From Discussion on Eagle forum

Black is the comments of an anonymous poster at theeagle.com forum. The Blue is my reply.

Okay Ann, let's compare: 1) Local companies may return three times the PERCENTAGE of their profits to the local economy, but they decidedly do NOT return three times the amount of revenue. The volume of business generated by franchises produces more circulated revenue, more sales tax revenue, and more local salaries than locally owned establishments, and most frequently at a lower price.

I’m sorry but you are just wrong. While there are several studies that have duplicated these results the most frequently cited study comes from Austin. If you would like to read the full study you can find it here.

2) Unless local businesses buy all of their products locally, they too ship money out of our local economy.

Of course that is true. The point is that they ship far less of it out of town.

3) How many solely local businesses provide the professional jobs you listed? Yeah, that's what I thought -- not many.

All of them do. While most small local businesses do not have an accountant or an attorney on staff, they certainly do hire those services here locally. Cumulatively local businesses support local professional and chains do not.

4) There are local companies that go out of business -- but not for no reason. They would also go out of business if another better, cheaper locally owned competitor opened. That's called "competition."

While it is true that competition from other local businesses can cause some businesses to go out of business, this is a little like comparing the common cold to cancer. Big boxes come in with tax abatements and other incentives. Wall mart coaches their employees on how to take advantage of government subsidized health coverage many of them are on food stamps so we are all subsidizing them. This may be competition, it is just not fair competition.

5) Tax abatements, tax increment zones, and other inducements typically are offered to non-retail businesses. When a retail business is offered this type of enticement, it is usually because no such local enterprise exists.

Again, you are just wrong. Many of our large franchise businesses have these incentives. I’m not sure, but I bet you the new target has incentives.

6) I can't respond to this assertion, because I have no idea what you're talking about, and I suspect that you don't either.

I’m not quite sure why you failed to understand this rather simple idea nor am I sure why you would think that I don’t know what I am talking about. Several studies have shown that big box developments drive up crime rates and increase the cost of police service. They also burden our infrastructure and cause more of it to need to be built. Have you ever noticed how much trash pours off of these sites?

7) Ignoring for a moment the fact that local business also operate in ugly strip malls and that many strip malls are, in fact, locally owned, many franchises construct very attractive buildings with architectural standards that locally owned businesses eschew.

I did not mean to imply that franchise businesses were the only culprits of ugly development nor that there are not some franchises that have attractive buildings. But clearly they are the majority of it.

8) Again, skipping the fact that two of the larger shopping centers in town are owned by Stalworth Real estate of College Station, why would you believe that locally owned businesses of comparable size would produce any less aggregate parking area or run-off? The amount of parking spaces is a product of the amount of business that stores serve, not who owns the company. As an example, compare the size of the parking lot at Texas Roadhouse (a franchise) and Wings N More (a locally founded business).

I would agree that the Culpeppers have not been the best stewards of community. Local businesses do tend to produce fewer parking places, as they tend to be smaller and more neighborhood appropriate, which means that not all of their business is coming via auto. Also they tend to disperse the parking so that mammoth parking lots are not created. This does a few beneficial things. First of all it means that runoff is not nearly so concentrated or polluted. Second, it creates more walkable spaces so that people willingly walk further benefiting their health and the urban landscape. There have been a lot of interesting studies done over the last ten years correlating obesity to the change in our urban landscape. Also breaking up parking areas means that there is likely to be more green space reducing the heat mass and providing shading. While you can find local businesses that also contribute to some of these problems we are looking at trend here. What is the impact of this kind of business to our overall economy and quality of life?

9) We’re not Fredricksburg. We never were and we weren’t going to be. B-CS has a lot to offer. We are more than just a community that can only distinguish itself by restaurants and retail businesses. We are NOT Anytown, USA!

No we are not Fredricksburg, we are a college town. Most college towns are mindful of the unique opportunity that they have to create a strong since of place and walkable communities that benefit students and attract visitors to come and spend money in unique shops and restaurants. We are becoming anytown USA. It is important that we understand and take pride in the character of our community. That character is reflected in many places but probably nowhere more noticeable, especially to visitors, than in our locally owned independent businesses. Our history, both Bryan and College Station, has always been reflected by businesses like Loupots Books, Holicks Boots, The Chicken, Lesters, Heritage Men’s Wear, Catalina Hatters. Texas Roadhouse, Wal-Mart and Target all make us less distinguishable, less interesting and less economically viable.

10) This is your most egregiously arrogant assertion of all! People who work in franchises in B-CS are members of our community and care about it as deeply as those who work for locally owned businesses. The idea that they do not contribute as volunteers is patently ridiculous (and you should be ashamed for suggesting it). As for the contributions of franchises, Wal-Mart makes several thousand dollars available to local organizations every year. Golden Corral and Texas Roadhouse are well known within the community for providing fundraising opportunities and assistance to local organizations. McCoy’s, Lowe’s, and Home Depot have been regular contributors to Habitat for Humanity. Franchise names are found on the backs of Little League players in every local league and on every outfield fence. In short Ann, you’d like to return to the ‘50’s when local businesses were all downtown and small. Be sure to tell me when the ‘50’s come back around again.

Again, you are just wrong, though I’m sure not arrogant. I did not say that large companies do not make any contributions. Suggesting so is a rather “egregious” leap. While it is true that major corporations make nice splashy contributions and even some local contributions, it does not compare to what local companies do as a percentage of profits. The difference is even more marked when it comes to volunteer time. No one is suggesting that people who work for franchises are unworthy, but they do tend to be less connected in the community.

Thank you for trying to inform me about what I’d like but again, you are just wrong. The values of hometown, a since of place and business at a community scale are not isolated in the 50’s in fact it would be easy to mark the 50’s as a decade that started us down the road that would lead to the degradation of community in a way that would allow some people to try to measure quality of life in tax revenue - a rather detached and dehumanizing perspective. I am thrilled that people are rediscovering the value of community and that in the Brazos Valley we are acting on those values.