Sunday Opinion: Shop locally, in a slightly better economy…
Happy Thanksgiving weekend edition of Sunday Opinion. Today, as you might expect, it’s mostly about the shopping.
The Plattsburgh Press-Republican used its weekend opinion space to urge shoppers to find local businesses during this holiday buying season:
The money you spend at Wal-Mart provides sales-tax income for your county. But the profit goes to the Arkansas-based retailer. The money you spend in a locally owned store or restaurant also provides sales-tax income. But, in addition, it boosts the financial stability of local businesses and provides income that the owners can spend here, prompting a multiplier effect.
You can also find something the box stores can’t offer: a unique gift. Many area retailers offer locally made or specialty items that you won’t find elsewhere.
That view is shared by the Adirondack Daily Enterprise:
Surprisingly you might find better prices. Not surprisingly, you might find better personal service and quality, and shorter lines.
It is a good time to browse the recent opening of the Saranac Lake Community Store that is owned by people in our area. The Saranac Lake Artists’ Guild is also encouraging shoppers to visit its gallery to see what local artists have created.
It is a totally positive, interactive shopping experience.
The Watertown Daily Times suggests that there may be more glimmers of hope in the American economy, with some analysts predicting that unemployment nationally will decline to 8.9%:
The employment picture may be brightening: new figures show that last month’s slow gains are continuing in the early part of November.
The number of people filing for initial jobless claims fell by 5,000 the week before last to 388,000 — the third straight week of declines in that category, according to the U.S. Labor Department.
The report does not indicate employers are hiring, but shows that layoffs are slowing, the Wall Street Journal noted.
The Glens Falls Post Star questions our society’s use of “community service” as a punishment, suggesting that we might be sullying the notion of real altruism by young people.
The use of community service in criminal sentencing, particularly for young offenders, might be a mistake, since it links constructive acts of charity and helpfulness with destructive ones of criminality.
Now, when we see a teenager washing windows at the YMCA or raking leaves in City Park, we might wonder what misbehavior he was caught committing rather than feeling impressed with his initiative and community spirit.
There you go. As always, comments welcome.
I support shop locally whenever possible but living in the middle of the Adirondacks, I sometimes shop online, rather than leaving the county and driving 50 plus miles one-way to Glens Falls.
As to the GF Post Star editorial, I find myself agreeing in more ways than one.
Volunteerism is never volunteerism when it is required, be it part of a sentence or be it required by a school.
It seems a stretch to suggest that volunteerism and community service can be sulllied b/c of the role it plays in rehabilitating those who break the law. Perhaps some do look down on it because of that association, but that would be poor justification for not using it anymore. I think it is more important to understand that while punishing those who break the law serves a valid purpose, there is also a need – that community service can fulfill – to rehabilitate them.
What does the Post-Star suggest as an alternative? If the usual pattern, not much, I’m sure.
I think community service is a great idea for multiple reasons. First, it links young people who are often disenchanted with their community. Hopefully, it will help them feel a part of something or at least to humanize other people. Second, it’s a manifestation of the concept of restorative justice. In other words, if you do something wrong, try to fix it. Hopefully it provides them an alternative outlet for their energy that maybe will inspire them. Will this happen all the time? Of course not. But at worst, it provides services to community organizations. I can’t conceive of how just throwing them into a cell or juvie can possibly be any more productive. I’m guessing the PS didn’t say either.
How about joining the armed forces as the number one way to provide community service.
If our armed forces were primarily engaged in community service rather than overseas nation building for no reason, you might have a good idea there, Pete. Sadly, this isn’t the case and instead our armed forces are engaging in community service in places like Afghanistan, Kuwait, Great Britian, South Korea, Australia, Okinawa, Germany, etc…Oh, and of course they’re also securing crude oil and enriching the war profiteers that engorge themselves at the military/industrial/congressional feeding trough that is referred to as the Pentagon. Such a shame…..
Clapton,
Point well taken but community service comes in many forms and is not limited to volunteering. In fact, volunteering is a very small portion of community service.
When you have a job, run a business, offer a product or service you are performing a community service. When you pay your taxes, you are performing a community service. When you help family and friends in any capacity you a performing a community service. Hell, if you don’t drive drunk and observe all the traffic laws, you are performing a community service.
We are all part of a community – family, town, county, state, nation and the world – and being part of all of these communities means we can help build community or bring it down.
And yes, being part of the armed forces, police, fire and ambulance, paid or not is a service to the community at large.
Good points, Pete. Maybe we should give some thought to all of the things that can help bring our communities down. Large corporations buying smaller ones, then selling off the assets piece by piece; banks developing devious strategies to charge users excessive fees; traders inventing ever more complex financial investments; corporations investing their profits in buying back shares to boost the CEOs share prices rather than investing in production; hiring lobbyists to protect our narrow interests from paying our fare share of taxes; moving jobs overseas to avoid domestic labor costs; laying off public sector workers; voting in politicians who enable all of the above.