What makes you think Wal-Mart caused the demise of the downtown businesses? I saw downtowns closing down before there were any Wal-Marts. Property taxes, parking, zoning laws, permit fees, collecting sales taxes and general government interference are the real culprits.
In this instnce, the explanation following the Walmart sighting came from friends and relatives. This was my first visit in something like thirty years.
I saw downtowns closing down before there were any Wal-Marts. Property taxes, parking, zoning laws, permit fees, collecting sales taxes and general government interference are the real culprits.
Property taxes, collecting sales taxes and general government interference, not to mention fair competition, may be behind some of the deterioation. Certainly, property taxes have increased in this area beyond what my friends and relatives think is fair grumbling.
But, to really refute my belief Walmart might be an evil oligophic force would only require someone from such a rual area saying that Walmart's contribution to wages and taxes exceeds the revenue they lost from their abandoned downtown. They would certainly know more about the benefits of Walmart in their community than I do.
I live in a large, sprawling urban area with a Walmart nearby. Competition and choice here is so varied that Walmart is simply a large competitor among large competitors.