Subsidies, condemnation, and lop-sided tax policies are among the many ways governments give chain stores an advantage over independent retailers.
"If the city of Denver has its way, these small businesses will be evicted to make way for a Wal-Mart super-center. The city's Urban Renewal Authority has threatened condemnation if the property owners refuse to sell and has offered Wal-Mart $10 million in public subsidies... Most people assume that local retailers are being beaten fair-and-square by companies that offer consumers a better deal... But as Alameda Square vividly illustrates, consumer choices are not all that's driving the growth of corporate chains. Public policy plays a major role."
Thanks to Jacob Halpert
FULL STORY: Does Wal-Mart need our tax dollars?
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