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Page 1 of ] <br /> Murashige, Laura <br /> From: Charles Flaherty [oneheart@aloha.net] <br /> Sent: Thursday, January 18, 2007 12:23 AM <br /> To: counciltestimony@co.hawaii.hi.us <br /> Cc: Yoshimoto, J; Naeole, Emily; Ford, Brenda; Pilago, K. Angel; Hoffmann, Pete; Higa, Stacy; Yagong, <br /> Dominic; Jacobson, Bob; Ikeda, Donald <br /> Subject: Support Communication 32 (Resolution 21-07) <br /> <br /> Aloha mai members of the Planning Committee, <br /> I support Resolution 21-07 providing limits to prevent the development of "superstores" in this County. <br /> <br /> The average American citizen believes that the cheap prices available at "big box stores' and "superstores" <br /> provide them with more money and a better life. This belief is an increasingly tragic one. <br /> The truth is that these enterprises exist only because of "free trade agreements" that are anything but free. <br /> American products made with middle-class American labor costs have been forced to compete with foreign <br /> products made with cheap foreign labor. The result has been the destruction of the American manufacturing <br /> base, the loss of millions of American middleclass jobs, and the transfer of trillions of dollars to foreign countries, <br /> whose only love of America is of its wealth, a rapidly declining wealth thanks to years of record budget and trade <br /> deficits. <br /> Councilman Higa's concern that "superstores" will destroy local mom-and-pop businesses is correct. Thanks to <br /> free trade agreements, Wal-Mart dictates how much it pays suppliers around the world for their products. We all <br /> know that this amount is far less than the amount that local businesses, truly American businesses, pay. <br /> Will local consumers save a few dollars each time they shop if "superstores" are allowed? Today, yes. But <br /> Americans are slowly coming to the realization that they have fewer and fewer American dollars to buy those <br /> cheap foreign products, products made with what was once American capital. <br /> This is not a free market, but rather one heavily favoring a company this is no longer loyal to this country, much <br /> less this county. <br /> Please help protect our community's health and the American Dream. Don't make the members of our local <br /> independent business community into dependent, low-wage workers. <br /> Vote "yea" on Resolution 21-07. <br /> Mahalo, i <br /> ) <br /> Charles Flaherty ~ ~ - <br /> G <br /> I <br /> ~ ° <br /> W <br /> Comm. No.___~ <br /> Ref. To•Pre~s~1~0 <br /> Ref. Date .IAN 1 8 7(lfll <br /> 1 /18/2007 <br /> <br />