We shop at a huge, Super Target grocery store.
It is located quite a bit further from our home in Old East Dallas than was true when we live in suburban North Dallas. But, hey, we have cars and it is no big deal to drive over to shop.
Such options aren't available to most people in South Dallas.
Here's a photo of one of the two or three combination quick stop, liquor stores that are the closest shopping options for the people who live in Rochester Park--the same neighborhood I posted on yesterday, complete with photos of the horrible housing stock (if you missed it, go back and take a look at the lay of the land!).
Several years ago we organized the community against this "grocery store."
At the time the owner was charging our friends sales tax on grocery items that were exempt from any taxation. Of course, this allowed him to add an additional 8.25% on every food item, most of which were already priced far too high. But when there is no competition and no way to get to the nearest real grocery store that is miles away, consumers don't have much choice or say. We were able to put a stop to the illegal activity by mass protest.
The inventory in this store is extremely limited. No fresh fruit, vegetables or meat. Not much variety of anything. Lots of small packages of processed food, along with alcohol, cigarettes, etc.
Most people don't understand the day-to-day problems facing the very poor who live in inner city communities like this one. Food prices are far too high. Options don't exist. The quality of the food contributes to obesity and other chronic health problems, such as diabetes and hypertension, both of which run at epidemic levels here.
The poor remain powerless.
Often those who look on from a comfortable distance simply hurl judgments and insults. Public policy makers ignore the situation.
What if this were your grocery store?
What if you had no other options?
Put yourself in the shoes of the mothers, fathers and children who live here because they have no other choice.
We can do better than this.
God help us if we don't.
10 comments:
I've been there. I've lives in neighborhoods like this, and have wrote about the continued loss of real grocery stores south of I-30.
People don't realize that this also effects the health of residents. Poor food choices + little or know insurance = obesity (Even in children) and an early death.
So far, only one candidate has made this issue part of this platform. I will get some information to you soon regarding this.
Keep saying what needs to be said, in spite of the naysayers.
Larry-
These concrete examples are an excellent way to help us comfortable white folks understand the plight of the people you're collaborating with in the 'hood to make things better. Keep it up!
I'd love to hear more about the schools, the transportation, the utiilities, etc. These people don't live in the same America that I do.
To answer your first question, Larry, I'd hate it if that were my grocery store. As it is, I go to only the best one here in Amarillo so I can get my good-tasting AND high-fiber cereal. No other stores have it.
"God help us if we don't" start doing better. What are the very best ways for middle-class suburbanites to "do better" than we are?
The problem with Wal-Mart is not that cities are driving them away. But Wal-Mart targets cheap real estate in suburbs where the land costs are cheaper and the money is more plentiful. It would be too expensive for Wal-Mart to open in the downtown/inner city industry. Think of the size of the store and the parking needs.
Larry, I read your headline this morning but just now read your post. I was going to have comments as I let the headline churn today, but I think you pretty much covered what I was thinking. I appreciate reading your thoughts. Out of curiosity, I looked at your very first post you ever made on your blog. I am glad you made the leap into the blog world to challenge me and make me think. Thanks!
Justin, developers don't bring grocery stores to South Dallas because the profits are so much easier to obtain elsewhere. Wal-Mart and Target fall into the same category as all the rest in this regard. The margins are shorter and the effort more intense, plus there is bias inside corporations against these neighborhoods. On top of this, city governments do next to nothing to encourage these retailers to come in on favorable terms. This is where market forces only don't get the job done.
Harvard Professor Michael Porter wrote a powerful article about 12 years ago in the Harvard Business Review entitled the "Economic Advantages of the Inner City." He made the case that there is enough money in these communities to make things work once the retailers jump in. There has to be incentive added.
Daniel, thanks for your words and for being with us so faithfully here!
Frank, if possible, hook up with a community development corporation working in the inner city and begin to volunteer. This will provide you understanding of the reality and the issues.
Get involved politically with advocacy for these neighborhoods. Ask questions about sanitation services, code enforcement and your community's economic and housing development strategies.
Dive in with an attitude of a student. Things will happen, I promise!
You're probably right on several of those points. (Not that I think Wal-Mart should be a symbol of development, but they got me hooked.)
I don't know much about cities specifically antagonizing companies like Wal-Mart, maybe some do. But I think that suburbs simply appear to be easier and more lucrative money, due to a variety of factors (taxes being one of those).
My thinking with Wal-Mart trying to move in to already developed areas is in the logistics of size. Think of how large the store is, with the parking-lot and surrounding land. Most of the one's I've seen tend to build on the edge of developed areas. I'm sure there are more space-efficient, compact Wal-Mart's around the country, but I think it's harder to plan such a store in more limited spaces. (Not to mention the empty stores they leave behind when converting to super-centers.) It reminds of when Homer Simpson goes to Sprawl * Mart.
It has been seventeen years since I moved from Dallas back to my hometown of Abilene. Your program has grown considerably since that time! There are so many people who never see the "other side" of Dallas which you have shown here. Limited shopping options are a real problem for people in these areas. I had a hard time explaining to my children why food is more expensive in low income areas. It didn't make much sense to them. Makes you wonder how adults can justify over-pricing food for people who need it more than most!
Has anyone in your town considered starting a community garden and/or farmer's market? Use this opportunity to take back the town and make it a really great place to live and shop locally. Take the example from Curitiba, Brazil.
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