CLARK COUNTY —
Let’s look local along canal
It looks as if our canal is moving forward. This is a good thing. It will attract more of the visitors Louisville receives. This will aid Jeffersonville’s and Clark County’s economy.
My question is what kind of businesses will occupy the new shopping areas? Will the new businesses be locally owned or out-of-state chain stores?
Locally owned stores would preserve Jeffersonville’s uniqueness. Chain stores would give nothing to the memory of the tourists, except the sameness of what they see where they live.
A chain store’s money is eventually deposited with the parent company. Bookkeeping, marketing, construction and goods will also be outsourced. For every dollar spent in locally owned stores, three times as much stays in the local economy as opposed to chain stores. Local stores use local accountants, marketing, banks and construction. To bring in chain stores would hurt our local economy by costing jobs of local enterprises.
Let’s put local businesses on equitable footing with chain stores and restaurants. Let’s offer local businesses and restaurants the very same incentives as the chains — from securing grants to tax benefits to lower costs on utility hookups.
Whatever tangible incentive that is offered to the chain stores should be offered to local businesses. Only by putting local businesses in equitable footing with chain stores will Jeffersonville and Clark County really prosper.
As the bumper stickers in the state of Washington read, “Buy Local or Bye-Bye Local,” “Be a Local Lover,” and “Think Local, Buy Local, Be Local.”
We can start prospering in Jeffersonville if — when we shop — we ask, “Are you locally owned?”
— Steven Fetter, Jeffersonville
Opinions
EVENING NEWS LETTERS: July 31, 2010
- Opinions
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DODD: Vegas is always a good bet
It was the Dodd family in Las Vegas. We went ostensibly to celebrate my son Cameron’s 17th birthday. That was simply a smoke screen. My real plan was an early retirement from my ill-gotten casino fortune. Before my risky sojourn we had many hours of family fun.
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LETTERS: Feb. 11-12, 2012
— Let’s stop ‘studying’ the bridges project
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STAWAR: I’m not exaggerating, I’m aspiring
Exaggeration is a commonplace phenomenon. For one thing, it lies at the heart of the advertising industry.
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NASH: Holding officials to higher standards
A few weeks ago in my weekly column, I discussed a growing trend of people, mostly elected officials, who believed that they are above the law.
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HARBESON: It’s super living in Indiana
My husband and I attend an annual Super Bowl party, which is normally a small gathering of friends, but this year our host’s home was bursting with guests.
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OUR VIEW: Greenville town council president’s tactics inexcusable
Heading into Monday’s Greenville Town Council special meeting, the council president said he was not going to let members of the public speak on the matter of whether or not the town should hire Randal Johnes as its town manager.
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GESENHUES: The Susan G. Komen precedent
My mom is a breast cancer survivor.
I have walked many a mile in support of the cause and raised a sizable number of dollars for breast cancer research. The Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure initiatives are not lost on me. -
LETTERS: Feb. 8, 2012
— Think of the future generation when voting
— Smoke-free advocate disappointed with senator’s stance
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BEAM: Just smile
Whispers will soon abound outside of school as the corporation enters negotiations this summer with the teacher’s union over a new contract. Aides are not covered under the union.
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