Cogent ADE Poll Comments

Some comments posted in response to ADE poll question "Is Wal-Mart blocked from coming to Saranac Lake now that the village board has halted the rezoning process for its sand lot, on which Wal-Mart wants to build"?

No, they are not blocked. This is just a beautiful example of their corporate bullying tactics. It is a poorly-veiled attempt to evoke emotion. If they are not willing to allow the proper impact studies to be carried out, they are sending a clear message as to the manner in which they intend to become part of this community. They are behaving like foot-stomping four-year-olds, "its my ball and I'm not playing". We should not support Wal-Mart with reckless abandon; lets do this on our terms.

I don't know as anyone takes those extremist comments too seriously - they come from a very small minority of very noisy "commentators". A vast majority of this community wants to move ahead retail shopping options in finding something that fits in - a size we can live with that offers prices that those on the lower end of the economic scale can afford. I think there is about 10% of TOTT listeners that take those comments seriously and the other 90% listens for entertainment. The same with these web polls although there seems to be a larger number of rational contributors to these web polls than on TOTT Take heart - most of the community is interested in taking positive steps forward - let's keep our eye on the prize and don't let the minority extremists get you down... or distract you!

No matter how you feel about WaMart, Saranac Lake is lucky to have a Village Board that is willing to take a hard look at the facts, take public input and opinion into account, and make a very tough decision. Right on, Village Board!

It's too bad this Wal-Mart business has devolved into a dispute between 'poor natives' and 'wealthy transplants'. Where is the evidence that wealthy transplants are responsible for all the problems in Saranac Lake? Where is the evidence that the majority of people who voted for the new mayor and trustees are 'wealth transplants'? There is an honest difference of opinion on Wal-Mart. Why can't we try to solve the retail store problem instead of trying to assign blame for WM being put on hold?

I'm a 3rd generation native, own a home and work in the village and am definitely not wealthy. That being said, I voted for the new town board members and mayor and am very proud of them for standing up to Walmart's bullying tactics. I have to wonder how many of the people doing all the complaining about the board actually bothered to vote. Seems the other guys would have won in a landslide if 80% of the town really is pro-walmart. Most people I know say department store yes, but no supercenter!

Please, once and for all, open your eyes and ears: NO ONE IS AGAINST A RETAIL STORE. WE ARE AGAINST WAL-MART FOR THE SAME REASONS THAT HUNDREDS OF OTHER AMERICAN TOWNS ARE. We are in favor of free enterprise. We want a store that will serve the community. We are AGAINST having this town ruined by an unscrupulous, gluttonous corporation that will eat us alive and then spit us out. GOT IT? Second, people on BOTH sides of this issue are native and non-native. Most people in SL came from elsewhere.