Re: no personal checks, please

[Ken Medlin <dev-plan@moscow.com>]

The heated dialogue on the issue may well miss the gut facts related to 
the net profits coming from economies of scale a la Wal-Mart, Staples, 
MacDonalds et al., versus the home-town enterprises which must operate on 
quite different economic terms. Still, it seems quite clear that the net 
takes by the corporates far exceed per capita (resident) those earned by 
the 'mom and pop' enterprises on Main Street, etc. And it's nonsensical 
to believe that the big profits stay here, beyond the low-wage receipts 
of local employees. They flow out to corporate headquarters and the stock 
holders who, like theWaltons, become millionaires and billionaires -- 
their $ never comes back to Latah Co. There should be a competnent person 
in the UI Bus. School who's up on his/her homework about these economic 
relationships, and what the respective benefits are under one regimen or 
another. But from a social perspective, the community support that flows 
from locally owned businesses probably exceeds that from distantly owned 
firms. One would have to compare Safeway's community participation, for 
ex., with that of Rosauer's or the Moscow Coop. Who contributes what and 
to whom? How much do we value this social factor?  But as for pure 
economics -- is there a bus. prof. in the audience to enlighten us? 
Please do!

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William K. Medlin
Dev-plan associates
930 Kenneth Street
Moscow ID 83843
208/892-0148
dev-plan@moscow.com