[Vision2020] Palouse Monopoly Empire Mall; Gas/Food prices
Paul Rumelhart
godshatter at yahoo.com
Sun Apr 22 16:10:23 PDT 2007
Donovan Arnold wrote:
> Paul,
>
> It seems to me you are saying that if people cannot afford a $1 loaf
> of bread at WinCo they can always go buy a cake at Safeway for $19.95?
> I think you fail to grasp the concept that for thousands of people on
> the Palouse WinCo is something they can barely afford now. Safeway is
> not an option for many anymore than having fresh bread vacuum sealed
> and Fed Ex'd from Paris for many others.
Ok, it's been a while since I lived from one hoard of Ramen bought at
the cheapest price I could find to the next. That's true. I have been
there, though. But is Safeway really that much more expensive? Are we
talking your $1 loaf of bread costing $4 at Safeway, or $1.25? How much
cheaper is this magical "discount" store? I understand it's great for
bulk foods, but is it really that much more expensive to get the basics
at Safeway or Rosauers?
>
> I am glad you have the option of spending so freely as to do all your
> shopping anywhere you want. However, many people only have a $150
> budget for food or less and that doesn't buy much at Safeway. Top
> Ramen gets a little old after your 4000th helping over 5 years.
Well, I am glad you so often feel free to talk down to those of us who
happen not to be in the same financial straights that you are. I have
worked my way up the ranks where I work and have been compensated
accordingly. I made myself useful to those above me, and acquired some
skills that were needed on my own time. I make more than some, but not
nearly as much as others. I refuse to feel guilty about it.
I did pay my way through college with no loans, though. I did my time
eating Ramen and saving up to rent a couple of videos to treat myself
with once in a while. And I did this by shopping at Safeway, mostly.
Ramen on sale at Safeway for 10 cents each is still a great deal, even
if it's not at a qualified "discount" store.
Just so we're clear, while I do eat out a lot, I mostly live on PBJs and
such. I am a bachelor, after all. $10 will get me quite a few
sandwiches, even at the "expensive" stores.
>
> Safeway is NOT a super discount store. It is not for the poor and
> underclasses, it serves primarily the middle and upper middle class
> neighborhoods surrounding the area. People go there mostly
> for convenience of location or to avoid the large crowds at WinCo.
If WinCo went the way of the dodo bird, would those who shop at WinCo
starve? I seem to remember a time before WinCo appeared where we did
not have mass starvations and famine. Maybe my "middle class" status
blinded me to the facts?
I am curious, like I mentioned before, whether these massive chain
stores (even discount ones) are more at risk from rising gas prices than
Mom-and-Pop stores. Presumably, they do more shipping than smaller
stores need to do. If the gas prices are higher in Tuscaloosa, do they
average it out over all the stores price-wise?
Paul
>
> Best,
>
> Donovan
>
>
>
> */Paul Rumelhart <godshatter at yahoo.com>/* wrote:
>
> I could have sworn I bought food at a massive chain store the
> other day in the other mall. Anyway, I don't think the Winco
> retail chain is being overly hurt by UI and WSU student population
> declines. Maybe this branch, but I'd like to see some figures
> first. I'm also wondering if large supermarket chains, such as
> Winco, aren't just raising prices all over in an attempt to cover
> losses in other places. Anyway, there are alternatives to Winco.
> There must be, because I rarely shop there (except to buy the
> occasional Pocky sticks) and I need food to survive just like
> everybody else. I'd be interested to find out if local stores,
> such as the Co-op, are having to raise their prices more than the
> big-name stores. Presumably, this same rise in prices due to gas
> prices will affect everything that is shipped by truck - not just
> food. Walmart is basically built on the idea of massive
> transportation of goods quickly. I'd imagine that the rise in gas
> prices will affect it more than most stores.
>
> As for the honey bee problem, I'm hoping that it will work itself
> out the natural way. The 40% of bees that are left will breed
> resistance to whatever it is that is killing them off, and the
> survivors will flourish because there is now so little competition
> for them individually.
>
> Also, the Palouse Mall does not have a monopoly. There is nothing
> that they are doing that would stop another developer from
> building their own mall. If you want to protest the high prices
> they charge for rental space, don't shop there. You'll find there
> are a number of alternatives out there.
>
> Paul
>
> Donovan Arnold wrote:
>> Food prices are only going to go up even more for several reasons;
>>
>> 1) The massive extinction of honey bees has created a void in
>> pollination of 1/3 of the US food supply. 60% of honey bees have
>> died, with no cure or solution in the near future.
>>
>> 2) Increases in fuel prices increase the shipping costs of food.
>>
>> 3) Many crops were wiped out this year due in the freakish winter
>> storms. For example, oranges had a massive freeze.
>>
>> 4) The UI and WSU student populations have decreased, the main
>> income for Winco. With a reduced volume in sales, Winco has to
>> raise prices to cover losses in volume sales.
>>
>> 5) No competition. With no other discount grocery stores in the
>> area, like say a Super Wal-Mart, Winco can raise its prices with
>> no consequences, everybody has to eat.
>>
>> 6) The owners of the Palouse Empire Mall are raising their rents.
>>
>> I think it is obvious, Moscow needs competition in the area to
>> curve rising prices. It also needs to do some sting operations on
>> gas price fixing which obviously is going on.
>>
>> Maybe, many of you guys should call Pat Vaughn and ask him to
>> reassess the property value of the Palouse Empire Mall, which is
>> monopoly. Perhaps if the mall can make such huge increases in
>> their leases, the value of the only active retail mall on the
>> Palouse is much higher than what the County Assessor has it
>> listed as.
>>
>> If I had the time, and a personal interest at stake, like so many
>> of you do, I would contest the taxable value of the Palouse
>> Empire Mall. It is clear that it has a really high value since it
>> is able to charge so much for its lease spaces and has no real
>> competition. Moscow is probably losing $100,000s in tax revenue
>> that could go to things like finding a new space for the public
>> bus to park on the west side of town, and to give property tax
>> breaks to locally owned businesses that are having a hard time
>> due to the fact no mall will let them conduct business on their
>> property. Just a thought to those litigious and want what's best
>> and for our community.
>>
>> Best,
>>
>> Donovan
>>
>> */Ellen Roskovich <gussie443 at hotmail.com>/* wrote:
>>
>> *As the cost of gas continues to climb at the pumps, the
>> price of food starts to rise at the grocery stores. Has
>> anyone else noticed this recently?*
>> **
>> *Ellen Roskovich*
>>
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