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05/24/2004: Another reason to hate Wal-Mart...
according to this AP story, the Behemoth of Bentonville's plans to open several of their superstores in the Green Mountain state has caused the National Trust for Historic Preservation to place the entire state on their list of most endangered historic places.
Famous for its fall foliage, quaint towns and covered bridges, the state of Vermont -- and its charm -- is threatened by a corporate behemoth, a nonprofit preservation group warned on Monday.If Moe's dire warnings pan out in reality, is this another example of the law of unintended consequences? Or does Wal-Mart do the damage they do with both eyes wide open?
The alleged culprit: Wal-Mart.
Because of plans for several new Wal-Mart Supercenters across the state, the National Trust for Historic Preservation has placed the entire state of Vermont on its 2004 list of the most endangered historic places in the United States.
...
Richard Moe, president of the trust, said Vermont's "special magic" would vanish with the onslaught of the giant stores.
"Vermont is uniquely a state of small towns, and many of these downtowns would be decimated by this," Moe said. "A lot of small businesses just disappear in the face of a huge Wal-Mart."
Moe fears one giant retail store will attract others to the Green Mountain State. "It will totally change the character of Vermont over time, and that would be a tragedy," he said.
...
"We're not telling any communities that they shouldn't have a Wal-Mart," said Moe. "We simply want communities to have their eyes wide open when they make these decisions because it's within the ability of a community to affect the location, size and design of these stores."
Len on 05.24.04 @ 07:48 PM CST
