Brewed Fresh Daily

"Exactly what economic development goal would it serve for the city to subsidize the location of one or more Wal-Marts (or Targets, which run their business pretty much the same way) in Cleveland?... If most of the spending in the new retail cluster goes to a multinational company that sends its profits out of town, and pays lousy wages while displacing other local job opportunities -- and turns the neighborhood into a never-ending traffic jam -- who is "capturing" whom? So why even think about chasing and subsidizing this kind of business in city locations? Who -- except for some real estate developers and maybe a couple of trash haulers and landscaping companies -- stands to gain? With all the talk about smarter economic development, it would be nice if somebody -- maybe one of her foundation travel funders -- would ask Mayor Campbell this question before she boards the plane to another retailers' convention.