1 Jan 2001

States Collaborate On Equitable Sales Tax System

by | Date: 1 Jan 2001 | posted in: Retail | 0 Facebooktwitterredditmail

In December, representatives of the 29 states participating in the Streamlined Sales Tax Project (SSTP) approved model legislation that they hope state legislatures will adopt this year. If enacted, the legislation would move states one step closer to a sales tax system that applies equally to both traditional and electronic retailers. A US Supreme Court ruling bars states from requiring remote sellers, including mail order and internet companies, to collect sales tax. … Read More
1 Jan 2001

Small Businesses Lend More Support To Local Causes

by | Date: 1 Jan 2001 | posted in: Retail | 0 Facebooktwitterredditmail

National retail chains frequently use charitable giving as a tool for overcoming local opposition to their expansion plans. Facing strong resistance in Western Branch, Virginia, Wal-Mart ran ads in the local paper touting the $200,000 it had given to local causes. In Auburn, California, Home Depot made charitable contributions a focal point of its campaign to overcome the community’s long-standing opposition to big box stores. … Read More
1 Jan 2001

Iowa Group Launches Buy Local Campaign

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The front of the poster shows Uncle Sam with his arms embracing a store owner and a shopper, superimposed over an outline of the state of Iowa and a drawing of Main Street. The back lists ten reasons to support independent businesses. Number one: Money spent at a local business stays in your community. … Read More
1 Jan 2001

Maine Town Recruits an Independent Pharmacist

by | Date: 1 Jan 2001 | posted in: Retail | 0 Facebooktwitterredditmail

Faced with a gap in the local retail base—no pharmacy or bookstore, for example—city officials almost invariably try to lure a national chain into the community. There often seems to be little alternative: how exactly does a town go about establishing a new independent business to fulfill an important function? While there’s no obvious path and it may well prove more difficult than attracting a chain, officials of Orono, Maine recently demonstrated that it can be done.… Read More
6 Nov 2000

Setting a Slow Table

by | Date: 6 Nov 2000 | posted in: agriculture | 0 Facebooktwitterredditmail

If you’ve always wanted to be an activist but stayed away because of the bad food and long hours, there’s good news. A group called SlowFood has taken up the cause of local cuisine and is defending it against everything from hyper-hygienic policies to the homogenizing influence of mass distribution. Their organizing strategy: sit down and enjoy a delicious, leisurely meal. By Stacy Mitchell… Read More

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