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I’m with you.

I’d rather pay 20% more so they guy down the street can work.

If we want healthy communities, we MUST do that.

This is vital. Our nation hangs in the balance on this issue. I think it’s that important.

I’d rather pay 20% more so they guy down the street can work.

All you are doing is prolonging his death struggle. Someone else who can sell the same item for 20% less will always put him out of business.

This is vital. Our nation hangs in the balance on this issue. I think it’s that important.

I think you are wrong. People who thought your way wanted us to maintain a strong, healthy buggy whip industry a century ago.

You are attempting to prevent progress by subsidizing inefficiency. DW and I retired and moved to a rural area several years ago. One of the things that made this possible was Amazon Prime. i don't have to live near a big city to get anything I want delivered , and at competitive prices.

There are unintended consequences which may change out society for the better. For instance, the SF Bay Area that we came from has a severe housing shortage. Without being able to order advanced products on the internet, we would have stayed put. By moving we helped to alleviate this housing shortage. Amazon didn't intend to help alleviate the housing shortage in northern California, but they did. Is this more or less important to the nation than to have a few more years of employment for a store clerk in our rural town?

You are correct, but spending more requires that people have more disposable income. Wages have been flat, and most hourly workers are part time under 40 hours. Retail sales are in a dive. Most consumers are only buying the things that they need. When people can only buy necessities the economy is in bad shape.

This is vital. Our nation hangs in the balance on this issue. I think it’s that important.

Let me add one more thing. It turns out that there are two growing industries in our little town. One is nursing homes and elder care, which is sort of obvious for a rural retirement community.

However, the second surprised me a little -- call centers. It seems that after an infatuation with india, a lot of companies have discovered that their customers would rather talk to someone who speaks colloquial American English and who they can understand.

Now, would you rather have someone be a clerk in a retail store or a customer service rep? The pay is on the lower end in both cases, but the store clerk just reshuffles money that is already in the community. The call center worker is paid by a corporation from outside the local community, so they are net importers of money. Which is better for the community? I think it is the job that brings in outside money.