EDITOR:
Tough sell here folks.
On one hand there are those who want the land to stay open, on the other, there are those who say the jobs would help with unemployment levels, which I'm sure we all agree needs help.
As much as I like low prices, and abundant stock on the shelf, I say keep the land open. By allowing this to proceed, the three other grocery stores and other related businesses in town will shutter their windows. My adopted hometown does not need this. Look at the current situation of places for lease or rent.
And those employed at the other three stores will either be out of work, transfer to where they don't want to live, or go to work for the low wage leader Walmart. And, I as much as other comments, can't stand rude employees, high prices, lack of stock, etc. And yes, Walmart does have rude employees as well.
Also it seems that our city leaders have not looked at the big picture in the long term.
Once Walmart opens, more super-sized stores will want to build near by, i.e. Lowes, Home Depot, Best Buy.
Look at Fernley. They just opened a new Walmart and almost next door is a new Lowes. (This seems to happen everywhere you see a new Walmart is built.) I travel the nation as part of my job, so I see it happening all the time, coast to coast, border to border.
Do our city leaders really want this to happen? Then they will start crying how congested the area is, as well as the problems that will come, if this goes through. Then it will be to hard or to late to enact stricter zoning/building laws.
Oh yes, so we do get people driving from Bishop and other outlaying areas to shop here. But this is only short term. I'm sure Walmart has already been sniffing around Bishop looking for a place to build. Then when and if it's built, we lose that revenue. Like I said, at the start of this. This is a tough sell.
Todd Ramey
Gardnerville
