipment
* Tires
* Groceries & Produce
* Toys
* Hardware
* Travel Outlets
* Home Furnishings
* Video Rentals and Sales

Reasons for a super Wal-Mart:

One stop shopping.
(Freedom from choice - because there are no other alternatives)

No Unions.
(Freedom from collective bargaining and better working conditions)

Lots of part time work.
(Freedom from benefits like health insurance, dental care and paid vacations, etc.)
(Freedom for other part time work - if you can find it)

Censored music.
(Freedom from the First Amendment and other ideas and expressions)

GM food.
(Freedom from 'blemished' food)
*I haven't verified this, but I think that organic is a foreign word at Wal-Mart*

Guns and ammo.
(Freedom from threats - that real sense of security that comes from being well-armed)

Cheap stuff.
(Freedom from quality)

And what will we miss?

Family owned businesses (our friends and neighbors)

Locally owned businesses (even if they are franchises of large corporations)

That trip to Espa?la and Santa Fe (Except when we feel the need to buy something of quality!)

But most of all we will lose the possibilities of economic development. And we will lose local support for high school sports teams, cheer leaders, service clubs and all the causes that local businesses support because they are part of the community.

We will also have to spend more in taxes to support the loss in revenues created by large tax breaks for infrastructure support:

sewer hook-up
sewage treatment
. traffic control (more police)
road improvements
corporate local taxes that will be 'forgiven'

Can We REALLY afford this?