Dollar General Will Change Cisne

Cisne’s village fathers will get to see “The Wal-Mart Effect” first hand if a developer follows through to build a new Dollar General next month. The mayor of Cisne knows….he once owned the Western Auto on the square.

All it took was Wal-Mart breaking ground in Fairfield and Flora to put the ka-bosh to his business.

I’m afraid the proposed Dollar General on the Route 45 curve might have the same impact on businesses on the Cisne Square.

The author of “The Wal-Mart Effect,” Charles Fishman, was able to put in print what we have all seen with our own eyes. …the destruction of entire downtown business districts due to the Bentonville, Arkansas mega-retailer. Wal-Mart, and to a lesser degree, Dollar General, can cut their prices on things like bread and milk and can hurt----for instance----Cisne Key Market.

All anyone thinks about is----cool---lower prices----until your kid has to get a donation for their grade school basketball team. The corporate giants aren’t quite as giving as the business owner in downtown. And then, when we look around twice, the downtown business is closed and the jobs it supported are gone too.

Dollar General could have the same impact on Cisne that Wal-Mart has had on Fairfield. And yet, the Cisne Village Board voted 5-1 to give $30,000 to the contractor who is reportedly going to break ground on a new store soon. The board will say the sewer line was needed anyway….and I am in no position to argue with them.

I can say this. Dollar General and Wal-Mart don’t spend a dime here….at this radio station.

They choke the people who do support us…..until they are dead.