Dollar General. Just how much will it cost Grand Marais and Cook County? Just last week one of our three budget shops returned $73,000 back into the community; will that continue? With the exception of food, most of what Dollar General sells is already available here at low cost. And budget shops recycle; less to be transported to out-of-county landfills. What will Dollar General return to Cook County/Grand Marais in jobs and taxes? A bit of research indicates not much.
Jobs that it will bring to Cook County, an area that already needs to import workers, are low paying. An entry job pays $7 an hour (cashiers, key holders, and sales associates) with a maximum of $10. The average voluntarily reported by 241 workers indicated they averaged $7.89. An assistant manager started at $8.00 with $14 maximum; the manager $11 to $16. Look it up.
On the other hand, what might Dollar General ask of us? According to “Just Good Jobs” they have received over $14 million in state and local subsidies; tax increment funding, tax credits, training reimbursement, low cost loans and property tax abatement. Like all box stores they stay as long as there is a demand but poor sales, increased taxes, etc. and they are gone.
And they’re not such a good neighbor. In 2012, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission sued Dollar General for race discrimination and retaliation and in 2013 for disability discrimination. According to the Nashville Post and the Baltimore Sun in 2005 Dollar General reported auditing irregularities. And as for the food which the other “budget shops” do not sell, buyer beware! Just a year ago (Feb.2015) the Campaign for Healthier Solutions, a nationwide consortium of more than 100 health, community and environmental justice organizations, conducted tests and found 81 percent of 164 products sold by Dollar General, Dollar Tree, Family Dollar and 99 Cents Only stores contained dangerous chemicals and toxic metals such as lead.
Dollar General is a mistake for Cook County, maybe they will realize it is also a mistake for them? How can a community with such a low population most of the year work for Dollar General? Will we have another zip-line on our hands, built or partially built and then abandoned? Or worse, have to live with Dollar General as a welcome to Grand Marais? Time to work on regulations which will prevent a repeat of this type of problem. Please, NO Dollar General!
Pat Zankman
Grand Marais
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