The Planning Commission had a matter in front of them that will probably be overturned by the Council tonight….needing to vent, and knowing I haven’t posted in a while, I cruised over to Word Press to kill two birds with one stone. Here’s the background…back in February, a medical imaging firm relocated to a couple of trailers located behind the “dying” Drummond facility. A couple of months later they moved to the Heritage Plaza business complesx, trailers and all. They hooked up diesel generators that pumped smoke into the Montessori school there. They were finally shut down. Then they come to the Commission wanting a 6 month extension to move inside of the buildings there. We basically said no to their extension request. Here’s why.
They repeatedly broke the rules (code) even after being warned. They thumbed their nose at the City of Ridgecrest and basically were telling everyone they didn’t have to play by the rules. Of course our city in it’s infinite wisdom, doesn’t have fines or any other punitive thing they can do. I felt our shutting them down until they got it right would suffice.
They are trying to make this about us being anti-business. We don’t support competition. We were protecting the hospital. Nothing could be further from the truth. From where I sat, it was all about telling them that we will NOT allow a business to come in here and do anything less than what is expected from them. It’s about fairness. The hospital is meeting rigorous standards in getting their new building up. Wonder if they considered putting their new imaging center in a couple of trailers out back.
My hope is that the Council will do the right thing tonight. But for them, lately, those decisions have been hard to come by.

Categories: Uncategorized
September 24, 2009 · 3 Comments
Now don’t get me wrong…I am not a huge supporter of Wal Mart….there have been some issues raised over the years with how they may or may not mistreat their employees….hardly anything compelling there or any different from any other corporate environment for that matter….so let’s just look at this on it’s face…here is a cold hard fact…
In every city where Wal‐Mart has opened a Supercenter in California, the city‐wide Taxable Retail Sales (including apparel stores, general merchandise stores, grocery stores, home furnishing and appliance stores, and other retail stores) have increased in the year following the opening of the Supercenter as compared to the Taxable Retail Sales of the year prior to the opening. Moreover, city‐wide Taxable Retail Sales have continued to increase in each subsequent year in all communities that have had Wal‐Mart Supercenters for multiple years.
That’s from a survey done by an independent company….a survey that goes on to show other grocery stores do NOT close in those communities and they actually see an INCREASE in sales. Why? Aaron Rios from Wal Mart said it best at the meeting the other night. Retail Synergy. That’s fancy talk for more people staying in town to shop. The more stuff (meaning selection) they sell at Wal Mart…the more people are likely to stay in town to shop.
Which brings me to another point….if I hear one more person say “I tried to find it in town first and then I went out of town” I am going to be sick. What a freaking lie. Talk to the small business owners around town….ask them if people call or come by looking for a particular item. It just doesn’t happen. Nor do they ask a store if they can get it. Now I understand there are new fashion standards out there and people are not likely to buy clothes from Wal Mart. We lost our Mervyn’s. But for women there are a couple of shops here. AND a couple that have gone out of business.
Next time tell the truth…I like Target better….I only buy at Nordstom’s. Etc. The more retail dollars that are spent here increases our odds of getting more retail so when you go out of town…you can go for fun instead of these covert retail operations.

Categories: Uncategorized