Witness: Wal-Mart 'raises all boats'

From today's Lewiston Tribune:

By DAVID JOHNSON
of the Tribune

PULLMAN -- A new Wal-Mart Supercenter here would tap into an estimated $92 million in retail sales that currently leaves town and also bring more than $700,000 in sales tax revenue back to the city, an expert witness for the world's largest etailer testified Friday.

What's more, said Bill Ried, fewer than 12 percent of the city's current downtown merchants would end up competing with Wal-Mart and national chain stores like ShopKo are already surviving competition with the Moscow Wal-Mart store.

"The common term is that it raises all boats," Ried testified during a day-long hearing triggered by a citizens' group opposed to Wal-Mart's arrival here.

T.V. Reed, spokesman for the Pullman Alliance for Responsible Development (PARD), said during a break in the hearing that despite the testimony of Ried and other Wal-Mart experts, many fiscal, traffic, environmental, safety, and Wal-Mart business practice issues remain.

Ried said he based his fiscal impact conclusions in part on a two-day visit he made last October. He said he toured Pullman's three retail corridors -- downtown, on Grand Avenue and on Bishop Boulevard -- taking into account the various retail outlets.

Downtown, said Ried, he found 83 businesses that offered retail merchandise or services. Of those, he said, a total of 10 appeared they could end up in competition with Wal-Mart at varying levels.

"I was surprised," Ried said of the apparent retail vitality downtown.

According to Washington Department of Revenue reports, said Ried, about $96 million in annual retail sales is spent locally by people living in Pullman. But a town the size of Pullman, said Ried, is probably spending about $188 million.

The difference amounts to the $92 million that's being "leaked" outside the city to places like Moscow, Lewiston and Spokane. Wal-Mart, said Ried, hopes to retrieve those dollars rather than take money away from other retailers in town.

Asked how Wal-Mart can justify building super centers here and in Moscow, Ried said the company is not in the habit of cannibalizing its own. "They will not open a store unless they are confident to make money," he said. "They site their stores to prevent cannibalism."

Members of the Moscow City Council eight miles away are also dealing with the potential construction of a second Wal-Mart Supercenter. Once a Wal-Mart gets established, said Ried, it's common for a super center of the size proposed to do about $70 million in annual sales.

The Pullman hearing stems from PARD's appeal of actions by the City of Pullman that have thus far cleared the way for construction of the 223,000-square-foot store. The super center is designed to include a grocery store, garden center and gasoline station in addition to a retail merchandise outlet.

Under questioning from Wal-Mart attorney John McCullough of Seattle, Ried said the super center would "compliment" Pullman's economy.

That brought a series of questions from attorney Brian McGinn, who represents PARD. "I'm surprised to hear a lot of this for the first time today," McGinn told Ried. Members of PARD have been asking the city for some sort of economic study. But officials said city concerns are only with infrastructure, safety, environmental, and direct public cost questions.

The two-day hearing, before examiner John Montgomery, started last week and included public testimony from people for and against the arrival of Wal-Mart. Montgomery, a Spokane attorney, will make a determination on the appeal, either upholding the city's actions or calling for other action. PARD, Wal-Mart, and the city have the right to appeal Montgomery's decision to the Whitman County Superior Court.

During the morning session of the hearing, much of the testimony swirled around experts for PARD and Wal-Mart disagreeing about traffic studies. Rick Nys, a consultant hired by PARD, said a traffic impact study done by CLC Associates of Spokane (at Wal-Mart's request) was "flawed" and "inadequate."

But Kevin Picanco, representing CLC, defended the study and said his conclusions are all based upon standards set by the City of Pullman and the Washington Department of Transportation, both of which reviewed and signed off on the traffic analysis.

First Big Business... Now We The People...

8201-Initiatives & referenda

According to the above bill by Senator Jacobsen (D) of Seattle, he would like to get rid of the ability of the people to have initiatives and referendum powers in Washington. He is proposing several changes to several Sections of various Articles in the State Constitution. Including totally eliminating Section 1 of Article II. I have the first paragraph pasted below. This is something to watch out for!

SECTION 1 LEGISLATIVE POWERS, WHERE VESTED. The legislative authority of the state of Washington shall be vested in the legislature, consisting of a senate and house of representatives, which shall be called the legislature of the state of Washington, but the people reserve to themselves the power to propose bills, laws, and to enact or reject the same at the polls, independent of the legislature, and also reserve power, at their own option, to approve or reject at the polls any act, item, Section, or part of any bill, act, or law passed by the legislature.

Appeal Hearing Day Two Wrap-Up

On the way into the hearing this morning, we were behind a car that had a "My other car is a broom" license plate frame. I figured it wasn't a Wal-Mart supporter. And sure enough, out stepped the "Boob" Master and Professor "Lower Socio-economic Class". I guess the "Wiccans Against Wal-Mart" bumper sticker is still under production. Based on today's wacky weather, you can almost believe that.

HUGE supporter turnout today!! I am so proud of the people of this town. The bad thing is that many supporters came hoping to speak and didn't get a chance to because of how poorly the hearing was run. But still many diehards stuck around to the bitter end, just to show their support. I met so many people that I had only known as names before, and lots of other new supporters. PARD is dying, our numbers are growing all the time!

I never want to hear the words "PM Peak" again.

PARD's delay tactics almost worked, but the common people of Pullman rose up against them. Yes, the media wasn't there to cover it (they weren't there for PARD's comments either), but the Hearing Examiner heard it, and it's not the newspapers that make the decision. Plus, we may have averted another useless day of public hearing. Now we need to finish the job and demand that PARD drop their appeals and delays.

Stupid Quote #1: An old hippie chick was eavesdropping on my conversation during a break with two ladies about the benefits cited in the fiscal impact study. "All that money just goes to Arkansas!", the hippie chick said as she stormed out, which at least freed up a seat for one of the ladies.

Stupid Quote #2: The PARD attorney (who reminded me of Doogie Howser a bit), asked the economist who conducted the fiscal study on behalf of Wal-Mart, "Did you also study the impact on the Moscow Wal-Mart?" Do we really care about that?

Stupid Quote #3: From TV Rerun, of course. Apparently, being head of PARD has imbued him with certain megalomaniacal tendencies. He pontificated today that if he found that a fiscal impact study showed that Wal-Mart was beneficial for Pullman, then he would tell all the 9,000 or so people who signed the petition that it is okay for them to shop at Wal-Mart. Sheesh, who does he think he is, Moses?

Speaking of the fiscal impact study, it was worth sitting through all of the stupefyingly boring testimony today to see the look on the PARDners faces when that data came out. Here is the thing they have been whining for the past six months. When they finally heard the results, you would have thought they were four-year olds that been told the family dog had just been run over by a car. This reveals the whole economic impact study thing is just a canard. They were already starting to tear it apart before they had even seen it, just because it says something they don't agree with. The only study they want, just like any of the others, is one that agrees with their narrow viewpoint.

Then there was the "Ice Cream Dude" that testified at the end. I don't really know what more to say about him. At least he felt strongly enough about it to come out.

I know a whole bunch of people now I'd gladly go into battle with: Russ and April Coggins, Joshua Coke, Steve Garl, Ray Lindquist, Steve Syms, Jim Hawkes, Fred Miller, Don Pelton, Dan Dornes, Fritz Hughes, Susie Johnson, and a bunch of others I'm sure I missed.

Speaking of Joshua, can anyone say "Senator Coke??" He did fantastic tonight.

It starts up again next Thursday, the 26th, at 10 AM. I have no idea what the format will be: More testimony? Does PARD get to rebut the new evidence? But I'll be sure to let you know as soon as I hear anything.

We're Done!!

Wrapped up at 8:05 PM. Of the last dozen or so public comments, only a couple of been against Wal-Mart. That proved our point to the Hearing Examiner.

The Public Revolts!!!!

At 7:05, the Hearing Examiner was ready to knock things off for the night, but a group of us who had been here all day and wanted to testify had been denied the opportunity by PARD's endless traffic cross-examinations and repeat speakers who went over time.

The Examiner began looking at dates as late as February 1 to continue the testimony!! Oh God!!

After several of us spoke up from the floor about waiting all day to testify and missing work, he relented and decided to let the dozen or so of us speak who hadn't even spoke ONCE get a chance to speak versus the PARD repeats.

So on and on we go!!

And on and on it goes

PARD will not stop until every PARD member has testified at least three times. Captain Hooks AGAIN, Citizen Hosick AGAIN, TV Rerun AGAIN blah blah blah.

They may have already succeeded in forcing another day of hearings.

Now, by hogging all the public comments, they have effectively guaranteed that none of the supporters' comments will make it into the media tomorrow.

This Hearing Examiner is hard to figure out.

Stand By for Major Development

PARD is trying to wrangle a delay in the hearing.

They have effectively slowed down testimony with all the traffic critiquing so that there has been no public testimony yet. The Hearing Examiner wants, therefore, to postpone closing statements to a later date so public testimony can continue.

Also, PARD also wants to have another day of hearings to rebut the traffic report and fiscal study. Oh brother. Anything to drag it out longer.

The Wal-Mart attorney objected, saying that the burden of proof is on PARD and they have had plenty of opportunity to come up with their own studies, versus debunking Wal-Mart's. The Hearing Examiner is going to consider the motion.

Advantage McAloon!

City Attorney Laura McAloon just forced the PARD traffic engineer to admit that two other independent engineers agreed with Wal-Mart's traffic analysis.

PARD is Recalling Witnesses

My God, we're going to be here all night!!

The PARD attorney is forcing the PARD traffic engineer to go through his 40-point testimony AGAIN!!

Like Jim Fisher said, they really are fighting the wind.

Things Are Looking Great!!

Wal-Mart supporters are pouring in to the hearing, some not wanting to speak, but just their support.

I just helped two older ladies submit their written statement of support.

Their is a HUGE buzz in the crowd about the fiscal study. I just spoke with thre other ladies who think we should all be thanking Wal-Mart instead of quibbling over intersections and pedestrian/bicycle studies.

Come on down and join the fun!!!