For the week of December 12 - 18, 2001

Cheapest not always 
the best deal

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This time every year local businesses begin to repeat their holiday chorus, "Shop local."

But a lot of shoppers don’t listen and don’t care, especially some big ones like local government taxing districts, some professional and trade organizations, and non-profits.

Buying local isn’t only important in December.

It’s more than a little ironic when government agencies and organizations, who live and die on money from local businesses and their employees, purchase goods and services elsewhere that are readily available here in the valley.

Excuses are plentiful and nearly all valley business people have heard them at some time: It’s cheaper. It’s not that big a part of the budget. It’s in the interest of taxpayers or members to get the best deal.

The latter excuse is the unkindest cut of all.

The very enterprises that are hurt when money is spent outside the valley are the enterprises that pay local taxes and organization memberships, and regularly donate to local causes. They employ wage-earners who do the same. They are the backbone of the local economy.

More painful, they pay higher wages and benefits than the average Idaho business so local wage-earners may have a fighting chance of surviving the valley’s high cost of living.

Yet, when local governments, associations and non-profits spend, those dollars often leave the valley. The products and services of quality local enterprises are too often dismissed by the same governments and organizations they support because they aren’t the "best deal."

The rule of modern economics is that what goes around, comes around. The "best deal" policies will turn out to be a bad deal if they begin to erode the local tax base and the financial health of charitable organizations..

Valley leaders and organization directors need to examine their purchasing policies and make sure they are fair in the context of the local economy, and the businesses and people who are part of it..

To do less is not only an affront, but a dangerous long-term policy.

Shopping local is good business¾ for everyone.

 

The Idaho Mountain Express is distributed free to residents and guests throughout the Sun Valley, Idaho resort area community. Subscribers to the Idaho Mountain Express will read these stories and others in this week's issue.