Flagstaff AZ City Council Shoots Down Big Boxes

[Zomby Woof]

That is to say, our city council voted the other day and will NOT allow Wal-Mart to come in and replace their already wretched regular store with one of their supercenters.

The ordinance bans combo supermarket/department stores over a certain size, and other restrictions.

We already have a mall, the aforementioned Wal-Mart, Target, Kohl's, and the expected chain eateries like Olive Garden and Cracker Barrel. I think this is a welcome halt to overdevelopment and overcommercialization.

Sure pissed off the freeper minority here.

I do like this place.

[4morewars]

1. COOL !!!

too bad for the freepers, NOT!

[Pachamama]

2. Hey Zombywoof! How are things there in ole AZ? That's great news

...love hearing things like this...

BTW...I'm thinking of coming to AZ for the last week of October-election day to be canvassing and being a poll monitor....What are your observations of AZ these days? Many of us think that it will go Kerry and that the Freepers are planning already to try and disenfranchise as many of the latinos as possible (and Native Americans, and blacks etc.)

Would love to hear your thoughts....PM me if you want...

[Zomby Woof]

3. I still think we're in play

It was disheartening to see Kerry lead Bush in state polls as long ago as February, and it has dissipated now... but that is mainly due to undecideds leaving the Kerry column. He CAN win them back.

Also, with the massive registration drives of the Native and Latino communities, the goal is to get the state back to the 1996 numbers which helped AZ carry Clinton.

I admit I am a newbie here, just over a year's residence, having moved from the safely blue WA state. But I like our chances, and the debates WILL matter.

Let me know if you come here for the monitoring, I would be happy to be your local guide.

[Pachamama]

4. I used to be in WA too...

I will by the way let you know when I'm down there...Local guides are good to have...My plan is to bring the family, stay at one of the cool resort hotels and while they "play", I'll be out canvassing and knocking on doors and visiting reservations. I do believe AZ will and can go the way of Kerry....and its thus that I think that the Repukes will try to interfere with the latino and native communities....I did a lot of thinking about where to go on election day (ie. Florida, PA etc.) and AZ was not only one of the closer ones to CA, but I feel strongly that its where I can have the most impact....What are your plans in the days leading up to the election?

[Zomby Woof]

5. I could be moving at anytime in October

But it is a local move... still, hermit that I am, it will take lots of my time and energy. But I should be able to visit you and your family if need be.

Plenty of hotels in Flagstaff, including lots of old relics on Route 66 with the neon flavor intact. :-)

[ET Awful]

6. Good job for Flagstaff!

I didn't know you lived there ZW.

I was raised in Cottonwood, I spent a lot of time in Flagstaff as a kid :).

I left Arizona in '87 and haven't been back. I guess I should one of these days :)

[GOPisEvil]

7. Fantastic!!!

I wish the city management here would take a stand like that. Unfortunately, it's too late. This is such a progressive city in so many ways, but when it comes to corporate bucks, this city seems entranced.

Good for Flagstaff! :thumbsup:

[Zomby Woof]

8. We have PLENTY of corporate bucks

And with a university in town, the staffs are always freshly stocked. The Republicans, although in the population minority here, DO own or operate most of the major businesses- especially the tourist-oriented businesses such as hotels, etc. We have just about EVERY chain store, like B&N, but at least we have some indies, AND a healthy downtown with small businesses primarily run by Democrats (witnessing the Kucinich, Dean, Clark, and Kerry signs in their windows during the primaries).

So yeah, A LINE was drawn, and you should hear the token wingnuts howling in the newspaper, talking about us liberals stopping "jobs". Yeah, we NEED more minimum-wage no-benefit jobs for college students, elderly people, Navajos - and somewhere NEW to shop (out of the plentiful choices we have) so I can spend my meager pay from my supposedly professional job.