Go Local

Each of us, as individuals and as a community, possesses a
magical power to immediately improve our household finances, our
shared local economic vitality and the much-needed increased
funding for our local schools and other government services.
We can turn on this magical power today at no additional expense
or effort. When we don’t use this magical power we end up cheating
ourselves — and our children.
What we are about to endorse (yet again) is not a hollow slogan
or an over-used pep talk. We’ve got some hard numbers to prove that
keeping more of our hard-earned paychecks close to home can
circulate millions of dollars between our households, support more
local jobs and put increased tax money to work for our students,
teachers and public safety workers. This supports vital public
services we sometimes take for granted.
All together, our annual payrolls represents almost one billion
dollars in “buying power.” Right now we are spending less than half
of that amount in our local community and market area. According to
a recent Healdsburg Economic and Market Analysis report, just
completed as part of the Central Healdsburg Avenue Special Study
Area, more than $76 million in potential sales and business
transactions were allowed to “leak” away from the local economy.
(This figure does not include our mortgage, health care and
investment transactions.)
Capturing even a small percentage of that total and
“circulating” it within the Healdsburg and Geyserville market area
would instantly add millions for our schools, local jobs and our
community’s most generous supporters — our locally-owned
businesses.
When a shopper buys groceries at a locally-owned store like Big
John’s Market, some of that money is used to pay the store’s
employees. The sales tax portion supports Healdsburg schools and
our city government. Next, a Big John’s Market employee takes his
paycheck and deposits it in a local bank like Exchange, North Coast
or Summit State Bank. Portions of that deposit pays for the bank’s
salaries and other portions support local loans and investments.
When any of these local store or bank employees next shop at a
local store like Garrett’s Hardware or a downtown retail shop, yet
more local jobs are being supported and more local tax money is
being collected.
Classic retail market studies show that a single dollar can
recirculate 4-7 times through a local economy, offering the magical
power we all share with our local incomes. A single dollar can
actually pass through 4-7 paychecks, wallets and local cash
registers. Once a local dollar “leaks” away from the local economy,
it almost never comes back because it supports a non-local payroll,
executive or shareholder and goes to some other community’s tax
fund.
It’s true that you can’t find everything you need in the local
Healdsburg-Geyserville market. But it is equally true, we could all
do more shopping locally than our current shopping habits generate.
Locally-owned businesses would appreciate your support and do their
best to fill your special requests or inventory suggestions. Give
them a try and see.
Some argue that shopping at Walmart, Costco and other chain
stores saves money and offers lower prices. In some cases that can
be true. But after you factor in the non-cash costs of gasoline,
travel time and some “unfriendly” feelings about buying
foreign-made products and inferior goods, shopping locally is
usually a better “value.”
Imagine Healdsburg owning it’s own currency and printing it’s
own money. Imagine everyone banking at a local bank and not with a
non-local commercial bank. We would be one another’s investors and
mortgage holders. We could use only local builders, local food
producers and markets, locally-owned shops, local professionals
and, may we add, a local newspaper.
Going local is a powerful weapon. Use it.
— Rollie Atkinson