Date: Fri, 6 Jun 2008 14:46:18 -0400
From: Mary DeMare
Subject: Local McDonalds
Dear Fellow Chathamites,
I’ve been following the “If you don’t like it, don’t go there” thread on the chatlist.
To me, it’s not that easy.
McDonald’sand other multinational corporations don’t want to co-exist. Local business owners can decide to only go for a portion of the market, but publicly-traded companies don’t have that luxury. They are here only to make money for their shareholders, and they want – no, need – the entire market share.
McD’s and Wal-mart and these types of businesses have huge capital reserves, and they use them to eliminate the competition. They don’t care if the competition is a local business or a Target, they must be eliminated. It’s often done by losing money for several months to undercut prices, and when there is no other game in town (literally) they increase the prices and lower the wages to make money for their shareholders, where ever they may be. The kicker is that they can write off these unsavory business practices in the corporate tax structure.
Speaking of taxes, which everyone is so eager to see Chatham County receive from these companies, I would be very interested to know if McDonald’s (or the new Mall) received any wonderful “incentives” given by local governments to huge corporations to entice them into an area, often deferring even SALES TAX for several years Small local businesses are not offered these incentives. Don’t worry, Chatham will get some taxes…the Local employees will still get 25% of their pay deducted for payroll taxes.
I know that I’m not supposed to criticize “successful” businesses like these. But I suggest we change what we think of as success.
Is it success as the gap between the rich and the barely-getting-by is increasing by leaps and bounds?
Is it success when really hard working Chathamites have to pick up a second job in order to pay for the gas it takes to get to their first job?
Is success measured only by access to more stuff, cheaper?
I don’t think so, but this is where our current model of success has brought us.
I think success should be measured by improvement to the quality of life of those of us living where the business is located.
I think success should be measured by the quality of community encouraged by business.
I think success should be measured by the happiness and investment of the employees and owners of a business.
And last, but certainly not least, I think success should be measured by the improvement of the LOCAL economic structure.
Small businesses like S&Ts and the General Store and French Connection and Vespertine and Chatham Marketplace and Virlie’s (where I’m sitting as I write this) only make it through extremely hard work, very little reward, strong community support and belief and pride of the business owners and employees that they are doing something they can be proud of…all without tax “incentives.” Having worked in many a fast food joint, these were never the motivating factors I experienced.
So no, I won’t go there.
I’ll continue to support the friendly, hard-working Chatham people who are doing their best to keep OUR money in OUR county.
Thanks for reading,
Mary
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