Frisco, Colorado, Defeats Home Depot
Voters in Frisco, Colorado, resoundingly defeated a plan to develop a Home Depot superstore. … Read More
What to Do About Wal-Mart
As the company’s misdeeds pile up in the public consciousness, it can be tempting to define the problem of Wal-Mart as one of a bad apple—a rogue company gone awry in an otherwise sound economic system.
Wal-Mart has indeed attained a scale that puts it in a category all its own, and there’s no question that it is leading a race to the bottom. But others are running that race too. Target’s wages are as poor and its health benefits as out of reach. Home Depot and Lowe’s have crushed thousands of independent hardware stores. Best Buy has its main sourcing office Shanghai, where it relies on the same dismal factories.
Business Forum: Ford can find its way by looking to future
Business Forum: Ford can find its way by looking to future by David Morris Originally published in Minneapolis Star Tribune, December 5, 2005 The imminent eclipse of General Motors by Toyota as the world’s largest car manufacturer was decades in the making. We will read many instructive tales about how General Motors, and U.S. car companies … Read More
Orange County Will Save Millions By Generating On-Site Heat and Electricity
Supervisors in Orange County, California, are planning to install a cogeneration system to meet the energy needs of some of their government offices at the Santa Ana Civic Center. Total system costs are estimated at $34 million for a little over 10 MW and would save the county from $4 million to $5 million a year.
The county would buy two 5.2-megawatt natural gas-fired generators to produce electricity. The equipment would also use the energy produced to fire boilers to heat and cool the government buildings.
Arizona Lawmakers Pledge to Ban Big-Box Subsidies
“The practice of competing to see who will kick-back the most taxpayer money to certain mega-businesses has gotten obscene,” declared Arizona State Representative Rick Murphy, one of several lawmakers pushing for a ban on retail subsidies.… Read More
Big Box Votes on the Ballot
A look at the results of several ballot questions on big-box retail. … Read More
Clean Renewable Energy Bonding Program – Briefing Summary
Held on November 2nd, a national call-in briefing provided information on the new Clean Renewable Energy Bond (CREB) program that was included in the recently enacted Federal energy bill. The program allows eligible nonprofit entities to issue bonds to finance renewable energy projects.
Local Costume Shops Battle Temporary Halloween Superstores
The vast multitudes of empty big-box stores, darkened malls, and vacant strip shopping centers that now litter the American landscape are being commandeered by a growing number of temporary Halloween superstores. "We call them 30-day wonders," said Debbie Lyn Owens, who owns a costume shop in Sunnyvale, California, and heads the National Costumers Association (NCA), which represents 600 locally owned costume stores. … Read More
Study Finds Chains Could Harm Cape Cod Economy
A new study has concluded that additional chain retail expansion on Cape Cod would undermine the region’s economy. … Read More