Epp: Be a Yokel, Buy Local!

Well-known blogger, lawyer, columnist, and all-around agitator Todd Epp issues a call for his fellow Harrisburgers to put their money where their mouths and beds are and buy local. Evidently attracting a grocery store to town was one of the issues in the just-completed mayoral election in Harrisburg. Just south of Sioux Falls, Harrisburg faces serious competition from the Hy-Vees, Sunshines, and Wal-Marts of the big city. But my fellow optimist says it can be done, maybe even without government assistance:

You really want a grocery store in Harrisburg? Don’t look to city government. Look to your own buying habits.

A grocery store company will look at sales tax revenue for Harrisburg. They’ll look at population growth. If population growth is off the charts but sales tax revenue is not, the potential business may assume locals don’t support local businesses.

So, what to do?

Buy Harrisburg.

Eat in Harrisburg. Go to the dentist in Harrisburg. Go to the chiropractor in Harrisburg. Go to the eye doctor in Harrisburg. Buy your morning coffee in Harrisburg. Buy your gas in Harrisburg. Drink a beer in Harrisburg. Get your hair cut in Harrisburg [Todd Epp, "Want a Grocery Store? Shop Local," The Champion, 2008.04.09].

Even radical local economist Mrs. Madville Times will acknowledge that there are some items you just can't get from the local stores (e.g., certain baby clothes) or can't afford on small-town wages. But every dollar you can spend in your hometown boosts those sales tax numbers and makes your town look more attractive to investors. A little personal spending on Main Street is a much better investment in economic development than tax incentives that make everyone pay for one company's benefit.

Of course, for Harrisburg, this may be a moot point. At the rate houses are going up, it may be just a few years before Harrisburg and Tea are simply swallowed up in the urban sprawl of Sioux Falls. Then Hy-Vee will plunk a new store right on Highway 115... or should I say South Minnesota Ave.?