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<DIV><FONT face=Arial>I think it is important to note that we get relatively
little tax benefit from a Wal-Mart. The sales taxes go to the State, not
us. The addition of new retailers and increased sales in Moscow are a drop
in the bucket, state-wide, and hence the change in our allocation form the total
state coffers of sales tax revenue is not substantially affected.
</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial>Our legislature ought to allow local option sales taxes;
then those who bear the development costs and traffic congestion, increased
need for police services, and other infrastructure can have some real revenue
that may actually give the community a net gain in revenue. When the costs
of large retailers are computed, and all we are getting is property taxes, the
change in city revenue is not substantial from what I understand. In other
words, it makes more sense for Pullman to take on the costs of these
developments since they get more money for them. I would support a
legislative change in Idaho to give incentives to the communities who bear
the quality of life burdens of large retail centers, to see some real
benefit from them, monetarily, which a local option retained sales tax would
do.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial>I also disagree about your pessimism in luring quality
development and jobs to Moscow. I would like a chance to see us
try.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial>Bruce Livingston</FONT></DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE
style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
<DIV
style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: black"><B>From:</B>
<A title=jampot@adelphia.net href="mailto:jampot@adelphia.net">g. crabtree</A>
</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A title=bjswan@moscow.com
href="mailto:bjswan@moscow.com">bjswan@moscow.com</A> ; <A
title=vision2020@moscow.com href="mailto:vision2020@moscow.com">'Vision
2020'</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Saturday, March 04, 2006 11:03
AM</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Re: [Vision2020] Goodnight
Goody, Goodnight Ridge</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial></FONT><FONT face=Arial></FONT><FONT
face=Arial></FONT><FONT face=Arial></FONT><BR></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Ms. Swanson, It seems from your post that you see
Moscow and Pullman as one big happy when it comes to retail. Please correct me
if I'm wrong but it occurs to me that when consumer dollars are spent in
Whitman county, Latah County benefits not at all. Like it or not, our two
cities/counties are very much competitors for every shopping nickel and
I would like to see my team at least be able to hold its own. Creating
economic barriers here when Pullman is knocking them down is not my idea of a
level playing field, in fact it seems like a great way to turn ourselves into
a bedroom community for Schweitzer and WSU as well as the myriad new
businesses that are sure to grow there.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Your remarks about Snapper lawn mowers would seem
to bear out my contention that there are businesses that can stand
in the face of wal-mart and survive. They obviously did not see the need
to have the added exposure that selling through the WM distribution network
would have provided. If you want a throw away mower (and many folks do) buy
WM. If you want to spend a little bit more and have a higher quality product,
visit a smaller specialty dealer who can satisfy your need. Prohibiting one to
promote the other is definitely not "belief in a free market."</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Respectfully,</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>G. Crabtree</FONT></DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE
style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
<DIV
style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: black"><B>From:</B>
<A title=bjswan@moscow.com href="mailto:bjswan@moscow.com">B. J. Swanson</A>
</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A title=vision2020@moscow.com
href="mailto:vision2020@moscow.com">'Vision 2020'</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Saturday, March 04, 2006 8:50
AM</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> RE: [Vision2020] Goodnight
Goody, Goodnight Ridge</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV class=Section1>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Excellent,
Bruce! If I didnt know better, Id think you were a rational
economist in disguise!<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">I believe in the
free market too, but on a level playing field. If my addition is
correct, there are proposals for 1.7 million square feet of new retail in
<st1:City w:st="on">Moscow</st1:City> and <st1:City
w:st="on">Pullman</st1:City> including the Moscow Wal-Mart complex, the
corridor and Wal-Mart in <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on">Pullman</st1:place></st1:City>. Is this a little much?
Its easy to say whatever the market will bear. But in this case,
the destruction of smaller businesses before the market rights itself is
not good business and effectively kills communities. Others will say
that the smaller, local businesses must learn to compete with
Wal-Mart. That is extremely difficult when a <st1:PlaceName
w:st="on">Wal-Mart</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceType
w:st="on">Supercenter</st1:PlaceType> carries 60,000 items, many made in
<st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on">China</st1:place></st1:country-region> in sweatshops that are
illegal here. A typical Costco carries 4,000
items.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Bruce mentions
buying razors at Wal-Mart. Compare the Gillette Mach 3 razors
purchased at Wal-Mart with those purchased at non-Wal-Mart stores.
Notice the color is different even though the name is the same? Notice
the Wal-Mart Mach 3 doesnt last nearly as long as those purchased from
Costco, Rite-Aid, Hodgins, Marketime? Ever wonder why Snapper lawn
mowers are never sold at Wal-Mart? Because Snapper refused to lower
its quality (and price) to Wal-Mart standards.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">B. J.
Swanson<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">-----------------------------------------------<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<DIV>
<DIV class=MsoNormal
style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0.5in; TEXT-ALIGN: center; mso-para-margin-left: 12.61gd"
align=center><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt">
<HR tabIndex=-1 align=center width="100%" SIZE=2>
</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal
style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0.5in; mso-para-margin-left: 12.61gd"><B><FONT
face=Tahoma size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Tahoma">From:</SPAN></FONT></B><FONT
face=Tahoma size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Tahoma">
vision2020-bounces@moscow.com [mailto:vision2020-bounces@moscow.com]
<B><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">On Behalf Of </SPAN></B>Bruce and Jean
Livingston<BR><B><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Sent:</SPAN></B> Saturday,
March 04, 2006 6:24 AM<BR><B><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">To:</SPAN></B>
Donovan Arnold; Vision 2020<BR><B><SPAN
style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Subject:</SPAN></B> Re: [Vision2020] Goodnight
Goody, Goodnight Ridge</SPAN></FONT><o:p></o:p></P></DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal
style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0.5in; mso-para-margin-left: 12.61gd"><FONT
face="Times New Roman" size=3><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal
style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0.5in; mso-para-margin-left: 12.61gd"><FONT face=Arial
size=3><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">I imagine someone
telling Dave he can't expand Paradise Ridge CDs, and I don't like it.
But the obvious analogy to Wal-Mart that you are trying to make is not a
clean one, in my opinion, Donovan, though I do agree with some of what you
write. </SPAN></FONT><o:p></o:p></P></DIV>
<DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal
style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0.5in; mso-para-margin-left: 12.61gd"><FONT
face="Times New Roman" size=3><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"> <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P></DIV>
<DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal
style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0.5in; mso-para-margin-left: 12.61gd"><FONT face=Arial
size=3><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">First, I wouldn't
be the least bit concerned about people telling me where they thought I
should shop. I kept buying grapes, even though the Farm Workers were
trying to organize a boycott. I listen to the reasons for not shopping
at Wal-Mart, and I agree with some of them, but I still shop at Wal-Mart on
rare occasions. I try to patronize other places, and I always try
Tri-State or Spence's, first, because I think it is important to patronize
local businesses to help assure that more money stays in the
community. But I admit it, my razor blades come from Wal-Mart when I
don't have a Costco run in the offing.</SPAN></FONT><o:p></o:p></P></DIV>
<DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal
style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0.5in; mso-para-margin-left: 12.61gd"><FONT
face="Times New Roman" size=3><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"> <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P></DIV>
<DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal
style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0.5in; mso-para-margin-left: 12.61gd"><FONT face=Arial
size=3><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">People may
still shop at Wal-Mart, as they could at any other store that is
operating here. I don't begrudge others the opportunity to shop at
Wal-Mart, and I agree with the free market advocates and the need for
business opportunities in our community, and so I agree with the right to
expand when it comports with good planning and the law.
</SPAN></FONT><o:p></o:p></P></DIV>
<DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal
style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0.5in; mso-para-margin-left: 12.61gd"><FONT
face="Times New Roman" size=3><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"> <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P></DIV>
<DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal
style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0.5in; mso-para-margin-left: 12.61gd"><FONT face=Arial
size=3><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">But if Dave were in
the mood to expand Paradise Ridge, by buying up one of his neighbors on
<st1:Street w:st="on"><st1:address w:st="on">Third
Street</st1:address></st1:Street> in the heart of downtown, where retail
sales are the dominant and preferred activity according to our zoning code
and comprehensive plan, anybody arguing against that expansion would have
worthless arguments, and the expansion would be approved. That is
where your analogy falls apart, unless you were contemplating plunking the
CD store in an area where it was not allowed -- in which case I would
likely not support that location despite my affection for the
business.</SPAN></FONT><o:p></o:p></P></DIV>
<DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal
style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0.5in; mso-para-margin-left: 12.61gd"><FONT
face="Times New Roman" size=3><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"> <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P></DIV>
<DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal
style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0.5in; mso-para-margin-left: 12.61gd"><FONT face=Arial
size=3><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">I think that what
many fail to recognize is that there are too kinds of Wal-Mart opponents out
there in our community right now: those who abhor Wal-Mart and
would deny its entry anywhere, and those who question the planning that went
into this particular expansion effort. I am on record as being in the
latter category. If I can find the reasons that I submitted to the
P&Z public hearing, I will forward them to the list.
</SPAN></FONT><o:p></o:p></P></DIV>
<DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal
style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0.5in; mso-para-margin-left: 12.61gd"><FONT
face="Times New Roman" size=3><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"> <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P></DIV>
<DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal
style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0.5in; mso-para-margin-left: 12.61gd"><FONT face=Arial
size=3><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Briefly, I believe
that the proposed extensive commercial motor business designation of the
Thompson property is poor planning. Such developments should have
occurred between downtown and the state line, as the comprehensive plan
dictated, had not the lack of vision by prior councils allowed most of that
property along <st1:Street w:st="on"><st1:address w:st="on">A
street</st1:address></st1:Street> to become apartments, contrary to the
comprehensive plan. Such a plan would still allow us to shop and draw
us through downtown, making it more likely that our lovely downtown is a
convenient stop along the way. There is still opportunity for expanded
commercial development in the area from behind the mall to the state
line, as was proposed at the same council meeting last June when the
Thompson project first surfaced. Equally and maybe
more important given greater availability, there is a much more obvious
existing site than the Thompson property for such extensive commercial
developments at the north and south ends of town along Highway 95, a far
better traffic corridor. The Thompson property ought, in my opinion,
to be primarily residential (as it was designated in the comp plan until a
bad planning decision by the prior council last June) and not destroy the
ambience of the existing owners to the east and across the street on
Ridge. Finally, we ought to be saving the west end of the Thompson
property for future expansion of higher paying businesses than a shopping
center; we ought to allow Alturas that room to expand, while fostering a
pro-business attitude and encouraging businesses that pay at least
living wages to locate here.</SPAN></FONT><o:p></o:p></P></DIV>
<DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal
style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0.5in; mso-para-margin-left: 12.61gd"><FONT
face="Times New Roman" size=3><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"> <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P></DIV>
<DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal
style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0.5in; mso-para-margin-left: 12.61gd"><FONT face=Arial
size=3><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Now at the risk of
being a little windy here, and if you are not already snoozing, there is a
third category of Wal-Mart opponent, in my opinion and of which I am also a
member, and it relates to limited opportunities for shopping in Moscow, the
almighty mantra of "market choice." I mentioned this on the list a
while back and it engendered little discussion. I expected to hear a
rebuttal from Jeff Harkins who is the most fervent free marketer on the list
and my compatriot on the LEDC, and he said he was working on it,
but I seem to have missed it. </SPAN></FONT><o:p></o:p></P></DIV>
<DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal
style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0.5in; mso-para-margin-left: 12.61gd"><FONT
face="Times New Roman" size=3><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"> <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P></DIV>
<DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal
style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0.5in; mso-para-margin-left: 12.61gd"><FONT face=Arial
size=3><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">The "more market
choice" category that I just mentioned might at first blush appear to
support letting anyone expand and enter, and see what happens, the classic
laissez faire free market approach. But what I am contemplating is
something different. </SPAN></FONT><o:p></o:p></P></DIV>
<DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal
style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0.5in; mso-para-margin-left: 12.61gd"><FONT
face="Times New Roman" size=3><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"> <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P></DIV>
<DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal
style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0.5in; mso-para-margin-left: 12.61gd"><FONT face=Arial
size=3><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">It seems to me that
we are a very small community with a relatively limited amount of disposable
income to spend in (and therefore support) the local stores of all
types. Wal-Mart offers one kind of shopping venue, and a Super
Wal-Mart would admittedly offer more (if perhaps of the same
lower quality) and the most significant addition might be
food. There is already a Wal-Mart here. There are four grocery
stores, the Co-op on the high end, Winco on the low end (offering similar
pricing to Wal-Mart from what I understand) and Rosauer's and Safeway in
between. There will soon be a Super Wal-Mart a mere ten miles away in
<st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on">Pullman</st1:place></st1:City>.
</SPAN></FONT><o:p></o:p></P></DIV>
<DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal
style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0.5in; mso-para-margin-left: 12.61gd"><FONT
face="Times New Roman" size=3><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"> <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P></DIV>
<DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal
style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0.5in; mso-para-margin-left: 12.61gd"><FONT face=Arial
size=3><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">The market choice
that I am talking about is more choices for us. Why a Wal-Mart which
we already have? Why not something else, so our consumer choices are
enhanced more than by the expansion of the existing low-end product line at
Wal-Mart? Why not have our city and economic development and business
supporters work on attracting an alternative to Wal-Mart, so that our
limited choices are not so likely to become primarily Wal-Mart? Why
not work harder to attract something more interesting and beneficial to
consumer choice? Why let Wal-Mart pre-empt the market and fill it up
in the predatory fashion that it appears to be following with two
supercenters within 10 miles? Why are we only talking about the
choices that the entrepreneurs choose to offer and not the choices that
we consumers would like to see? We could work toward educating other
entrepreneurs and attracting them instead, and if we put in place rules that
applied to all and some chose to play where Wal-Mart didn't, why wouldn't we
be better off by having more varied
choices?</SPAN></FONT><o:p></o:p></P></DIV>
<DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal
style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0.5in; mso-para-margin-left: 12.61gd"><FONT
face="Times New Roman" size=3><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"> <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P></DIV>
<DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal
style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0.5in; mso-para-margin-left: 12.61gd"><FONT face=Arial
size=3><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Perhaps most
significant to my "more consumer choices" angle, why let a 200,000 square
foot store come in and soak up the available dollars in this very small
community and make it less likely for other more varied folks to enter our
market? Why isn't 100,000 square feet enough in this little
community? A size cap would allow us more choices. I have a
good friend on the Chamber Board (who would probably prefer to
remain nameless) and he likes to talk about how students often have the most
disposable dollars to spend, despite their low income, and that we ought to
be able to market <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on">Moscow</st1:place></st1:City> and interest someone other than
Wal-Mart to enter our community. If we are to have big boxes in our
community, why not be pro-active and get us more real choice for <st1:City
w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Moscow</st1:place></st1:City>'s consumers,
rather than more of the Wal-Mart we already
have? </SPAN></FONT><o:p></o:p></P></DIV>
<DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal
style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0.5in; mso-para-margin-left: 12.61gd"><FONT
face="Times New Roman" size=3><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"> <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P></DIV>
<DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal
style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0.5in; mso-para-margin-left: 12.61gd"><FONT face=Arial
size=3><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Several of my
MCA Board buddies who oppose Wal-Mart and big boxes in general characterize
this as the "pig in silk pajamas" argument, because I do believe that large
stores ought to be allowed, but play nice and look nice, whereas these
others oppose them on general principles. I don't want large
stores to just make the "great big sucking noise" Ross Perot once
described, though he was talking about jobs going to <st1:country-region
w:st="on">Mexico</st1:country-region> and I am talking about more of our
dollars going to Bentonville <st1:State w:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on">Arkansas</st1:place></st1:State>. If we are to have
out-of-town chains, I would much prefer to have a Costco that pays
living wages than a Wal-Mart that does not, even if lots of those dollars
spent go to <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on">Seattle</st1:place></st1:City>. </SPAN></FONT><o:p></o:p></P></DIV>
<DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal
style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0.5in; mso-para-margin-left: 12.61gd"><FONT
face="Times New Roman" size=3><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"> <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P></DIV>
<DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal
style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0.5in; mso-para-margin-left: 12.61gd"><FONT face=Arial
size=3><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Lest someone
misconstrue this, I don't believe we can choose one retailer over the other
on the whim of the Council. We need rules that are applied fairly
to all retailers and then we need to apply the rules fairly, but I do
believe we can encourage better and more varied consumer choices
through thoughtful legislating and pro-active and creative economic
development efforts.</SPAN></FONT><o:p></o:p></P></DIV>
<DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal
style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0.5in; mso-para-margin-left: 12.61gd"><FONT
face="Times New Roman" size=3><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"> <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P></DIV>
<DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal
style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0.5in; mso-para-margin-left: 12.61gd"><FONT face=Arial
size=3><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Putting a halt to
an ill-conceived project buys us the time to do things better the next time,
to have a good plan in place, and to be ready for things instead of
just reacting to the next request on a developer's wish
list.</SPAN></FONT><o:p></o:p></P></DIV>
<DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal
style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0.5in; mso-para-margin-left: 12.61gd"><FONT
face="Times New Roman" size=3><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"> <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P></DIV>
<DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal
style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0.5in; mso-para-margin-left: 12.61gd"><st1:PersonName
w:st="on"><FONT face=Arial size=3><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Bruce
Livingston</SPAN></FONT></st1:PersonName><o:p></o:p></P></DIV>
<DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal
style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0.5in; mso-para-margin-left: 12.61gd"><FONT
face="Times New Roman" size=3><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"> <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P></DIV></DIV>
<P>
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