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Wow.. Congratulations Puna! If this No super Walmart thing is true. But, let me see if understand this; you have a ChinaMart but some of you would like to have a Super ChinaMart Hmmm..
Walmart is probably the number one distributor of re-called, un-safe garbage-for-profit items in the world. Now that the cat's out a the bag it amazes me that people actually still shop there let alone would want more of that crap.
In America capitalism is "somewhat" kept in check by a democratic system. Thus there are rules and regulations that dictate how, where and what is manufactured. This is the problem with countries that adopt capitolism but don't have a democratic system.
As we see the international spectrum and multi-nationalism outsourceing become more prevalent in the economic future we must, by the use of our spending habits, defend ourselves against unscrupulous products and their distributors.
Unfortunately our govenment is, at this time, ill equipt to deal with this huge influx of import.
ChinaMart has, without a doubt, proven where their priorities are. Where are your priorities??
It would be terrible for me to end my rant without a mention of the Chinese laborers that have and are dieing from countless diseases and afflictions that they have been subject too by working in these garbage factories.
Yeah, I know what am I thinking they're just Chinese people, in this case, what the heck there are billions of em. Plus, they took the job, it's not our fault, it's never our fault...
Blessings,
dave
"Sometimes your the bug and sometimes your the windshield"
Edited by - Dave M on 11/25/2007 08:51:51
Blessings,
dave
"It doesn't mean that much to me.. to mean that much to you." Neil Young
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Food for thought, if the existing businesses here didn't gouge us there wouldn't be a need
for a Wal-Mart or a Kmart or a Home Depot.
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I won't pretend to know the situation there on a store by store basis. Many times the small mom and pop stores will stock a higher quality product in that they don't get the price break on the made-in-china junk like that found in the big box stores.
So what appears to seem like gouging is really just a higher quality product being sold at a reasonable price. Such as a shovel that shovels.. or a saw that saws (more than once).
What does happen here is, the ChinaMart opens and then everyone runs over there and buys that junk. Mom and Pop loose the small profit they were making, selling decent products, and subsquently fold. Yeah yeah.. I know, thats capitolism at its finest> Nope it's just a bad shovel 
Blessings,
dave
"Sometimes your the bug and sometimes your the windshield"
Blessings,
dave
"It doesn't mean that much to me.. to mean that much to you." Neil Young
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I'm willing to use a local source and even pay a little more. They must offer better service to offset the price difference, however.
For years I used a local packaging store for gift boxes used in my business. When I wanted to change the color of my boxes from white to "craft", they said they wouldn't sell me the "craft" boxes until I'd bought all the white ones.......
Goodby!
Now I get them online, delivered to my door, for less money.
Local businesses can't compete pricewise, but must compensate with good service to survive.
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For me, good service wins over price almost any day. Because.... good service will almost always save me money in the long run.
Bob Orts educatedly put it in to the lowest common denominator, so even theose not up to date or aren't in the know, as to how walmart does business, will begin to open they're eyes and not turn this into another pearl city or kona!
I didn't feel nearly ripped off from KTA or HPM or TKS stores, as I did by the ABC stores in oahu. The junk in wally world is more of the crap that is ruining life, not making it better. Quality is more important than price. How many things you have from wally's store laying around you house that's broke, junk?
How many times you ever stoud in that return line in Wally's? Or get caught in a Roberts bus drop. What? wallyworld is an "E" Ticket on the tourist circut? ..puke!
If all that platic shinny, CHEAP, stuff that drives some peoples lives is great! selfish? but it's a free country. So the greedy are allowed their grips on all they can gather. He who dies with the most toys does not win, he just dies. Why does puna have to go they way of the rest of the stupid country, when you came/come here to get away from the very thing??
Old Russian Story Story, (author...i forget so I'll paraphrase)
ok
ONCE UPON A TIME.........there was a rich land owner and a poor man with none. The poor man askes the rich landlord why does he need so much land? It's a waste!
The landlord said the the poor man I will give you all the land that you can circumferance in a day. You'll start at dawn and run as far and as fast as you can as long as you end on this spot by sundown.
The poor man was exstatic he get a good night sleep and is up eager to go before the crack of dawn. Dreaming all night on what he's going to do with all his land. So he's at the ready and the Landlord says, remember by sundown you must be back here.
The poor man takes off running, feeling the best in his life, he's pumped and before you know he's made his half way point and it's only 11:00 so he decides I'm ahead of schedule I can go out a little further and get more. So at noon he decides to turn around and head back.
The way back in the hot afternoon his tired body was slowing down. This was worse because he had gone out further, but be bucked up! He got that second wind and he's watchin as the suns going down behind the moutain. He's straining, his chest is pounding, he can see the town and the people waiting and a sliver of light on the horizion.
He makes It to the foot of the Landlord and drops dead.
The landlord says, take this man out back and give him 6 feet, it's all the land he needs.
NEED NOT GREED
Someone said go sees who shops there, mostly local. Well Duh, put a pile of candy in front of a 3 year old and what?
They give off esay $500 credt cards at wallworld too. So now many punatics carry 500 debit with them at their high rate as well.
You want to talk business. Try our pawn shops where all your stolen goods go to. And they charge 25% A MONTH on their loans. You see poor workers pawning theirs(our yours) tools for crack, gas, and diapers.
Auto mechanics? better be under warrantee that will be honored, rare to get through car repair without giving an arm, if your a woman a leg too. Can't count the stories of women being fleeced by unscrupulous mechanics.
Contractors? Easy example on my street, Malissa, after being robbed 3 times, and having to chase the guys down the driveway with a machette, she/w my artistic help, sold her shack for 200k and move to a newer house closer to the water.
Now the lady who buys it hires a contractor. He burns her for 100k, sad. She finds another, he burns her for 100k, hmm she's got one now and no matter what he does that house ain't gonna be worth no 400k+.
There a hundreds of such stories in the naked HPP.
Sheeple are following the bell right to the slaughter. Gas is going up, credit card debt up, AND... we ...have ...that...most.... wonderful time of the year......the mad rush to buy things for people to show them that you love them. So If you don't give on the 25th you don't care?
"A fool and there money are soon parted"
my grandma, althought she wasn't the original author. Are we having fun yet?
NEED NOT GREED
KEEP PUNA RURAL
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quote:
...Auto mechanics? better be under warrantee that will be honored, rare to get through car repair without giving an arm, if your a woman a leg too. Can't count the stories of women being fleeced by unscrupulous mechanics.
Contractors? Easy example on my street, Malissa, after being robbed 3 times, and having to chase the guys down the driveway with a machette, she/w my artistic help, sold her shack for 200k and move to a newer house closer to the water.
Now the lady who buys it hires a contractor. He burns her for 100k, sad. She finds another, he burns her for 100k, hmm she's got one now and no matter what he does that house ain't gonna be worth no 400k+...
I completely and whole heartedly disagree with your comments about builders and auto mechanics. But not to be flip, you get what you give. And I am bettign there is more to your neighbors story than the cliff notes presented.
I feel you are promoting prejudice just as much as someone like Dog Chapman. Only your coverage is punaweb not TV and youtube.
I have had people who don't shop at Walmart and only buy organic products with little packaging rip me off way worse this past month than any builder or auto mechanic. So does that make me dislike all manic organics  ? Not at all. There are a few bad apples in every bunch. And lots of good organic apples with lots of aloha.
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My husband is a Master Diagnostic Tech for Toyota. He makes much less than he ever did on the Mainland. He goes to school each year and has to pass stringent tests. He is an honest and fair person. Very good man. We aren't complaining 'cause this is our home.
P.S. We are given Free Will and the opportunity to use it. Keeping the locals out of arms reach of a WalMart will what? Should we take their credit cards away? Should we refuse to sell them computers? Should be refuse to teach them to read?
In lieu of the recent suggestion that Punapetah was "hammered" in every post, I submit that when you consistently make blanket statements which insult the dignity of complete sectors of the population, you are opening yourself up to adversity.
Carrie
http://www.carrierojo.etsy.com
“Some people bring happiness ‘wherever’ they go, others - ‘whenever’ they go.” - Oscar Wilde
Edited by - carolann r on 11/26/2007 12:29:16
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Many of the "Big Box" retailers sell goods which look like the real deal, but if you compare them closely you will find they are an inferior product. As an example, an electric drill bought from a Big Box retailer will weigh significantly less than the "same" (even down to production name and model number) electric drill bought from a mom & pop hardware store or name brand retailer. If you take the drill apart, it will have bushings instead of bearings, smaller windings, smaller shafts, etc. All in all a definitely inferior product. To get a good price, the Big Box guys will buy 100,000 of the inferior drills so the manufacturer will run off an entire load of cheaper items. Eventually, they can ruin their own good name by putting out an inferior product, but businesses don't always take the long view.
"I like yard sales," he said. "All true survivalists like yard sales."
Kurt Wilson
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quote:
My husband is a Master Diagnostic Tech for Toyota. He makes much less than he ever did on the Mainland. He goes to school each year and has to pass stringent tests. He is an honest and fair person. Very good man. We aren't complaining 'cause this is our home.
Hi Carrie!!!
Does your husband do work on the side?
Punapetah are you just trying to scare away all the prospective new residents?
Your a real punatic aren't you?  `
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