by
Melody Harwell on 18 June 2004
When
are we going to stand up to the corporate take-over of the world?
When everything we see represents the same thing in the same shape.
Don’t we as people enjoy the diversity of deferent cultures
and environments. Starbucks has 45 stores islands wide they look
and taste all the same. Some Starbucks stores are 2 per town. How
much do they give back to the island? Stacy Mitchell, a research
associate at the Institute for Local self-reliance, says that the
only numbers about this effect are based on two small-scale studies
in coastal Maine and Austin, Texas. Researchers found in both cases
that for every $100 spent at a chain store, only $13 recalculated
in the local economy. Independent stores, on the other hand, represent
$45 locally, on things like local accountants and print shops.
Many People are beginning to see Starbucks as the new McDonald's
the worlds becoming a fast food nation. Political scientist Benjamin
Barber contends that this mega-expansion does more than just make
communities aesthetically bland. Barber claims that what he calls
"McWorld" is creating a "homogenous global theme
park" that is slowly undermining democracy by using the free
market to expand against society's best interests. But homogenization
is, by definition, a signal of the loss of diversity, uniqueness
and charm, the long-range effects of which could be quite damaging.
Starbucks well effects are town and the local establishments. Recognizing
that the town of Kapaa is unique in character, that the small-individualized
retail businesses and restaurants in Kapaa Town will not be able
to compete with rent prices of corporations such as Starbucks. The
community is Collecting 2,000 + signatures in opposition to a Starbucks
location in Kapaa Town. Sign NOW we need so 1,900 more support your
community!
Check out the petition at:
www.petitiononline.com/melo1236/petition-sign.html
or sign at Java Kai in Kapaa.
Howard Shults, CEO of Starbucks Coffee Company, claimed he was only
interested in going into areas where people want a Starbucks. (Business
Ethics Magazine, November/December 1995) Starbucks Hawaii said they
will come in to Kappa no matter where it is. (Garden Island Friday,
May 7,2004) There are 45 Starbucks in the State of Hawaii that enough.
There are 5 independent coffee merchants in Kappa Town we don’t
need a Starbucks. Starbucks has history of pushing out established
independent merchants and more and more visitor’s make Kauai
their destination for its uniqueness not just the same places they
can go to at home. This are a few comments made by people who signed
the petition. Please help by sighing the petition and supporting
your local merchants. After signatures are collected we will be
presenting them to the city council and have it placed on the ballet
we well need your help and support to get it there. These are a
few comments made by people that have sighed the petition.
"I am not a resident of Kauai but visit often and
felt that I still wanted to express how against this I am. Keep
Kappa local, do not allow Starbucks to take over. All you need to
do is go downtown Seattle, Washington to see what your town will
look like in a very short while, it is not a pretty sight."
"Keep Kauai Unique"
"Support local merchants, we already have great coffee in Kapaa
and more on the way… " a local merchant
"Preserve our special Garden island for are keikis"
What else can
you do to help?
E-mail Kauai Village property Management: Wade.Lord@cbre.com
Write or Call:
Coffee Partners Hawaii
Honolulu Support Center (HSC)
210 Ward Avenue, Suite. 100
Honolulu, HI 96814 (T: 808-545-1149)
