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Page 1 of 2 Murashige, Laura From: Bob Lamb [bob_lamb@hawaiiantel.netj (l~ j 1 ~ 1 i y Sent: Tuesday, October 16, 2007 11:06 AM To: counciltestimony@co.hawaii.hi.us Subject: "Bigbox ban" As a concerned citizen, I am TOTALLY against the ban that would stop Walmart from building a "superstore". As 1 see it, the only people who might have a reason to stop the building of a Walmart Superstore would be stores like Safeway, KTA and other super markets that have a hold on the citizens of Hawaii. What has the policy makers of Hawaii got to gain by banning a store that would only HELP the citizens of Hawaii. The people here would certainly appreciate having a better life by being able to afford better food at a better price. For example, last week I had a "sale" flyer from one of the major supermarkets that advertised butter fora "sale" price of $6.29. The same day I went to Walmart and bought butter that was not on sale for $3.29. That's almost half the price of the so-called sale price at the other store. That is only one example and there are many more. If the county council REALLYcares about the citizens, how can they stop the citizens from being able to buy food at a better price? I have only lived here a little over five years, so I remember the difference in prices of food at Walmart superstores and other food stores on the Mainland. In graduate school I had a class in economics that taught us that competition is very good for business. I have also seen it for myself that when Walmart opens a superstore, prices in other large stores go down. How can this be bad for the citizens of Hawaii County? It might even help with gas prices because some of the supercenters on the mainland have gas at a reduced price, like the better gas prices at Costco on the Kona side of the Big Island. I have not yet heard of any good reason for a ban, so what would be a good reason to stop people from have a more affordable life? Some people have said that if Walmart were allowed to have decent prices and build a superstore, a lot of money would be leaving the island and going to Arkansas (where Walmart headquarters is). Well, I ask you, where do the profits from other stores go? Where do Safeway profits go? Where do the profits go for all the other chains? There is simply no good moral reason to ban Walmart superstores!!! Bob Lamb HCR 3 box 13557 Keaau, HI 96749 808 966 8005 Comm. No. 32 • gs _ Ref. To: ~riie~?e' r~tG'/ Ref. Date 1 10/16/2007