Thcolumns: Show us the love
About six months ago in private conversation with some public officials I was told that there is no legal way to stop big box stores from coming to Tehachapi. Local government can influence how their arrival is handled but to stop them? Can't happen.Maybe that's okay. For Tehachapi, after all, there may be an advantage to the arrival of more boxes: sales tax that now travels to Bakersfield or Lancaster might stay local.
For most areas, sales tax would not be a compelling reason since the tax pulled in by, say, a new Wal-Mart, is tax that would otherwise have come through another local business. But in Tehachapi, where so many of us leave town to shop, a big box may well put new tax dollars in the treasury.
So: big boxes must come and they'll bring tax money with them. Great!
Then why are so many of us kicking against the Wal-Mart pricks?
Let's ask Wal-Mart. According to the Web site dedicated to defending their honor, there are "people who simply don't like us."
By "people," I think they mean "taxpayers."
Here in California, for instance, taxpayers give $32 million for Wal-Mart employees' health care and another $54 million for their school lunches and food stamps and whatnot (according to a 2004 study by U.C. Berkeley Labor Center).
Well, no wonder "people" don't like you!
Now look over what I've said so far and note that nowhere have I said that what Tehachapi really needs is a Target or that Costco has the morals of a Socrates.
What I'm saying is that it won't be long till at least one big box legally moves to town.
What I as a citizen of Greater Tehachapi would like to see is a big box store excited to come here. So excited they build the performing arts center or a sewage treatment facility for Golden Hills.
If they really want to be here, surely they wouldn't mind taking a couple million from those billions in profit.
Well, Wal-Mart? Target? Costco? How much do you love us? How much do you want be Tehachapi?
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