The Explorer has a more in depth article about the "Shop Oro Valley" program.
Once again, although the Explorer article doesn't address the issue, we'll remind our readers to shop where Oro Valley gets the full 2% sales tax. At the Oro Valley Marketplace, Vestar keeps almost 1/2 of our revenue.
Read the article here.
http://www.explorernews.com/articles/2008/12/03/news/doc4935d34001d55867946645.txt
7 comments:
Yes , shopping OV business is a great idea,
Problem with that is that new shopping center is not really that enticing , at least so far
I recall people saying how nice it would be to be able to shop for a shirt and tie, etc, right here , close to home, Well what happened?
What happened to all those nice stores we were promised?
Dicks' splorting Goods will probably put one of the other two sporting good stores out of business
Except for a few nice chain restaurants there is nothing there for me to spend my money on
So I agree try to shop in OV but in places that have to contribute the full sales tax due to OV
So here is the message....Completely forget about shopping where you can get the most for your dollar and spend more of your money so Oro Valley can have more money. Hmmmmmmmm??? Why not just donate money to the Town directly? And if one of the other sporting goods stores does go out of business, I think it will be because they have a poor business plan and cannot compete.
By the way I thought it hilarious that one of the very prominent and vocal members of the Oro Valley First group was seen coming out of the theater the other evening. I'll avoid her the embarassment and not mention her name.
Thinker,
"Shopping where you can get the most for your dollar?" After all these years, haven't you learned that you get what you pay for?
Of course, if by "the most" you mean that you can pay less and get the added "benefits" of lead and melamine added to your purchase, then by all means, you should shop where you can get "the most" for your money!
If you're so concerned about tax dollars for OV, then answer this question. If you need a particular sporting good, and it's available at Dick's at OVM but the exact same item is available at Big 5 for the exact same price, at which store will you purchase the item? The one where OV gets 100% of the sales tax dollars or the one where it gets only 55%?
I shop OV only for the necessities. For the rest I go to Phoenix. Sorry, there just aren't the unique shops here. I would love it if there were some Mom & Pop operations that offered quality, consistency, and value, especially restaurants. But unfortunately to compete they have had to lower the quality and bring in cheaper goods. Our labor pool is poor at best, basically a bunch of overpraised children with no real ambition, because they haven't had to step up to the plate. The retail lease rates are the same per square foot as up in the higher zips of Phoenix. Why would any smart business person locate there biz here? Seasonal homeowners, high lease rates, high taxes, non-motivated workforce, and the list goes on. All we can hope for are chains, (which I refuse to frequent) they can absorb the losses a lot easier and if not we'll bail em out. I really was hoping to open a cafe here, but, as a smart business owner, I don't see it. I guess I'll take my dream back to Phoenix. So, I guess that makes me one of the deserters Hey, even Andrew Weil chose Phx over Tucson for his joint venture with restauranteur Sam Fox. Has got to say something about doing biz here. Oblah Dee, Oblah Da
This is a VERY difficult time to be discussing the various reasons for patronizing 'this or that' store. As Bob Dylan once sang: "The times they are a changing"; actually the times have changed. The American economy, for a myriad of a series of reasons, might be on the verge of outright collapse (I have my opinions for this, but will not, for the time being elaborate). I will state, however, that because of the total 'relaxation' of 'sweat equity' that in the past has been used to create ACTUAL
wealth, but has now deteriorated into a 'thin air' value of your home, your car, your furniture, etc., your money is truly an imaginary asset and therefor I say "use it wherever and however you want in order that you can fit whatever it is you need or want into your life".
Now, as to the OVM, Walmart, etc., how can we separate those entities and their business practices apart from the vile practices of our governments, big corporations, the sly 'mom and pops' and the like. Read the papers, tune into the news/commentary media, talk to a teacher, and you will find that even though there is much good out there, 65% of the students have no qualms about cheating, 35% have no qualms about stealing, and in general, almost none have a clue as to those ideals which made us a great nation. And, so it follows from the current values of our once quasi-ethical existence.
VC, I just can't single out Wal-mart for their practices OR their products. Yes, I HATE that we've become a nation of consumers rather than of self-sustaining producers; but that's where it stands now and even the icons of our past are falling like a bunch of poisoned flies; GREED HAS OVERTAKEN RESPONSIBILITY! So, not only Wal-mart, but other 'favored' entities are doling production out to other countries - China, Mexico, Vietnam, Indonesia, etc., etc., etc.
Yes, I have patronized Wal-mart (I didn't take the 'oath'), the theater, and the Olive Garden (awful). To be honest, I found Wal-mart's products to be priced more than competitively, their quality to be no less than the 'more independents', and, guess what, I found their employees to be more pleasant and efficient than most places I go to. Yes, there are certain items I will not purchase there for a variety of reasons; but, that's my personal side and I refuse to name those categories.
As to the OV tax situation, OV made the bed with the blessing of an 'unwilling to dig in and find out' electorate. So, for me it's convenience, availability, price,
or whatever; selfish, perhaps, but most certainly not anti-Oro Valley!
4 Square Tires,
Thank you for your comment, "Our labor pool is poor at best, basically a bunch of overpraised children with no real ambition, because they haven't had to step up to the plate."
I've made this same observation on this site many times. I've often said that today's kids are so "catered to and coddled" that they are all going to be (or have already become) completely impotent and useless adults incapable of making even a simple decision or doing anything that requires hard work or a thought process.
Interestingly, every time I make that comment, there are no arguments to follow. Then again, no one ever writes back and agrees with me either (probably too afraid to feel the wrath of little Jeremy's over-protective mom). So I was happy to see that there IS someone else out there who agrees with my observation. I think lots of people do, but they're afraid to admit it, hence the lack of arguments or debate on this issue.
And I agree with Zev's comment about the Olive Garden. I ate there once in Massachusetts and it was awful. I actually tried it one more time, ordering a different dish just to see if they did a better job with another menu item, but it was just more of the same slop. I never went back.
The thing about chains, though, from what I've seen, is that the kitchen is staffed by "cooks" not "chefs." I've personally known two cooks in my life. One had only a high school diploma and the other didn't even have that! So I think this explains a lot.
I agree with both 4 square and VC about their observations relative to the kids of today. However, I cannot let that be held as being exclusive to the OVM; it's an all-over epidemic. In virtually all the areas I've lived or visited, in both chains and independents, the use of 'I don't care' young adults is rampant. Many I have seen do not adhere to basic job requirements or, in the case of restaurants, simple hygenic musts. Now, VC, in the case of my experience at the Olive Garden, I don't think even a cook, let alone a chef, prepared our food. I had the messiest grilled chicken salad I have ever seen, and my wife had ravioli served with the wrong sauce 'cause the waiter didn't know there was a difference between meat sauce or tomato sauce. Conclusion, I believe that the waiter himself threw these dishes together. Yeech! So much for professionalism.
Post a Comment