Kissinger and Bin Laden Offer a Dangerous Symmetry By David Morris Originally Published in the Minneapolis Star Tribune, December 5, 2002 President Bush believes Henry Kissinger is the best choice to head up an investigation into the adequacy of our defenses against Al-Qaida and Osama bin Laden. He may be right. After all, as the schoolyard … Read More
We live in an era of waste imperialism. Unwanted or hazardous waste is dumped on unwilling or unsuspecting communities. States aren’t struggling to reduce waste, but rather are battling for the right to call their garbage “commerce” and ship it out of state. … Read More
Big box retailers are rapidly rolling out stores throughout Minnesota. Wal-Mart and Target are leading the pack with plans to build hundreds of new "supercenters" nationwide. These giant 200,000-square-foot stores are twice the size of a standard Wal-Mart and include general merchandise and a full supermarket, plus dozens of specialty vendors, from florists to gas stations. Wal-Mart is scouting locations for a supercenter on the North Shore of Lake Superior. Small townships like Lakewood are likely sites. Wal-Mart is already building a supercenter in Cloquet and plans to abandon its existing 100,000-square-foot outlet when the new store opens.… Read More
Local Retailers Can’t Grow in the Shadows of Supercenters By Stacy Mitchell Originally Published in the Duluth News Tribune, November 17, 2002 Big box retailers are rapidly rolling out stores throughout Minnesota. Wal-Mart and Target are leading the pack with plans to build hundreds of new “supercenters” nationwide. These giant 200,000-square-foot stores are twice the size … Read More
In a Portland, Oregon, suburb, the six-man crew of DeConstruction, Inc., enters a three-bedroom house and, with hammers and crowbars, starts tearing the place apart. The cabinets and carpet are first to go. Then the doors are unhinged and the hardwood floors pulled up. Over the next week, the whole structure, windows to light fixtures to lumber, will be hauled out onto the lawn, sorted, and stacked. But unlike the wreckage generated by 95 percent of demolition jobs across the country, this stuff isn’t headed for the landfill.… Read More
Citizens in Eureka, California, recently attended the third in a series of public meetings aimed at drafting an ordinance that would require big box development proposals to pass a comprehensive economic impact review before being allowed to build. "We’re trying to create a livable, walkable city," said City Councilor Chris Kerrigan, who introduced the ordinance in April. "We’ve spent millions and more than a decade trying to turn our downtown around. … Read More
Two California cities have adopted ordinances that prohibit "supercenters"—massive 200,000-square-foot stores operated by Wal-Mart, Target, and Kmart that combine general merchandise with a full supermarket and numerous specialty services like florists and gas stations.
In October, the Inglewood City Council voted 4-1 to bar stores over 155,000 square feet that sell more than 20,000 nontaxable items, such as food and pharmacy products. Inglewood has a population of 113,000 and is located in Los Angeles County.… Read More
A broad coalition has coalesced in Puerto Rico to block an attempt by Wal-Mart to buy Supermercados Amigo, the island’s largest supermarket chain. The deal would give the retailer, which already has $1.16 billion in sales at 19 Wal-Mart and Sam’s Club stores, a 40 percent share of Puerto Rico’s grocery sales.… Read More
The number of businesses belonging to purchasing cooperatives has doubled in the last ten years, to about 50,000, according to Paul Hazen of the National Cooperative Business Association. In the hardware and grocery sectors, long-established co-ops like Ace Hardware, have provided an essential line of defense against large chains and made the difference between survival and failure for countless independent merchants. The co-op model is now spreading to other retail sectors. … Read More
