Posted on 05/08/2008 10:48:08 AM PDT by LJayne
How could job loss for 80 small-town residents be a "great story?"
(Excerpt) Read more at newsbusters.org ...
More job losses to make the economy look worse to help them elect more libs?
huh?
oh man.
“Corporate Greed” takes a hit.
Nothing else matters.
Same way the liberals and MSM root for any large corporation to fail. Home Depot, Microsoft, Exxon, Starbucks, Wall-mart.
Its always the same crap from the liberals.
“Same way the liberals and MSM root for any large corporation to fail. Home Depot, Microsoft, Exxon, Starbucks, Wall-mart.
Its always the same crap from the liberals.”
And then of course blame Bush when those people are suddenly out of work.
Brattleboro is where they want to arrest Bush and Cheney if they come to town. It seems that New England is a lot more resistant to chains than the rest of the country, from my few visits there.
They are not resistant to chains, just those owned by private parties. They’d be overjoyed to have a people’s collective imposed on them, complete with 12 foot high barbed wire fences and guard towers with armed guards.
I hate the cheap China stuff at Home Depot but I do enjoy not being hostage to unreasonable prices at the local mom & pop.
About a year ago Home Depot decided to go “Green” and they pumped millions into the Global Warming fraud to go “Green” but now they’re paying the price for the bad investment.
Go to the local hardware store, where the guy who owns the store lives in town and the money he makes gets spent around that same town.
I don’t disagree with your sentiments, but the “corporate greed” was meant sarcastically. IdiotJournalists use this term of class-warfare propaganda in routine, knee-jerk fashion.
Unless I need a real expensive item this is what I do. It costs me about $8 in gas to drive over to Home Depot or Lowes, and $0.50 to visit my local hardware store. (We're in a very small town) I figure that if I'm buying an item that is less than $50 then I'm either ahead or breaking even considering the cost differential vs the cost of driving, not to mention the benefit to my small town's economy.
Except for hand tools. I always drive to Sears because I have broken so many tools over the years that it pays off in the long run.
I think it is a good story. The True Value in my town is very competitive with the big box stores, only it does not sell lumber and other types of items. The local stores should be applauded. Just because Home Depot is big and employs a lot of people does not mean it is a well run business. Corporate CEO’s in this country are very overpaid, overpaid even when stockholders are sometimes punished. When big business fails, there are good reasons. When locally owned businesses survive there are very good reasons, they made adjustments and remained competitive. If everything is fairly comparable, I will always attempt to patronize the locally owned business. There are LOTS of things I do not like about Walmart, but I shop there, it is a fairly well run company. But one of things about Walmart is when they come into town, some businesses may go out of businesses, but studies indicate that a Walmart will bring economic growth to other businesses. The balance sheet shows that Home Depot grew very very fast, but after the easy growth was over, they made considerable mistakes.
Most of the townsfolk aren’t too upset.
I think one of the reasons Lowe’s is doing better than Home Depot is that they have the beginnings of the wave of the future—service. This is because supplying contractors only works in good economic times, but the need for home improvement and remodeling and repair is year around.
Lowe’s offers professional installation and remodeling, that, while good, could be much, much better.
It has become almost intolerable for the average person to try and find reputable contractors and repairmen. They are out there, but trying to connect with them is hard.
A company like Lowe’s could make all kinds of connections for a homeowner, and not for just things like plumbing, electrical, appliance repair, and home heating/cooling.
There is a great demand for specialty work of endless varieties, from cut glass and mirrors, metalwork, restoration, fabrication, architecture and design, engraving, roofing, landscaping, pool maintenance. The list goes on and on.
The idea being that a Lowe’s manager could visit somebody’s house, and give an estimate. The homeowner could point out everything that needs replacement, repair, or routine maintenance, and receive an itemized estimate and an annual timetable.
Then Lowe’s would dispatch certified workers and subcontractors, make all the specialty arrangements in the background, provide the materials, inspect the work and make adjustments, and receive payment.
The approach should be if the customer wanted it, they should find some way to provide it. Be it a stainless steel swamp cooler, made to order Saltillo tiles, laser engraved metal finishing, a hand carved picture frame, etc.
People in the Brattleboro area can easily drive to the Keene, NH Home Depot to shop (that is, if they can stomach the idea of “Live Free or Die”, which is anathema to many Brattleboro residents). They can also drive across the bridge to Hinsdale, NH to shop at Walmart. So they can feel “morally superior” and look askance at those horrible corporations and still take advantage of the benefits that those corporations bring to the area... Don’t listen to what they say - instead, watch what they actually do. For the typical leftist, hypocrisy is not only necessary for survival, it’s the foundation of their souls...
I hate Lowes and Home Depot, service sucks. I avoid them if I can get it at my local Ace hardware I will. Somebody always there asking me if they can help me right when I walk in the door instead of wandering around 40 aisles trying to find something.
Brattleboro ... another city of evil.
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