Jackson's treasures: Use 'em or lose 'em
The Toy House. ART 634. Nomad Bookhouse.
Good luck trying to find places like these Jackson-born businesses anywhere else.
Better yet, don't even try.
JXN Local First campaign aims to persuade people to shop locally.
Our Say
The concept is vital to this community's character and economic health. And you can extend it to more than shopping.
It should be obvious that every dollar spent in Jackson County stays in Jackson County. Purchases pay workers' salaries and, if a business also is locally owned, create profits for a proprietor who can invest in the community.
If that ripple effect is not obvious enough, JXN Local First is bringing in a speaker next month and promoting the buy-local concept with events the first week in July.
The community should pay attention and treat this idea seriously — maybe even more than campaign organizers intend. JXN Local First appears to be focusing initially on independent retailers and downtown businesses. It should not stop there.
Local governments and schools can push to hire local contractors for big-ticket projects. Some, like the Jackson County Airport and the City Council, already have.
Individuals can shop in this area and also use local companies for home-improvement projects. Rather than driving to Ann Arbor, Chelsea or Lansing for dinner, how about a meal at one of the hundreds of restaurants in Jackson County? You can find dining options at jacksonpop.com, a locally created Web site.
Take it a step further, to medical care. Foote Hospital is the destination of choice for more than half of Jackson County residents, but it battles fiercely with other hospitals in the region for patients. Foote is holding its own, but in order to stay independent and locally owned, it needs people to choose it and local physicians for care.
Jackson County has many treasures. The JXN Local First effort serves to remind us of what we have, and emphasize that our contribution to those places helps them to survive.
If we don't use what we have, we might well lose it.
http://blog.mlive.com/citpat_opinion/2008/05/jacksons_treasures_use_em_or_l.html
© 2008 Jackson Citizen-Patriot
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