Why the fear of big box stores?

Contributed
Published: July 10, 2008

To the editor,
In reply to Teri Pace’s article about a recreational center on Highway 3, I have to ask this question.
Why are some people so terrified of a Lowe’s, Home Depot, etc.?
Did they have some sort of traumatic event happen to them when they were young in a Wal-mart? Where do these people go when they need the things Home Depot sells?
Do they sit in their cars and send other people in to shop for them because they are scared to go in?
I would bet with the rural do-it-yourselfers we have in Orange County, most of the people go to these stores in Culpeper or Fredericksburg several times a month, and our tax dollars go with them. I know I do, and I would love not to go that far.
The fact is that while her plan sounds nice, all the canoe rides, horseback rides and camping will not bring in nearly the revenue these awful “big box” stores will.
You would think we were talking about a nuclear waste dump in Orange County, not a Lowe’s! These stores provide jobs, tax revenue and are always well-landscaped. They are not eyesores.
We have to face the facts; many of the same people who cried about the cuts in recreation, the closing of the daycare, and loss of jobs, are the same ones blocking any hope of increasing our tax base. Tourism is a part of our revenue stream; it cannot support our needs alone.
The sites discussed on Route 3 are perfect for a shopping complex.
We have to get our head out of the sand, or we are going to pay the price in reduced services and increased tax rates.
Allen Huffman