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Jul 29
2010
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Wal-Mart, AgainPosted by North Bay Report in Rohnert Park , protest , policy , planning , news , government , food , families , economy , current events , corporate responsibiliyt , business |
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Round Two in the fight over expanding Wal-Mart in Rohnert Park is on the city council agenda tonight, a debate that can be summarized as lower prices for consumers in the short term versus constraints on local economic growth in the long term.
While much of the discussion around the proposal Wal-Mart Expansion has focused on its probable impact on Pacific Market, the neighborhood grocery considered mostly likely to fail if Wal-Mart adds groceries, Ben Boyce of the Accountable Development Coalition notes that Rohnert Park’s discount grocery shoppers already have options nearby.
One of the most compelling arguments against the Wal-Mart application was an economic analysis by SSU professor Robert Eyler that detailed job losses and other negative effects. Boyce notes that it also refuted the claim that increased sales at Wal-Mart would generate additional sales taxes for Rohnert Park.
Denny Rosatti (left), Executive Director of Sonoma County Conservation Action, which also opposes the Wal-Mart application, says it would have to be changed significantly to merit their support instead.
Eco-tourism is a growth industry, especially in remote and unspoiled areas. But as those areas attract more visitors, can the natural experience they offer remain the same?
Initially, most geo-tourism was the realm of small, localized businesses that combined personal attention with the providers’ knowledge of the area they served. That’s still true in many cases, says writer-reporter Todd Pitock, but they no longer have that segment of the industry to themselves.
Todd Pitock's article, "
A remote Bolivian valley full of rare birds and wildlife is becoming an eco-tourism destination, thanks in part to an assist from a Sebastopol non-profit, the Conservation Strategy Fund.
Doron Amiran of the Sebastopol-based 
Touring the Bala Valley, where the Amazonia jungle backs up against the eastern foot of the Andes Mountains, Amiran found that accommodations for visitors were comfortable, but basic.
What’s an underemployed business consultant to do during a prolonged economic downturn? How about providing pro bono services to local non-profits.
The Minerva Project is aptly named, but that was partly accidental, as George Moskoff (right) explains.
With the dawn of the 2010-11 fiscal year in California, the budget-driven closures of many state park facilities have ended, effective today. But how long that will last is an open question.
The Stewards of the Coast and Redwoods, a volunteer-driven support organization for the parks of western Sonoma County, played an active role in the drive to get Proposition 21 on the ballot. Luna says budget decisions in Sacramento between now and November will likely make that issue a clear choice for voters.
