Multiple reports over the past month regarding a development company visiting town to negotiate for property in Barnesville on which to locate a Wal-Mart Supercenter were confirmed at a special called meeting of the Barnesville city council Thursday afternoon.
I feel sorry for long-time local stores and businesses if it happens. They'll sell fast food, gas, pharmaceuticals, groceries, and everything else...and all the money for materials and the sales profit goes elsewhere. We'll get some taxes and low-paying jobs, while small business owners for miles around will get the shaft.
Sponge Bob, how could you call this good for the community? And how can you call Wal-Mart quality?
What is the city "negotiating"? How much in tax money we WON'T collect from them?
Charlie Muise
For downtown, I don't actually see that much impact. There isn't that much direct competition between the things offered downtown and what you'll find in a Super Walmart. The main strip is mostly restaurants anyway and the other stores are pretty much specialty. I could be wrong, but I just don't see it.
My big thing in this is with Forsyth, Thomaston and Griffin all having Super Walmarts, how in the world do they think this community can support one? There are only around 18,000 people in the whole county and only about 6,600 live in Barnesville proper. Putting one here will weaken the revenues of the ones in the surrounding cities. From a business stand point it just doesn't make that much sense. The net effect would likely be to weaken the economies of all four areas.
As much as I'd like to have a Super Walmart closer than a fifteen to twenty minute drive, having one in Barnesville seems sort of silly. It would be like putting another Ingles in Milner.
Anyway, just my take on it.
I am by no means glorifying Walmarts goods but they are however very reasonably priced and offer a lot of products that are of better quality than what you would find at Family Dollar. Not to mention the thing they sell that you cannot even get in this town. For instance, baby equipment. Where can you go in bville to get a new crib or carseat? All of these thrift stores around town want to charge new prices for used items. And our grocery stores are a joke. Giant mart isnt big enough to carry a variety and Ingles price gouges. I am sorry that a few stores downtown might go out of business if Walmart comes here, but hey, Jack, times are hard for everybody and I personally will be glad to save my gad money and time by driving to Griffin or Thomaston. So let's all just get along. It's going to happen one day whether we like it or not.
5 years or more?
A couple of years ago, we took our daughter to the small town of Poplar Bluff in Missouri for testing for nursing school. It was a heartbreaking example of what Walmart did to an historic town. Downtown was trashed out, storefronts were empty, and the 4 lane highway outside of the town center had that cheesy strip mall look to it. That was where Walmart and the businesses it attracted were located.
I am not excited by this news. Sorry.
The decision is really out of the public's hands, so what be will be. Changes are not from the collective vision or opinion of a community.
And who thinks this will get people off of welfare, if they want to work they would be working now! Most anyone can find a job, if they want too!
NO Wal-Mart in our small town!!!! This is something I think the citizens of Lamar County should vote on!
A more pressing issue is rumors that the School Board is running a deficit and are considering raising the millage rate for additional funding. If this is true, we really have a problem! Higher taxes to support public education is a no-no from this property owner. Any person with an IQ above that of a flat rock knows that public schools are failed model and a poor investment. All you have to do is look at the educational attainment of its graduates. You can observe them at any fast-food joint and/or during Buggy Days!!!
I'll take Walmart any day over higher takes to support public schools
Thus if asked I would advise the Mayor and City Council be certain WALMART itself is looking for a site in Barnesville and to use caution negotiating with an outside broker. It could turn out such a broker's plan may be to "tie up" the property and then go to Walmart and TRY to get them interested in coming to Barnesville and making a quick buck "flipping the land".
One last thing: I've been to a Walmart Neighborhood Market. They sell groceries, general merchandise and have pharmacies; only on a smaller scale. They average 44000 s.f. and employ about 80 workers, mostly part-time. A regular Walmart averages 108000 s.f employing 225 mostly part-timers and a Super Center averages 185000 s.f. and employs 350 mostly part time workers. You can search the internet for "Walmart Neighborhood Markets" for more details
I can still remember how
That music used to make me smile
And I knew if I had my chance
That I could make those people dance
And maybe they'd be happy for a while
But February made me shiver
With every paper I'd deliver
Bad news on the doorstep
I couldn't take one more step
I can't remember if I cried
When I read about his widowed bride
But something touched me deep inside
**The day the music died**
So
[Chorus]
Bye, bye Miss American Pie
Drove my Chevy to the levee but the levee was dry
Them good ole boys were drinking whiskey in Rye
Singin' this'll be the day that I die
This'll be the day that I die
Did you write the book of love
And do you have faith in God above
If the Bible tells you so?
Now do you believe in rock and roll?
Can music save your mortal soul?
And can you teach me how to dance real slow?
Well, I know that you're in love with him
Cause I saw you dancin' in the gym
You both kicked off your shoes
Man, I dig those rhythm and blues
I was a lonely teenage broncin' buck
With a pink carnation and a pickup truck
But I knew I was out of luck
The day the music died
I started singin'
[Chorus]
Now, for ten years we've been on our own
And moss grows fat on a rolling stone
But, that's not how it used to be
When the jester sang for the king and queen
In a coat he borrowed from James Dean
And a voice that came from you and me
Oh and while the king was looking down
The jester stole his thorny crown
The courtroom was adjourned
No verdict was returned
And while Lenin read a book on Marx
The quartet practiced in the park
And we sang dirges in the dark
The day the music died
We were singin'
[Chorus]
Helter skelter in a summer swelter
The birds flew off with a fallout shelter
Eight miles high and falling fast
It landed foul on the grass
The players tried for a forward pass
With the jester on the sidelines in a cast
Now the half-time air was sweet perfume
While sergeants played a marching tune
We all got up to dance
Oh, but we never got the chance
Cause the players tried to take the field
The marching band refused to yield
Do you recall what was revealed
The day the music died?
We started singin'
[Chorus]
Oh, and there we were all in one place
A generation lost in space
With no time left to start again
So come on Jack be nimble, Jack be quick
Jack Flash sat on a candlestick
Cause fire is the devil's only friend
And as I watched him on the stage
My hands were clenched in fists of rage
No angel born in Hell
Could break that Satan's spell
And as the flames climbed high into the night
To light the sacrificial rite
I saw Satan laughing with delight
The day the music died
He was singin'
[Chorus]
I met a girl who sang the blues
And I asked her for some happy news
But she just smiled and turned away
I went down to the sacred store
Where I'd heard the music years before
But the man there said the music wouldn't play
And in the streets the children screamed
The lovers cried, and the poets dreamed
But not a word was spoken
The church bells all were broken
And the three men I admire most-
the Father, Son, and the Holy Ghost-
They caught the last train for the coast
The day the music died
And they were singing.......
why are you people so afraid of the future?surley you dont think this backwater forgotten town full of meth heads,crackheads,thiefs,murderers,pedofiles Ect.. is some kind of hidden paradise.if you do then you are sadly mistaken.
Most of the stores that operate downtown do not sell things that Walmart sells.
It it hard to say how much revenue Lamar County has lost because INGLES won't let any other store into that store front(this is not the only small town INGLES has done this to) Had they let a major chain in there like perhaps Ross or Marshalls maybe or even Big Lots Walmart wouldn't have such an open opportunity.
Having said that, Walmart brings in a lot of jobs and revenue to a community, even a small Market style.
I say bring on the Super center, we certainly don't want them building small then building again larger in a different location only to leave empty storefronts like they have in Griffin and Forsyth.
Believe it or not, every town that got a Super Walmart did survive it. Yes, things changed, people had to adapt, some things went away and some new things came into being. But the towns did survive and not all of them became disaster areas as many would have you believe.
It is not a sure thing that a super Walmart is coming to Barnesville. It is not a sure thing that downtown will dry up. It is not a sure thing that war, pestilence, famine and death will follow in the wake of a Walmart in Barnesville. But if Walmart does come to town you can either adapt or move away/be bitter/not help keep Barnesville a nice place.
Seriously, though, you can't have it both ways. You can't want a better standard of living, more opportunities, and conveniences but not want things to change or new businesses to move in.
I am not convinced I want a Walmart in town either, but unless they put it to a vote I don't think my opinion is going to matter. Given that, I might as well be happy in the mean time, learn to adapt and be a positive influence.
If a Wal-Mart comes to Barnesville, there may be a couple businesses to close, if they cannot adapt to the changing marketing climate. Ace Hardware's bigger competitor is Home Depot and Lowe's, and Ace is going head to head with them, sometimes building stores across the street from them. Because of Akins' specialization in all things farming related, they would probably benefit from the increased traffic in the area. Ingles, CVS and Walgreens would be forced into competitive pricing, something they already have to do in markets such as Griffin, where the Walgreens is across the street from Wal-Mart. With a Wal-Mart in Forsyth, Thomaston, and Griffin, they evidently think the market is not saturated yet, hence their decision to build here. Then the market will be saturated.
As for the downtown area, I don't think downtown will suffer. I don't think that all the shops in town going to pull up stakes and move to the Wal-Mart site. A few, maybe. Look at Thomaston or Griffin. I don't think that there would be many other shops in the shopping center, because of the population density here. Look at Forsyth. There aren't many shops in the Wal-Mart complex there, compared to Griffin, Thomaston, or elsewhere. Not all Wal-Marts are overrun with other shops in the same complex. The population density that Wal-Mart requires in order to build may not be the same as what other retailers require.
If a site on 75 would be a better location, you can bet Wal-Mart would be building there. But the fact is, Wal-Mart is going to build close to the population center, which in this case is Barnesville. The population density in Barnesville is far greater than that out at High Falls Road, or Johnstonville Road. Stockbridge, McDonough, Locust Grove, Forsyth, and Macon (Eisenhower and Zebulon Rd)all have Wal-Mart stores because of the this same reason, because the population density can support it.
I'm not the biggest fan of Wal-Mart; I don't really like having to wait in line with 100 people, with only 2 registers open. I'm not a fan of the Chinese products that don't last. Some of their products are ok; its just like anything else, you get what you pay for. But it will bring jobs, and some of them pay ok, depending on a person's abilities. And groceries are far cheaper there than at Ingles, at least for now.
I stopped in at the Walmart Market in Locust Grove and found the prices to be as high as Ingles if not higher. I have not been back there, maybe it is lower now? But we do not need one of those so close to Ingles.
P Daddy you make some good points and I know they don't build near 75 because of the pop density, but I can prefer it for all the good it will do.
Debbie you opened a pizza place in a small town that already had 2 pizza places, right? You seem to be doing fine and as a matter of fact I think Slices has some of the best pizza, thats just me, not trying to start a pizza war. I really just eat at the one that has the fundraiser I want to support :-P ...Suffice it to say I don't think Wally World would effect you.
Really everyone, which stores downtown do you think Wally World would put out of business?? You all say "downtown" well, which downtown business? Most of the ones that are succeeding are consignment shops. The ones that struggle the most (and close)are restaurants.
Y'all go pull out your check books and add up how much revenue you have given to other counties in the past two months!
MC and Joe Kazoz I haven't seen anything particularly constructive about either of your constant criticisms. Joe why don't you put your money where your mouth is step up. go ahead and run for anything, under your real name...oh but that's right its that good ole boy network that would keep you down...yeah,yeah, RIGHT! Just more complaints from you two is all we'll get now...
Now I know that your'e very narrow minded sheep.
Who will this effect - T.J. Outfitters, Hamricks, Ingels, Giant Mart, all of downtown Gift, Hair supply, Thrift, Clothing, Shoe, Movie, Phone, Auto, Tire, Vision, Gas, Pharmacy and MORE Etc.
Maybe Wal-Mart will open a NEW BRANCH for Barnesville City Government inside and rid us of all these thoughtless decision makers that are doing soo much for our community - NOT.
$$ - Root of all evil.
Wal-Mart - GO AWAY.
I have lived in Barnesville most of my life, my family is from here for generations back, I have roots here even after living in California, Texas and Louisiana.
If you don't like Barnesville why are you here? Just go somewhere you think is better and make a better life for yourself.
I have never seen you do anything but complain. This is the last time I will address you directly, I have made my point.
I will take a wal-mart anytime over what we now have!
http://www.momandpopnyc.com/campaigns/walmart/index.htm
If it was Target I would be very happy. I just don't like anything about Walmart.
There-I admitted it.
Seriously, most communities that had Walmart move in over the past 10 years already had stagnant downtowns and local economies. That website that Trent provided is an effort backed by people to not let the free market, competition and capitalism work, but to make Walmart play by the rules of people that don't want competition. It is backed by Unions, New York liberals, political pimps and socialist thugs. And that is who you and Trent feel we should model ourselves after? Wow...
Communities that suffered any ill because of Walmart did so because of the community itself, not because of Walmart. Do I want a Walmart here? I don't know: I am really undecided. But I am grown up enough to know that it is not going to do anything to this community that we don't let happen ourselves.
As far as Chic-fil-a, my understanding is it will be down near the Subway, Roses, etc is (right near the intersection of College Drive and 41).
And, yes, I "fly" when I drive to Griffin :)
I am missing something obviously apparent to everyone else. Why is it bad to have Walmart near a school? Is the traffic the worry? I would think being able to run in and grab school supplies or those cupcakes your child forgot to tell you about or pink shoes to match that dress daughter wants to wear would be very convenient.
My sister and I think that it could go out on MLK, and handle the traffic or possibly onto 41. Walmart usually brings a Catos clothing store, BiLo, dollar stores and other businesses that many would enjoy having. All the Gordon students would likely shop there.
We shall see what happens.
I work with manufacturers, including when they purchase other businesses or relocate manufacturing. I worked with Zenith when some manufacturing moved to Mexico, with an automotive test and component manufacturer moved manufacturing to Korea and Taiwan, and other electronics as it moved around the USA.
Things do not move for reasons the public is generally told. I have even worked for the Chinese. The Chinese are ruthless in planning, and generally misleading. They fully realize we are greedy and have poor future planning, and they know people in Government only look for what is good specifically for them in the very short term. While countries like China plan for the longer-term future of their country, we plan mostly for local and almost always in the short term.
Lamar County, and the rest of the USA, needs to rethink how we deal with other countries. We need to look at this stuff in terms of how it affects our country long term (county first).
The principle from China had a sketchy background that included falsifying UL certification and other things. There was no reason he was going to move manufacturing here, except to circumvent trade laws or tariffs. China doesn't do anything for us, everything they do is for them.
A typical deal when China makes a supplier agreement is the USA manufacturer has to get rid of the equipment used to manufacture the goods. This prevents the domestic manufacturer from going back in business. When the USA jobs are lost, we all pay retraining and other extended benefits to the displaced workers. The company shipping jobs offshore picks up a small fraction of the cost. This includes medical benefits.
I'm sure other countries just laugh at how short-sighted, gullible, and how divided and polarized we are. I've been in a car riding away from a meeting with a local IDA where the Chinese businessmen were laughing about the deal they got.
Tom