Quote:
Originally Posted by yellowghost
So what are you saying? We should start shaking down companies like Wall-mart to help pay for the infrastructure needed to get customers into it's stores? You know companies like that would only just threaten to scrap plans for new stores or close existing ones...yep. its a win-win.
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This isn't a shakedown - it's a negotiation. Considering the city's council currently consists of people too stupid to actually negotiate with corporate executives, they just fold immediately or they shoot themselves in the foot with their overbearing demands; one of the two. There's almost no end to the profitability of a Wal-mart. If they want customers, see how far you can push them before they actually *do* fold their plans. Of course, this has to be done within reason. In negotiation they speak of something called the Zone of Probable Agreement. If you start the negotiations too far outside, you'll poison the whole process. The city has done this here. Instead of negotiating to a point of mutual benefit where the Wal-Mart goes in and becomes a very productive property and business tax payer, the stupid councilors decided it would be better to blow hard with the backing of a few NIMBYs and unreasonably request that the developer start building highways to accommodate their development. This is totally ridiculous and you're right.
But this also doesn't look anything like some condos in a swamp on an as yet unconstructed RT line. The Wal-Mart will absolutely succeed, without a doubt. There's no risk in the public's investment...
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