DEAR EDITOR:
I have followed the
”
great Wal- Mart Debate
”
and just read the most recent letter from Mayor Tom Springer.
First, I would like to say that Mr. Springer obviously believes
strongly in his position and has expressed his opinion well. I
admire any politician who stands firmly in their belief.
DEAR EDITOR:
I have followed the “great Wal- Mart Debate” and just read the most recent letter from Mayor Tom Springer. First, I would like to say that Mr. Springer obviously believes strongly in his position and has expressed his opinion well. I admire any politician who stands firmly in their belief.
While Mayor Springer has done a fine job of clarifying the incentives and impact fees in this town, he has failed to acknowledge a key element in the debate, the impact on our local businesses and our residents.
I have been a member of this community for more than 20 years and am a consultant for local small to medium size businesses. It has been my pleasure to watch many businesses prosper in recent years. It has also been distressing to watch my friends and neighbors lose jobs and close businesses as the economy has suffered a downward trend. Neither of these outcomes can be attributed to our local mayor or City Council.
What can be attributed to our current local government is the urban sprawl and growth we have witnessed in the most recent years. Our quaint little town is now crammed with closely situated track homes and big box stores.
While we rejoice over the coming of Costco, we are simultaneously saddened by the loss of our Emerald Hills on the west side of town. This is the current administration’s legacy – the turning of our city into another “me too” to the highest bidder. In a very short time we will resemble many other cities in California. One will not know if they are in Fremont or Gilroy, unless it happens to be Garlic Festival Weekend.
I would ask Mr. Springer to consider the true impact of every decision before continuing in the same direction. How can an Office Max and a Staples both survive when they are located across the street from one another? While the sales tax dollars may have remained the same or increased slightly, wasn’t it a little more convenient when there was a Mc Whorter’s at the other end of town? And how exactly do we measure sales tax growth at a time when everything was growing?
Let us not forget the lessons of Kmart. While Costco and Lowes may seem new and sparkly to a community that has long awaited the arrival of something slightly bigger than ACE, don’t we all appreciate being able to find knowledgeable staff members who actually know something about building, plumbing or wiring? How long can both a Home Depot and Lowe’s exist without cannibalizing each other and killing off dozens of other small businesses in the process? How long will it be before one of those huge cement buildings are as desolate as Kmart?
When large chain stores come to Gilroy, their profits and their decisions are taken elsewhere. Sure, they may make a photo op in the local paper giving a few thousand dollars to local charities, but thousands more in profits leave to other city coffers. When retail sales slow and layoffs are needed, it is easier to layoff people thousands of miles away that you have never met, than employees whose children go to school with your children or your neighbors or your friends.
In the rush to “attract” business here perhaps we should consider the kind of business we are attracting. We should also be mindful of those silently slipping away. Twenty years from now, that will be your legacy Mr. Springer. The developers will be long gone, taking most of the money with them. The cement buildings and the hourly employees will remain.
I encourage the current City Council and mayor to place as much emphasis on our downtown, our local schools and building unique neighborhoods as they have in trying to attract big development. Instead of cashing in on every big box store for short-term sales tax revenues and impact fees, let’s offer incentives to small local businesses that can continue to keep Gilroy unique. Let’s diversify our economy, encourage entrepreneurs to move here and dream and let’s give the small, local hard working businesses some sales tax breaks, too.
Maybe they aren’t going to completely cover the impact fees, but they will contribute to our local economy long after many chains have left the area. Diversification and investment in our local citizens and businesses will create a legacy that will make us all proud.
S. Hazlett, Gilroy
Submitted Monday, May 5 to ed****@gi************.com
The Golden Quill is awarded occasionally for a well-written letter.
