WNBZ radio and the Adirondack Daily Enterprise report that Aldi, Inc. wants to purchase the defunct Stanley Chevrolet property. Stanley Chevrolet was one of the parcels that Wal-Mart had intended to purchase as part of their proposed building site.
So this is complex. Residents have been saying for years that SL needs another grocery store as well as a retail store. If Aldi, Inc. purchases the Stanley property, will that leave room to build a Wal-Mart Supercenter? Some people do not want an Aldi because they do not sell the variety of groceries that a non-discount supermarket sells. Other people want an Aldi because it sells discount groceries as well as other non-grocery items. For others, this reopens the Wal-Mart issue because a Wal-Mart Supercenter would have sold retail as well as groceries.
I doubt there will be much opposition to Aldi, Inc. purchasing the Stanley Cheverolet property, at least from people who opposed Wal-Mart building on that property. But there may be opposition from Wal-Mart supporters who see hopes of a Wal-Mart on that property slipping away. But Wal-Mart supporters who do not support an Aldi store are going to have to explain themselves to people who do want an Aldi.
Like I said....a conundrum.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
9 comments:
WM supporters never cease to amaze me. This morning on TOTT they were singing the praises of the "beautiful," "tasteful," "not overbearing," and "lovely" Wal-Mart that just opened in Malone. You'd think they'd died and gone to Heaven. Another funny thing about pro-WM-ers (at least those who call TOTT)is that many of them who have been screaming about needing a new GROCERY store are now complaining about the Aldi's proposal because, "We have a grocery store! What we really need is a retail clothing store! Aldi's doesn't have clothing!" Can't please 'em I guess. FYI, the Community Store people will be on the K&J show, I think on Nov. 14...
Wal-Mart supporters will not be pleased by anything other than another Wal-Mart. Even if another department store came to town, it wouldn't be Wal-Mart, so we WON'T SUPPORT IT.
People who want the kind of choices large stores can give them
should realize they WON'T EVER find that here. Stores of that size
can't possibly make it in Saranac Lake. We might have a store like that for a few years, but EVENTUALLY THEY WOULD CLOSE UP SHOP AND LEAVE. The market just isn't big enough to support them.
So if that's the case then why did Wal-Mart want Saranac Lake? We must remember that WAL-MART WILL GO ANYWHERE! If they make it, they make it. And if they don"t they simply close the store. They are so big that they can absorb such losses and not be too concerned about it.
Personally, I think Aldi's is great. I am very pleased they want to come here and I think they will do well.
And yes, the community department store will be on the K & J show on November 14.
Of Course you and your anti-Wal-mart friends are glad to open wide your arms to an Aldi's. I have yet to hear you call for a traffic study or ask the questions about infastructure and will Aldi's pay to bring water and sewer to their store. Where are your supporters and why are they not asking for an economic impact study on how Aldi's will affect the other two grocery stores in Saranac Lake. These are all the road blocks that people like yourself, Mayor Michael, Susan Waters and Christine Fontana were screaming for when Wal-Mart was proposing to bring a store to Saranac Lake. I also consider myself a liberal but unlike you and your self-serving friends, I care about the people in Saranac Lake who work hard to put food on their table, clothe their school age children, pay rent or a house payment and have to deal with household budgets that are attacked by high fuel costs and ever increasing village property taxes. Unfortunately these individuals do not have the time to sit around all day and play with their computers and push anti-Wal-Mart propaganda. Are you sure you're a liberal or a Socialist? You and your wealthy friends could care less about the working class and the working poor of our community. All you want are the nice woods and a "Unique Community" that has a dying downtown filled with bars and real estate stores and junk stores like Two Horse Trading Company and of course our dear friend Mark Kurtz who pays no taxes in Saranac Lake and lives in Vermontville. Pretty soon you and your ilk will have what you want. Saranac Lake will be nothing more than a parking lot for Lake Placid and Tupper Lake.
The views you express and spout off every time Wal-Mart is mentioned are national problems that will not be solved here in Saranac Lake. Health-care is a nationl and state problem but you most likely have bundles of money to pay for your health insurance. Wal-Mart pays more than the national minimum wage of $5.15 but I don't see you on the front lines of fighting to put people in office who will change this sad fact of life. Now Wal-Mart offers $4.00 generic drugs and you and your self-serving anti-Wal-Mart friends have made sure that Working class Tri-Lake residents won't have that option offered to them unless they go to Plattsburgh or Malone. I understand that the number of Saranac Lakers going to Malone is staggering just to shop at the Wal-Mart there. When there was just a Wal-Mart in Plattsburgh Saranac Lake was losing $20 million in business a year to Plattsburgh businesses. Now let's see what that figure is in one year following the opening of the Wal-Mart in Malone. Yes, you and your band of merry Wal-Mart haters are slowing putting the knife in the heart of Saranac Lake. In short, for whom does the death bell toll, it tolls for Saranac Lake. Instead of just sitting in front of your computer and spreading your Wal-Mart hate why do't you think about going out and doing some good in the world or is that a concept you cannot even grasp. Thank you for this opportunity to share my thoughts on your web site and allowing me to express my views on the harm you and your groups are doing to our community and mostly to the working families and the working poor of the Tri-Lakes. You must be one of those Rush Limbaugh liberals that are floating around....Once you have killed off Saranac Lake are you planning on moving to another community because you can get better services?...Take care and keep sharpening those knives because your're doing a heck of job carving up Saranac Lake and the Tri-Lake community as a whole.....
To the person who wrote the above comment I have one question for you. If you hate it here so much, and want a Wal-Mart THAT BADLY, then why do you continue to live here? Why don't you simply move to Plattsburgh, Malone, or where ever there is a Wal-Mart? What keeps you here?
And as far as Aldi's goes, they are NOT the biggest retailer in the world. The impact of an Aldi's WON'T EVEN COME CLOSE TO WHAT WAL-MART WOULD HAVE DONE HERE.
I guess it boils down to the fact that Wal-Mart supporters won't be happy with anything other than a Wal-Mart.
Yes, I would also like to hear that person's reason. If he/she does hate it here so much...why do they live here? There are PLENTY of other places to live that have big boxes and, specifically, Walmarts. Yes, we do want to keep our quality of life and our unique community character. So, if you truly do not want to keep that or you just don't care...why don't you find a lifestyle that makes you happy. I once lived in a place that I no longer felt happy with because of the ever growing cement buildings, destruction of trees, disregard to the quality of life, air and sense of community...So? I moved to a place that fit my lifestyle and morals of society. Now, I live in the beautiful Village of Saranac Lake, NY. And, no, I do not have excess money - I gave up the excess to live here - and it IS WELL WORTH IT!!!
You think folks don't care about the others in Saranac Lake? Apparently, you don't talk to any of the many, many, many volunteer groups in the area. Maybe you don't realize all the donations given to the many needy organizations by the LOCAL merchants. Maybe you should ask sometime who supports your kids school programs.
So, again, we would like to know what you DO like about Saranac Lake. What DOES keep you here?
For the person who wrote the lengthy hateful comment I have one thing to say. You claim to be a
"liberal." There is nothing wrong with that. But I would like to mention that many "liberals" are Democrats. While there is nothing wrong with being a Democrat, most DO NOT SUPPORT BIG BUSINESS. And most DO NOT SUPPORT WAL-MART BECAUSE WAL-MART IS BIG BUSINESS.
The majority of bills that have been put fourth for "fair share health care" (to get Wal-Mart to pay for health coverage for all their employees) have been proposed mainly by Democrats. It makes one wonder why Democrats who are usually considered "liberal" would be SO AGAINST WAL-MART? Do you think it's possible that THEY KNOW SOMETHING ABOUT WAL-MART THAT YOU DON'T?
Republicans on the other hand LOVE WAL-MART BECAUSE THEY LOVE BIG BUSINESS. It was Ronald Reagan who in his first term watered down the anti-trust laws. This permitted Wal-Mart and other big business to become as large as they have. Now Wal-Mart cannot be broken up like AT&T was some years ago. The only way to go after Wal-Mart and other large businesses is to put teeth back into the anti-trust laws.
So for the party who supports Wal-Mart you have to be either 1) a Democrat or liberal who supports big business or 2) a Republican since the Republican party tends to favor the rich and big business. Do not think for a moment that Wal-Mart is in business to satisfy their customers with low prices. They are in business to satisfy their stockholders and make a profit. That is their only bottom line. So I would put fourth the question again to you: "If you hate it here so much, why do you CONTINUE to live here?"
1. If I remember correctly a majority of people in the area were in favor of a smaller Wal-Mart located in the downtown area. Wal-Mart would not even consider that idea.
2. No one chased Wal-Mart out of town. They left on their own. They can try to come back anytime they want.
3. Saranac Lake loses $20 million dollars a year to Plattsburgh? That's $4000 a year spent by every man, women and child in SL.
4. I've been told that SL is dying ever since the TB sanitoria closed down.
5. Downtown filled with real estate companies? Well I guess business must be good. Someone must want to live in SL.
6. I like to think I've done a little good in the world, but that is my business and not yours.
7. No need to thank me for allowing you to share your views, they are more than welcomed.
8. What is a Rush Limbaugh liberal?
Yes, what is a Rush Limbaugh liberal? I thought he was a conservative!
Well, since my name got mentioned specifically in the above "critical analysis" of the "anti-WalMart movement", I guess I'll make a comment. First: I do pay taxes in Saranac Lake. The rent I pay for my gallery space includes property taxes. Everyone that owns a business in downtown Saranac Lake, whether they own the building or not, pays taxes through their rent. Every property owner that rents space, whether it is residential or commercial, figures in property taxes along with all the other costs of operating a rental property.
Also - I am willing to put my money (literally) where my mouth is: I shell out some serious cash to operate my gallery in downtown SL. I am contributing directly to the well being of the commercial viability of our community.
As spokesperson for SAGA, I said time and time again that SAGA is NOT opposed to Wal-Mart or anyone else for that matter. We put forth some very reasonable criteria for any company coming in to our community and one of that criteria was to work with the community. I made direct contact with representatives from Bergmann Associates and CARD and neither was willing to sit down and discuss anything.
I could respond to everything else in that "commentary" but I've done it a thousand times already. Either you're not paying attention, or you CHOOSE to not pay attention.
I'm putting my name at the bottom of this commentary - is the person that wrote that diatribe of anger and bitterness willing to put their name to their comments? Quite frankly, I don't take too seriously people that will speak so negatively about individuals and spew such hatred and hide behind "anonymity".
Mark Kurtz
-Spokesperson - SAGA
-downtown business owner!!
Post a Comment