July 23, 2014 at 2:10 p.m.
Not growing
Editor's Mailbag
By To the editor:-
Well, here is yet another letter in regards to the Super Wal-Mart slated for Portland. Well, of sorts. My personal opinion is I’m not pulling one way or another for it. If it comes in, icing on the cake, great thing it is here. If it doesn’t, we still have a Wal-Mart beside LoBill.
But all the uproar over it has raised the question, at least in my mind: Why? Meaning, why is there such an uproar? There is a sign on U.S. 27 coming into Portland from the south that says, “Welcome to Portland. A Place to Grow.” Grow? How are we as a city growing? The last thing I remember coming into town is Arby’s, and that’s been several years back.
How many people reading this have went to Muncie, Decatur, Fort Wayne or even Union City and upon returning were asked, “so what did you do there?” Nine times out of 10, the answer is, “Oh, I went shopping.”
People are going to these towns to get what they need rather than keeping the local economy going. Yet whenever something is proposed for Portland that would bring people as well as dollars to this town, there is usually a giant uproar to the effect of no, no, we don’t want there here.
Well, why not? Why not bring out of town finances, as well as create jobs, to our town? There will be those who disagree with this, but it amazes me that the more proposed businesses, the more people are against them. Some say “well, what about the family-owned and operated shops uptown?” Great, I love them. They are what makes this town great. But in that respect, how is anyone going to keep them going when they go out of town to get their goods to begin with?
Again, Wal-Mart, no Wal-Mart, life will go on. But let’s keep an open mind about really making Portland “A Place to Grow.”
Jeffrey Lewis
Portland[[In-content Ad]]
But all the uproar over it has raised the question, at least in my mind: Why? Meaning, why is there such an uproar? There is a sign on U.S. 27 coming into Portland from the south that says, “Welcome to Portland. A Place to Grow.” Grow? How are we as a city growing? The last thing I remember coming into town is Arby’s, and that’s been several years back.
How many people reading this have went to Muncie, Decatur, Fort Wayne or even Union City and upon returning were asked, “so what did you do there?” Nine times out of 10, the answer is, “Oh, I went shopping.”
People are going to these towns to get what they need rather than keeping the local economy going. Yet whenever something is proposed for Portland that would bring people as well as dollars to this town, there is usually a giant uproar to the effect of no, no, we don’t want there here.
Well, why not? Why not bring out of town finances, as well as create jobs, to our town? There will be those who disagree with this, but it amazes me that the more proposed businesses, the more people are against them. Some say “well, what about the family-owned and operated shops uptown?” Great, I love them. They are what makes this town great. But in that respect, how is anyone going to keep them going when they go out of town to get their goods to begin with?
Again, Wal-Mart, no Wal-Mart, life will go on. But let’s keep an open mind about really making Portland “A Place to Grow.”
Jeffrey Lewis
Portland[[In-content Ad]]
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