Let’s remember A-B and fight to keep our local companies
I think it’s great the people of the area are going to bat to try and keep hometown companies such as A-B and Chrysler. It’s too bad that we didn’t fight for SW BELL at the time, but that is behind us so let’s not dwell on the past. Keeping these two companies open mean a big boost for the local economy. But let’s not forget companies that are here and thriving, at the moment, which can use the same fervor from the public. I refer to our local grocery chains Schnucks, Diergbergs, and Shop-n-Save (whose coporate office is in Mn. but was once based here). These companies have grown and thrived from the publics business but are being threatened by the giant WAL-MART and our elected officials are much of the problem. They cow-tow to this coporate giant by giving public funds; TIFs, rezone public property, etc. and don’t bat an eye in doing it while the LOCALS have built their stores with THEIR money. These city fathers have turn their backs to the LOCALS and allowed rezoning and public funds to help WAL-MART’s developers. For instance, Mayor Hancock of Fenton fully endorsed a recent rezoning of a parking lot so WAL-MART would be within code to expand it’s store in order to house a grocery store within it’s walls, which is in direct competition to Shop-n-Save across Hwy. 141 and Dierbergs just down the road. And yet, he will be the first to ‘do whatever it takes’ to keep Chrysler open (rightfully so). I just use him as an example. He’s far from the only one. My point is. if we want to save local companies from hostile takeovers and economic cutbacks, let’s also try and save what else we have before we have another SWBell on our hands and ask ourselves, “how did this happen to our local stores” while we walk thru a ‘Lee Scott hell’ !!!!!
Ron Wilson
Affton
Schnucks at Northland, Schnucks at Cross Keys, The Dierbergs at Clocktower(no longer there, should have never been there), ShopnSave on Charbonier Rd (Florissant Mayor promised no more commercial development in that area). All of these were built or rebuilt with millions and millions of public money, and that is just in North County alone. Car buyers, not truck, SUV, or mini-van drivers have been sending the automakers a message for years that they do not sell what some of us want to buy, not sell us what they want to sell us. Chrysler and Ford are not listening, and GM is on the brink of going broke trying to pawn off their overpriced, under-mpg vehicles. I have had to tighten my belt the last 4 years due to being contracted out at my job, maybe those who think that they are untouchable in their jobs need to scale back like the rest of us.