Debt Fiscal Crisis Brief -7-27-10

[Bob Orts]

quote:

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Originally posted by CFB483

You mean how does a multinational corporation compete and crush a community owned cooperative?

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Assuming all the things you mentioned are true, if people want to buy cheaper priced products from a company located outside Hawaii, why can't they? This is the people making the decision to shop where they want and they vote with their purchase.

It's all fine and good to grab a tamborine and sing and dance for local purchase power, but if the people are pushing past you to get to the mega store, what can be done to change people's habits if they don't want it changed?

All the things you mentioned are true factors in how these large chain stores can compete with lower prices, but that's just business. The question is: how do you put local stores with local products on the same competitive level as these chain stores. What steps need to be taken?

Do you have lower taxes for them?
Offer economic development funds?
Job creation tax credits for local hiring?
Increase taxes for off island produced goods?
Reduced business fees for local companies?

Talking about buying local does nothing if the people can get it cheaper so there has to be something more to turn it around - what is that?