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BIG BOX ORDINANCE PASSES!
On February 15,
2007, the Austin City Council adopted the long-awaited
"big box" ordinance on a 6-0
vote, marking a major victory for Austin Full
Circle and its community partners.
Click
here for details.
A healthy economy is like a circle. People
work, get paid, and buy things...that are made
by other people who work, get paid, and buy things.
As these links repeat, they form a circle. And
as long as every link holds, the circle works.
But what happens if one of these links starts
to break down? What happens if the biggest employer
in the country, for example, won't pay its workers
enough to buy the things they need? What happens
if the factories that used to pay people to make
things close their doors and move overseas?
The circle snaps. And when it does, it becomes
a downward spiral, taking our healthy economy
sliding down along with it.
Nowhere is this downward spiral more evident
than in the world of big-box retail. Major employers
like Wal-Mart pay poverty-level wages to store
"associates" while shipping American
manufacturing jobs overseas. As shoppers, we're
blinded by so-called low prices, not noticing
that we pick up a hefty tab for hidden costs on
our tax bills. Some folks complain about the ugliness
of big-box developments - but the real danger
is not esthetic, it's economic!
At Full CIRCLE, we believe corporate responsibility
and strong local economies go hand in hand. As
consumers, we have the power to demand change
and to start repairs on the broken economic spiral.
Big-box retail is a good shopping choice to have.
But we don't want it to crowd out our other retail
options or cloud our overall economic picture.
With increased growth of big-box developments,
we need solid planning to keep our local retail
economy strong, balanced and diverse. Let's CIRCLE
up and work together for corporate responsibility
and healthy local economies.
Are
Wal-Marts Magnets for Crime?
A
national study of 551 Wal-Marts found the average
rate of reported police incidents for each Wal-Mart
store was 400 percent higher than the average
rate for the nearest Target store - and six times
higher for serious and violent crime. Costs to
local police departments for responses to a single
Wal-Mart store averaged up to $59,000 per year.
"Wal-Mart:
The High Cost of Low Price"
Find
out more about the movie Wal-Mart doesn't
want you to see.
"Wal-Mart:
Rolling Back Prices..and Worker's Rights"
View this cartoon to find out how Wal-Mart really
treats it's workers.
Click
here: Full Circle Weighs in on Box at Mueller
Click
here: Better Big Box Choices
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