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IMHO, there are two kinds of growth we are talking about here:
1) the kind that gobbles up orchards and farms and puts polluting industry into sensitive eco-systems ("they paved paradise and put up a parking lot"). I read some of the posts here that rightly wonder, Growth? why???????
But then there is the other kind of growth like Flycesna talks about:
2) the upgrading and rehab of urban areas that take old abandoned mills and turn them into clean attractive work places, that creates jobs that feed families and lifts them out of poverty and contributes to the overall well being of the state.
A home depot or Walmart in Lewiston might be a good thing, in Eastport it might be a bad thing. I think there is room for both in Maine---I guess the ticket is for people to get to where there is the quality of life they are looking for...whether it be unspoiled open space or attractive and safe urban enviornments;it might be farms or it might be suburban sub divisions.
Last edited by elston; 03-11-2008 at 08:29 AM..
Reason: thinking
Walmart is a drug......But....is it that evil......I remember being so happy when Home depot first came into town.....Coming from Ma, I was sick of being raked over the coals at local hardware stores for what I thought were really high prices...but since it has come we lost some of our best harware stores....places where the owners worked the counter and could answer any question you have. Home depot has some great help...but there are many times they just do not have what I need. Pointbrabds In auburn that went out of business last year would have gone in the back and constructed what you needed.
On another note...The super Walmart in Auburn (open 2 hours a day). I heard is one of the busiest stores in the entire country. I am amazed...I have gone their at 1030pm and the store was busy.
Lewiston just annouced plans to build a new mall/shopping/service area right off the turnpike...and guess what..Walmart is committed to building another store...along with some other undisclosed stores ye to be announced. Lewiston has set the barr higher though...all construction has to meet a higher standard...brick, ect...it cannot look like a traditional walmart...
Hooray for all of those cities and towns that have kept Walmart out. BOO Walmart. Before shopping there, everyone should be required to watch "Walmart: The High Cost of Low Price". There are a whole lot of things that most people don't know about this evil corporation. Problems extend WAY beyond putting local businesses out of business. Our state taxes are paying for their employees' health care because the company is too greedy to pay for any decent percentage of the insurance and/or pay a better wage. Chinese workers who are making these products live in sweatshop conditions. The products and even scarier - foods, are not thoroughly inspected and contain lead and other toxins. Walmart's environmental footprint is horrendous. Ok, I will step off my high horse now.
Hooray for all of those cities and towns that have kept Walmart out. BOO Walmart. Before shopping there, everyone should be required to watch "Walmart: The High Cost of Low Price". There are a whole lot of things that most people don't know about this evil corporation. Problems extend WAY beyond putting local businesses out of business. Our state taxes are paying for their employees' health care because the company is too greedy to pay for any decent percentage of the insurance and/or pay a better wage. Chinese workers who are making these products live in sweatshop conditions. The products and even scarier - foods, are not thoroughly inspected and contain lead and other toxins. Walmart's environmental footprint is horrendous. Ok, I will step off my high horse now.
When I started with Wal-Mart in 1994, they were one of the only people hiring in my small town with the exception of food service. They offered me a set schedule, many subsequent promotions, regular evaluations and raises. While they simply don't have a lot of servant leadership evident at the store level. My health and dental were very simlar to that of my current employer, Macy's.
Wal-Mart is far from the only one that gets most of their products from China, I stayed 12 years and left with a sizeable(sp?) 401K.
I left because I was unhappy with my management team and the hours required of associates working in a super center. I'm fully aware that this will not be a popular opinion on the forums, but remember the union is paying for those ads simply because wal-Mart and their workers do NOT want the unions.
Hooray for all of those cities and towns that have kept Walmart out. BOO Walmart. Before shopping there, everyone should be required to watch "Walmart: The High Cost of Low Price". There are a whole lot of things that most people don't know about this evil corporation. Problems extend WAY beyond putting local businesses out of business. Our state taxes are paying for their employees' health care because the company is too greedy to pay for any decent percentage of the insurance and/or pay a better wage. Chinese workers who are making these products live in sweatshop conditions. The products and even scarier - foods, are not thoroughly inspected and contain lead and other toxins. Walmart's environmental footprint is horrendous. Ok, I will step off my high horse now.
Yeah, I wish Wal-Mart would go away, but you got to keep something in mind; some people shop at Wal-Mart because of the convenience, some like the 'low prices', but most people shop at this place because they are poor. Why pay $8 for a pack of socks at Target, or $12 at Sears when you can pay $4 at Wal-Mart? Given the choice to buy a $1 piece of contaminated meat, or a $3 piece of clean meat, a poor person will be the contaminated meat every time-even if they know.
By the way, most Americans are a little to apathetic to care about some kid in a sweat-shop half way round the world.
When someone comes along and designs a 'better' sales business model, where they can sale more stuff, to more people, for lower prices, and still show a profit; that is where the industry is going to go.
We are no longer a nation of farmers. We are not a nation of mechanics. We are not a nation of engineers and scientists. We are a nation predominately made up of salespeople.
Hooray for all of those cities and towns that have kept Walmart out. BOO Walmart. Before shopping there, everyone should be required to watch "Walmart: The High Cost of Low Price". There are a whole lot of things that most people don't know about this evil corporation. Problems extend WAY beyond putting local businesses out of business. Our state taxes are paying for their employees' health care because the company is too greedy to pay for any decent percentage of the insurance and/or pay a better wage. Chinese workers who are making these products live in sweatshop conditions. The products and even scarier - foods, are not thoroughly inspected and contain lead and other toxins. Walmart's environmental footprint is horrendous. Ok, I will step off my high horse now.
Its easy to complain....and "some" of what you say is true. But what is the solution??I saw that film...half was true, half was not..I am not necessarily totaly disagreeing with you....I just do not know what the solution is.
What would our standard of living be if we only traded with ourselves? Is it even possible. How do you have a society where everything is cheap and available for "EVERYONE" Health care, transportation, education, Clothes, food, heat, shelter, roads, ect. ect. ect. Ect??
It's beyond my knowledge......But I look and I see countries who's people are more reflective of what this country "use" to be...no job was below them, they had pride and loyalty for their company, went to work sick ect. it's not beyond our people's ability....they just don't have too.
I was out in AZ a few weeks ago....my friend had his house painted...the contractor was Mexican....no matter what you think about Immigration (I have some stern opinions myself) those people are workers. Unlike here they didn't show up "LATE" driving a 40k truck. They didn’t leave half way through the job, and they finished the job when they said they would. They charged what they said they would, and they actually did more work then were expected.
They were friendly, had a large amount of integrity, and did a great job for an affordable price. And I didn't get the impression the contractor was poor. He must have made a good living based on what my friend paid him. But there was no comparison to my experiences here.
I do not think any one here illegally should be getting a pay check. And places like Wal-Mart can get so powerful they actually interfere with a free economy. Few people are willing to defend capitalism as morally uplifting, but it is truly the only moral and just system of government. Nothing is better than an open market free economy. The better product, better service, most efficient method, and overall just better always wins out. Just compare government and the private sector
Last edited by flycessna; 03-11-2008 at 05:12 PM..
In the last 10 years the Portland area has exploded starting to reach Gorham, Falmouth, even Gray.
Auburn has really grown in the last 5 years, in addition to big box developements they have basically totally renovated the downtown along the river. Lewiston is a larger and tougher nut to crack but things are starting to get going with the rehab of Lisbon St and the tearing down of most of the old mills by the river...still has some bad sections.
Windham has also exploded. Sanford is growing despite the no go on the big casino and a mini casino is driving growth in Bangor.
What would our standard of living be if we only traded with ourselves? Is it even possible. How do you have a society where everything is cheap and available for "EVERYONE" Health care, transportation, education, Clothes, food, heat, shelter, roads, ect. ect. ect. Ect??[/QOUTE]
There was a point in time, and not that long ago really, when we did trade mostly with ourselves. Places like Wal-Mart out-source not so they can give you a decent price, but so they can maximize profits-for themsleves. Give American jobs back to Americans and the economy will improve and citizens will have more money to pump back into the economy.
It's beyond my knowledge......But I look and I see countries who's people are more reflective of what this country "use" to be...no job was below them, they had pride and loyalty for their company, went to work sick ect. it's not beyond our people's ability....they just don't have too.[/QOUTE]
How America used to be.......yeah, it seems like people in this country used to care more, worked harder, had more pride and loyalty--all that. But, America was a different country back then. Maybe it was because of the Communists, I dunno, but America had an identity back then. Americans knew what it meant, felt like, to be an American. I might get some flack for this, but I do believe that Americans were more educated up until maybe the 60's.
I was out in AZ a few weeks ago....my friend had his house painted...the contractor was Mexican....no matter what you think about Immigration (I have some stern opinions myself) those people are workers. Unlike here they didn't show up "LATE" driving a 40k truck. They didn’t leave half way through the job, and they finished the job when they said they would. They charged what they said they would, and they actually did more work then were expected.[/QOUTE]
They may be hard working, or they could have a lazy bone, but I'd bet top dollar on the fact that they are probably too afraid of getting fired to really slack off. They are well aware that the cards are stacked against them and they need to make sure to do everything possible to try and keep those jobs. Yeah, I know, they could become legal...
Few people are willing to defend capitalism as morally uplifting, but it is truly the only moral and just system of government. Nothing is better than an open market free economy. The better product, better service, most efficient method, and overall just better always wins out. Just compare government and the private sector
I was unaware that capitalism was an official form of government. Smoky back-room politics, yes, pollitical party, maybe. Form of government? If we were truly a capitalist society, then our government would be a business itself-buying and selling it's services. Open markets don't create a better product (well, they do, but that is a different subject), they just create more choices.
With the rate of growth in the Lewiston/Auburn area I was wandering if anyone believes that the area will one day connect to Portland?
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