New businesses, jobs will follow Wal-Mart

Editor,

I've heard so many complaints from so few people about a Wal-Mart Super Center and their pat answer seems to be the same: "We like the Wal-Mart the way it is. We can get everything we need at the Wal-Mart we have."

Yet these people are willing to drive to either Missoula or Kalispell once or twice a month. When you do, you see either the eyesore above Polson hill, which is being built, or the hood ornaments between Rollins and Lakeside, which both really detract from the serene beauty of the landscape.

Yet where Wal-Mart proposes to build, you can't see the lake and they are willing to work with the City of Polson and dig down 25 feet and blend the building into the landscape as not to detract from the scenery.

These same people don't mind the fact that Polson is building homes and condominiums at a rather fast pace and will be adding that much more traffic going either direction on Highway 93. They also forget about the small businesses that were put out of business when Super 1 came to town.

The other fact that seems to be forgotten is that most of the people moving in are baby boomers reaching retirement age and will be living on fixed incomes. They won't be willing or able to drive in a few more years and will be forced to pay more for commodities and groceries the same as now by not having the competition available locally.

Wal-Mart has also come out and said they have a buy/sell on the store they now operate out of, which means that another business wants to come to town, which will also add more tax dollars to the community along with more jobs and services, which will be good for the community. This will also bring competition and lower prices for the local citizens.

I believe the local businesses that have been providing service and that have been culturing their customer base with good old-fashioned service will not be affected that much, and with fewer people being forced to leave town more dollars will remain in the community.

I've also heard several disgruntled local business owners that have been very open against the new Super Center say that their business has not been affected. I, for one, will not step into their establishments whether or not the new store comes now or in the future.

However there are several businesses that I will continue to support and appreciate the fact they go above and beyond to treat me as a valued customer.

I also believe that local kids should have a right to earn a living and live in the area they grow up in and right now there aren't many options open to them. With Wal-Mart will come other businesses with opportunities for the local youth.

Ken Cameron

Polson