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Superstores also hurt the local community because they are often very poor employers. Wal-Mart stands out as the most striking example. On the mainland, Wal-Mart is being sued in numerous states over issues including violation of child labor laws, underpaying hourly workers, threatening and firing pro-union workers, lack of payment for hours worked, and sex discrimination in promotion, pay and training. Aside from these glaring examples, most superstore jobs are NOT jobs that offer a decent wage. For example, according to the National Association of Women, full-time sales associates at Wal-Mart earn only an average of $6.10 an hour, which frequently leaves their annual earnings below the poverty level; half of these full-time employees qualify for federal food stamps. Such jobs do not offer meaningful opportunities for community members. They also often result in additional costs to the community, as municipalities are forced to provide social welfare services. By driving out existing businesses and offering low-paying jobs, supercenters can hurt the entire community, as low-paying jobs replace those that are higher paying. The City of Los Angeles report found that superstores can depress wages by as much as $8 dollars an hour. Using Wal-Mart as a specific example, a 2005 study by an economist from the National Bureau of Economic Research found that the average Wal-Mart store reduces earnings per person by 5 percent in the county in which it operates. Lower wages hurt residents' quality of life and further depress the local economy, as consumers have less money to spend on goods and services in the community. Regulating the size of superstores is crucial for the overall well-being of our island. Much has been made of the need for the Island of Hawaii to support diverse economic development that can offer residents decent-paying jobs and provide the island with local sources for key products, such as food items. This is essential for us to have a healthy local economy that can support its residents and remain somewhat insulated from catastrophic economic events that could threaten the tourist industry or cause a drastic increase in off-island prices. Unlimited development of non-local superstores will drive out local businesses and the meaningful job opportunities they offer, as well as make us more dependent than ever on off-island products. Such development also will change the identity of the island, as it destroys the unique cultural aspects of our area by replacing independent local establishments with generic box stores. I urge the planning committee to pass Resolution 21-07. I hope the county council will take the time to fully explore the impacts of supercenters; there is a great deal of information available that clearly shows the extensive negative effect they have on communities. We need careful, proactive planning to guide development that will support our island and the people that live here. Sources: 1. City of Los Angeles Documents: a. Final Support of Research for Big Box Retail /Superstore Ordinance prepared for the City of Los Angeles, October 2003 htta~//www lacity oro/council/cd13/houscommecdev/cd13houscommecdev239629 107 04262005.adf