A disturbing thought occurred to me as I was driving down Rosedale Highway the other day: Our town is losing its uniqueness.
The development of new homes on Bakersfield’s west side has brought a barrage of new corporate development that are an eyesore to our towns faáade and a plague to our economy. Strip malls such as the Northwest Promenade, a mile-long corridor on Rosedale Highway, hosts a collection of national corporate retail stores that are swallowing up customers from local area businesses.
When consumers shop at these stores, the stores distribute their profits at the national level. Bakersfield money is being channeled out of our town.When consumers buy local products, that money is redistributed through purchases at other local businesses back into the community. The money never leaves town, building a foundation for our local economy.
Our civic leaders may argue that the development of these corporate centers brings jobs, and that is true. The problem is that these jobs tend to be low-paying, part-time jobs-barely providing the means necessary to buy a house, car or raise a family. Scraping by on such meager wages forces these workers to purchase products from discounted retail giants, cementing their place in town.
This isn’t just happening with retail either. Major restaurant chains are coming to Bakersfield at an alarming rate. California Pizza Kitchen, Macaroni Grill, and soon to be Elephant Bar are chomping at the bit to get a piece of the Bakersfield market.
Bakersfield residents are hungry for something different. When CPK opened up earlier this year, the line was out the door. Chile’s and Roadhouse Grill are constantly busy. This should be a red flag to local entrepreneurs. The demand for good food can and should be provided by locally owned and operated restaurants.
Why go to Red Lobster when you could go to La Costa Mariscos and get twice as much sea food for a better price? And let’s not forget our Basque restaurants. Benji’s, Woolgrowers are some of the only places in the state where you can get traditional Basque food.
Grocery giants are going up everywhere. For an area that prides itself on agriculture, this is a pretty disgusting fact. In 2002, the Central Valley generated 57 percent of the state’s agricultural output. These can be purchased directly from growers or vendors at farmers markets.
You may not be able to purchase frozen dinners from them, but you can find reasonable prices on items like eggs and cheese, as well as produce. Purchasing from a local vendor assures you of at least two things. One: the money is staying in the community. And two: The products purchased aren’t being shipped out of the area only to return several weeks later on a truck making a delivery to a major supermarket. If farmers markets aren’t your thing, there are a few locally owned markets as well.
When choosing between a local business or a retail giant, purchase from the local company. If cloths are purchased at a local boutique there is a good chance that only a small number of that item was made. Major department stores sell thousands of the same exact product.
Ultimately, though, the choice is up to you.