Are we looking at the big picture?

I’ve been wondering lately if the towns of Ronan and Polson have a plan for the future. As I see the construction of the Dollar Tree(s), I am struck by a couple of thoughts. I can see that the town might want to add some additional tax revenue to the town budget.

However, I just read an article in the paper the other day that we are building a new landfill as our current one is set to be full here shortly. I also know many people who are interested in politics these days are against Chinese goods and think we should have a tougher stance on China and trade. The majority of the products in these stores come from China.

Folks from both sides of the aisle believe we should be supporting American products and more importantly, local businesses.

Within the last couple of years, China and other countries have stopped accepting our “recycling,” and so much of what we once pretended was recycling, is coming back to our landfills. Shouldn’t we be more mindful as we plan for the future?

I’m unconvinced that an influx of cheap goods is healthy for our community, when small mom and pop shops who want to contribute more deeply to our community, can barely find affordable property for their business. Are we looking at the big picture here?

More importantly, a reminder that we might not feel like our vote in this country matters, but we get to vote every day with the dollars we spend and where we choose to spend them.

– Shay Farmer, St. Ignatius