Economic Development in Middletown, Etc.
Yesterday Middletown & the Newport Chamber of Commerce along with Middletown's Economic Advisory Board (I am a member) sponsored a breakfast at the Atlantic Beach Club (Thankyou Peter Kyriakides, owner) wherein we were encouraging small business to come & develop here. All of the Council members were there, too. They recently approved funding to hire a Director on a part-time basis. Portsmouth also does this. A rep. from Portsmouth suggested that we keep in mind that we can act regionally along with Tiverton. A great idea.
The town wants to become more business friendly. Which brings me to the "Fair Share" bill. Owners will tell me privately how the big box retailers are hurting their long-time family businesses. How can they compete when they actually offer benefits & good salaries? Yet, they hesitate speaking in favor of "Fair Share", although they would directly benefit. How many businesses which were locally owned & supported, many quite comfortably, have been buried by unfair competition? Through our state taxes we pay for health insurance for the workers at the big box retailers which then put our own small businesses out of work. Unbelievable. Support "Fair Share" now with a call to your legislators!
So, "Office Max" closed down here. "Office Depot" is now opening in the same location. Less than a mile away is "Staples". Remember when we had locally owned business supply stores? People (residents) actually made a good living. Gone. And we did it to ourselves. To save what? A penny on a box of staples? Sad.
The town wants to become more business friendly. Which brings me to the "Fair Share" bill. Owners will tell me privately how the big box retailers are hurting their long-time family businesses. How can they compete when they actually offer benefits & good salaries? Yet, they hesitate speaking in favor of "Fair Share", although they would directly benefit. How many businesses which were locally owned & supported, many quite comfortably, have been buried by unfair competition? Through our state taxes we pay for health insurance for the workers at the big box retailers which then put our own small businesses out of work. Unbelievable. Support "Fair Share" now with a call to your legislators!
So, "Office Max" closed down here. "Office Depot" is now opening in the same location. Less than a mile away is "Staples". Remember when we had locally owned business supply stores? People (residents) actually made a good living. Gone. And we did it to ourselves. To save what? A penny on a box of staples? Sad.
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