LePage sees bias against big-box stores, seeks to remove limitations

[Maine-ah]

Source: BDN

AUGUSTA, Maine — Business groups and the LePage administration are targeting a four-year-old law that requires communities to consider the economic impact of “big-box” stores such as Wal-Mart before issuing a local permit.

Enacted in 2007, the Informed Growth Act was championed by supporters as a way to protect Maine’s downtown business districts and local stores from the effects of large-scale retail developments such as Wal-Mart, Target or Home Depot. The law applies to proposed businesses with a gross floor area of 75,000 square feet or more.

But critics contend the law runs counter to Maine’s tradition of local control and preempts towns’ ability to decide for themselves whether a big-box store is appropriate for their area.

On Wednesday, lawmakers heard testimony on a bill, LD 322, to repeal the Informed Growth Act, which Gov. Paul LePage also has listed among his priorities for reforming Maine’s regulatory environment.

Read more: http://new.bangordailynews.com/2011/02/23/politics/lepage-backed-measure-would-repeal-law-screening-big-box-impact/

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omg...he's the fucking gift that keeps on giving...LePage is a FUCKWIT.

[Shadowflash]

1. Mom and pop store?

What's that, Grandpa?

[Javaman]

5. It's a china-mart where your parents work as greeters after they had to fold their on biz.

Now get back to work son, the china-mart managers are watching.

[DBoon]

18. way back in the old days, when people had pensions

and could actually stop working when they got old.....

[GoCubsGo]

2. Wow, the GOP sure does love small businesses, don't they?

I can't believe people still buy into their bullshit.

[TheCowsCameHome]

3. This guy doesn't know when to stop digging, does he?

He'll be lucky to complete one term..........

[robcon]

4. Let the consumer, not the lawmakers, decide whether they want big-box stores.

Putting artificial restraints is wrong-headed. If people shop at the big-box stores... let 'em thrive. If not, let 'em close.

[Javaman]

6. wow.

no words. just wow.

[robcon]

8. What a reply!

No words could express my reaction, except that it is an astonishing reply.

[NYC Liberal]

11. On a level playing field, you might have a point.

But the playing field is NOT level.

[donquijoterocket]

19. that would

probably be marginally OK if the competition were anywhere close to even,but when wally world can bully suppliers like they can it tends to tilt the playing field considerably.Considering that communities which have these big box stores usually end up paying for them in ways they do not and cannot know of and which persist for years as a general drain on the overall economy the typical Smithian and libertarian arguments don't seem to apply.I realize that for most wingers profit and profitability prevail over the health and welfare of people and human communities.There seems nothing artificial about these constraints it's the people having a chance to weigh in before the damage starts.

[David__77]

20. I completely agree.

Small retailers must provide something to successfully compete with large retailers. If they cannot do so, then blocking large retailers is in effect lowering the living standards of consumers, forcing them to pay higher prices. It is definitely a net loss to the society.

[boppers]

24. Let the consumer, not the lawmakers, decide whether they want racism..

Let the consumer, not the lawmakers, decide whether they want spousal abuse.
Let the consumer, not the lawmakers, decide whether they want gay bashing.
Let the consumer, not the lawmakers, decide whether they want access to smallpox.

:sarcasm:

The point of having lawmakers is that consumers, aka voters, don't always make great decisions. That's why they vote for people to spend time being slightly more intelligent and educated about the results of their actions....

Sure, big box stores bring cheaper prices, but since they crash local economies, everybody has less money to spend, and less job options, so they make everything more expensive in the long run.

[Le Taz Hot]

25. Please see the documentary,

"The High Cost of Low Prices." It will explain the very important points that you seem to be missing.

[Gormy Cuss]

28. Without reasonable restraints the "people" who decide this are the politicians who run the locality

as influenced by their largest donors. That's how local development works.

Sure, let the people decide. :sarcasm:

[bemildred]

7. We are "biased" against terrorists and criminals too, dimwit. nt

[robcon]

10. What's that got to do with big box stores?

You can like or hate 'em: they provide lower prices, more selection, poorer service. If consumers don't want to shop there, the stores will close.

[Kingofalldems]

14. They systematically destroy local small businesses

I guess that's okay with you.

[jpak]

15. They do NOT provide more selection - Walmart put all the local sporting goods stores in western ME

out of business.

Walmart's selection of fishing tackle absolutely sucks - and it's all made in China

yup

[David__77]

21. If it sucks so badly, why did the competition go out of business?

It seems very heartless, but some businesses do become antiquated because they lose their customer base. I can envision car dealerships and cell phone stores going the same way at some point. Layers in the chain of distribution are being cut away. People have choices between low service, low cost, and high service, high cost. More opt for the former than the latter. I know I do, and not out of necessity by any means.

[Maine-ah]

22. hey J

they killed our music stores. We have two sporting stores alive in Rockland. Both carry stuff that wm doesn't, and there's always Maine Sport in Rockport, they're like LL Beans...plus very expensive. Small town sports are very popular up here, and the m&p sports stores have always supported the schools, and other sports leagues with in our town which is why I think they have survived. Other businesses have suffered, clothing retailers on main street are now only seriously expensive clothing, stuff you can't find at wm, but who can afford that right now?

If they ever bring seafood to wm up here, it will probably kill off the m&p seafood markets.

[bemildred]

16. It's OK to be biased against stuff that is bad.

When your biases agree with the facts, that is called sound thinking.

[Jmaxfie1]

9. I feel so sorry for poor little o' Walmart, being bullied by the big bad local stores n/t

[chelsea0011]

12. Because gawd knows when I am Maine to shop, those damn regulations make my

search for 'big box store" futile.:sarcasm:

[speltwon]

17. The issue isn't even getting rid of regs

it's whether the regs should come from the state level, or the municipal/county level. Frankly, I think WalMarts are often destructive to local economies and mom and pops. I choose to often shop at the mom n pops- I go to a butcher, an ethnic market, a farmer's market, etc. but I admit I do go to Walmart sometimes too.

[jpak]

13. I hope they put Mardens out of bidness

:sarcasm:

[formercia]

26. There's always a market for junk

I used to like their hardware dept. because there were good buys on high quality surplus. Now, mostly what they have is cheap Chinese crap.

[Gormy Cuss]

29. Wouldn't that be ironic. n/t

[alp227]

23. what happened to limited government and jobs jobs jobs

those good ol' republican values? Oh i forgot...Wal-Mart must've donated a lot to LePage's coffers.

[NashVegas]

27. Why Do They Hate Our Freedoms?