Ventura, CA. Video Report on Ventura Debate
Possible Measure to Ban Wal-Mart [KEYT-TV (Ventura, Calif.)]
The voice of the people may soon decide the fate of a proposed Wal-Mart in Ventura. Dozens of residents against the big box store submitted a new measure to the city today. It would ban all super stores from Ventura but it needs the publics approval first.
If supporters receive 15% of signatures from register voters the proposed measure could be placed on the ballot by November 2008. If only 10% sign the petition, the measure will be added to the November ballot in 2009.
KEY NEWS Reporter Regina Ruiz brings you the story.
Click here to watch the video.
Posted by Alex Goldschmidt on Thursday, January 31 | 0 comments | Permalink
Ventura, CA. Residents Bring Wal-Mart Issue to a Vote
Coalition to ask voters to stop Wal-Mart [Ventura County Star (Calif.)]
Dissatisfied with city efforts, opponents of Wal-Mart decided Wednesday to put their cause in voters’ hands.
A coalition of citizens and grocery unions filed a ballot initiative aimed at keeping the world’s largest retailer from opening a store in Ventura by banning any grocery store larger than 90,000 square feet.
Using as a backdrop a shuttered Kmart store on Victoria Avenue that Wal-Mart wants to replace, some 50 people cheered and waved handmade signs during the scripted announcement.
“It’s our city. It’s our choice,” said Ed Lacey, a local attorney and spokesman for Livable Ventura, one of half a dozen citizen and grocery union groups backing the measure. “The voice of the people is going to decide this issue.”
Supporters want to qualify the measure for the Nov. 4 election — a Herculean task considering they expect to have about 11 weeks to collect the 8,903 verified signatures, or 15 percent of local registered voters, needed for a special election.
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Posted by Alex Goldschmidt on Thursday, January 31 | 0 comments | Permalink
Bakersfield, CA. Environmental Impact Study To Be Reviewed
Wal-Mart stores remain in limbo [Bakersfield Californian]
The Wal-Mart on Panama Lane, east of Highway 99, sits unfinished since construction stopped in 2004.
The last hurdle for the environmental impact reports is Judge Kenneth Twisselman, the judge who first stopped the stores back in 2004.
Twisselman isn’t even scheduled to hear the case yet.
“I’m hoping that the hearing date can be set some time in late February,” said Bakersfield City Attorney Ginny Gennaro.
She said she’s not sure whether the judge will want to have a hearing with arguments.
Lee Jamieson, developer of the shopping center that includes the empty Wal-Mart shell at Panama Lane and Highway 99, said he doesn’t want to even hazard a guess when the store will open.
“The judge could not approve it,” he said. “Speculating right now is not a good idea.”
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Posted by Alex Goldschmidt on Monday, January 28 | 0 comments | Permalink
Suisun City, CA. Wal-Mart Would Negatively Impact Local Businesses
Suisun ponders decision on Wal-Mart [Vacaville Reporter (Calif.)]
A proposed Wal-Mart Supercenter in Suisun City could provide an $800,000 sales-tax revenue boost to the city in the first year, but may negatively affect some nearby businesses.
Those and other factors in a packet by city staff which includes an independent study will be weighed by the Suisun City Planning Commission on Tuesday night when it discusses the proposed store.
The proposal for the 20.8-acre Wal-Mart site near Highway 12 and Walters Road would include 230,000 square feet of commercial space including a 215,000-square-foot Wal-Mart Supercenter building, plus a fuel station with mini-mart, an 8,000-square-foot sit-down restaurant or commercial-use site and parking.
The planners’ meeting originally was scheduled to be combined with the Suisun City Council meeting, but was separated because of the large amount of environmental documents. The final draft EIR is nearly 1,200 pages and can be viewed at http://www.suisun.com/walmart.
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Posted by Alex Goldschmidt on Monday, January 28 | 0 comments | Permalink
Op-Ed: Please Don’t Build a Wal-Mart in Suisun City
Please, no Wal-Mart [Vallejo Times-Herald (Calif.)]
Once again I am writing to plead with Suisun officials to use all the powers in their administration not to allow Wal-Mart to be built in Suisun City. As you know there will be a Super Wal-Mart store in Fairfield, there is no need to build one in Suisun.
I live in Lawler Ranch near the intersection at the proposed vacant lot. I commute to work everyday in San Ramon. I leave my house at 5 a.m. just to avoid the traffic congestion on Highway 12 during morning and afternoon commute. Wal-Mart will bring additional traffic to this area that we do not need. As it is now, it’s dangerous trying to cross or turn onto Highway 12.
I understand that Suisun, like any city, needs a way to generate revenue for the city. However, the city council is filled with bright people who should be able to figure out a way to generate revenue for Suisun without impacting our environment. That’s why we voted for all of them.
Please find another solution, other than Wal-Mart, to generate revenue for Suisun City.
John Henderson, Suisun City
Posted by Alex Goldschmidt on Friday, January 25 | 0 comments | Permalink
Oakley, CA. Residents Want a Say
Residents want a say on Wal-Mart [Discovery Bay Press (Calif.)]
The year 2008 is still quite young, but it’s a safe bet that one of the bigger issues city officials will face this year is the application by Wal-Mart to construct a super center in the River Oaks Crossing shopping center planned for the Cline vineyards property on Main Street between Bridgehead and Big Break roads.
Two residents spoke to the City Council Tuesday night, requesting that town hall meetings be held to provide more information on the proposed Wal-Mart project and gain residents’ input.
Nancy Cruz cited an interview with Mayor Bruce Connelley in last week’s Oakley Press in which he discussed the Wal-Mart proposal, saying, “I don’t know if there is anything we could do about it, whether I want it or not. And as far as I’m concerned, it doesn’t matter what I want. What matters in this case is what the citizens of Oakley want. That’s more important than whether I want it or not.”
“I was especially pleased to read this article and Mayor Connelley’s comments about the proposed Wal-Mart,” said Cruz. “I especially liked the offering of open discussion and town halls to hear the citizens of Oakley’s feelings about Wal-Mart. I’m sure that Oakley’s citizens would like to be part of the decision-making process.
“However, there are things about Mayor Connelley’s comments that are unclear and need clarification. To date, any argument against Wal-Mart has fallen on deaf ears. And Mayor Connelley’s comments already concede that he feels that you don’t have any say in the matter.
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Posted by Alex Goldschmidt on Friday, January 25 | 0 comments | Permalink
Want to Help the Poor? Don’t Build Wal-Marts
This article from LA City Beat discusses the true cost of big box stores, focusing on Prop. 13, a local ordinance that cut property taxes. It’s an interesting facet of the Wal-Mart debate: though the company is often painted as the savior of working-class Americans, it just as frequently takes money out of communities. This puts community leaders in a tough spot. Rather than spend municipal funds on things like low-income housing, community officials prefer to spend it on “sales tax generators” like Wal-Mart. But the company ultimately leeches money out of local economies, leaving towns without tax revenue AND without public works. As Michael Shuman, author of The Small Mart Revolution notes, while some revenue from big box stores does remain in a community, much, much more of a local business’s dollars will be recycled, eventually building a local economy from the ground up.
Wal-Mart vs. the Poor [Los Angeles City Beat]
On the campaign trail 30 years ago, Howard Jarvis said his anti-tax measure would guarantee housing to those with low incomes, whether renters or homeowners.
Things haven’t panned out that way.
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Posted by Alex Goldschmidt on Thursday, January 24 | 39 comments | Permalink
Fontana, CA. Wal-Mart Pushes Back Plans
Wal-Mart, school district push Promenade plans into March [San Bernadino Sun]
The City Council delayed a decision on the Promenade development plan at the behest of Wal-Mart and the school district.
Wal-Mart wants to build a supercenter in the area marked for a mix of housing and retail that Mayor Mark Nuaimi has likened to Victoria Gardens in Rancho Cucamonga. Fontana Unified would like to put a school in the area.
The specific plan for the project will be taken up again at a special meeting at 11 a.m. March 7. The Promenade is slated for 125 acres near the 210 Freeway from South Highland Avenue to Base Line, and from Juniper Avenue to Sierra Avenue.
A number of issues have arisen over the course of planning the now 4-year-old project.
Among them is Fontana Unified’s proposal of adding a school to serve the 700 new students officials project the Promenade would bring to the area.
“Our projections have been pretty spot on,” said Laura Abernathy Mancha, school board president.
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Posted by Alex Goldschmidt on Thursday, January 24 | 0 comments | Permalink
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