Have you noticed all of the 100 year anniversaries in Blue Island lately? St. Donatus, the Blue Island Park District, Salem Evangelical Lutheran Church, St. Benedict’s. The original St. Francis Hospital was founded in 1905. The original Carnegie Library was built here in 1903. It makes me wonder what was happening in Blue Island 100 years ago that made people so pro-active about founding churches and making this community a better place to live. I think that the answer is: the city had money.
In 1909 only the wealthiest citizens would have had automobiles. In some areas, “speed” limits of 8 to 10 miles per hour were enacted for the safety of horses and pedestrians. Most people walked everywhere, and downtown Chicago was considered to be a day away, even by horse or automobile, and a trip there would require an overnight stay.
The people who lived here most likely worked here, and they spent the vast majority of their money here. I believe that was the secret to the success of Blue Island 100 years ago. You lived here, you worked here, you spent your money here. It was pretty much a closed circle, except for the merchants that brought in new product.
These days it is more like an ever-expanding outward-reaching spiral. You live here, most of us work somewhere else, and our money goes spinning out into the surrounding area, a good portion of it outside Blue Island.
For most of us, the largest monthly expense is the mortgage. Even if you mortgaged your home through a local bank or mortgage company, chances are that it has been sold, and you are now sending your check to someplace in New Jersey or elsewhere. If you watch the news, you know that mortgages are bundled and resold, over and over. That’s part of the reason we find ourselves in the nationwide financial mess that we are in. I would bet that back in 1909 people paid their mortgages to the First National Bank of Blue Island, and the money was reinvested by the bank into more mortgages and business loans.
Car loans are another big expense, and no doubt your check is being sent to the auto makers national headquarters somewhere, not in Blue Island.
I’m guessing that about 50% to 75% of your income is sent directly out of town, to either a mortgage company or a car manufacturer. That leaves little money to be spent on other things. Of the money that’s left, 68% of what you spend in Blue Island stays here, helping our local economy. That’s not much.
Let’s just say that like me you earn about $100 a week. After the mortgage and car payment you have $25 left to spend. If, like me, you make a concentrated effort to spend as much as possible in town, then you spend about $12.50 a week here. (I know that some of you saw me at Kohl’s the other day. What can I say? I admit that you can’t buy EVERYTHING in Blue Island.) So $8.50 a week of your hard earned money stays in Blue Island.
Back in 1909 probably 95% of your money would be spent here. So even if you only earned $10 a week, $9.50 stayed here; more than is retained today. No wonder our city is in the shape that it’s in. Imagine if 95% of your money was spent within the city limits. $95.00 a week! Things would be in much better shape.
Think about this the next time you’re tempted to head for Crestwood. They don’t need our money, we need our money.
Look for me on Western, with my $8.50 in my hand.
Candace Carr
CARR home-garden-holiday
Showing posts with label business. Show all posts
Showing posts with label business. Show all posts
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Diversity
Blue Island certainly is a diverse community. Not only in the ways have we commonly thought of diversity either. Most of us think of Blue Island as Black, White, and Hispanic, but we go far beyond that. Chinese, Arabic, Egyptian, the list goes on and on. I met a woman from East Africa in traditional African clothing one day while walking to work. A woman originally from Mongolia stopped in the store.
The diversity of religion is evident, too. Catholics, Methodists, Lutherans, Baptists, Evangelicals are everywhere. A Muslim man was spotted on a prayer rug early one morning. I’m sure that there are atheists here, too. It’s hard to tell because they don’t have churches or public displays of non-worship, but I’m sure they’re here.
We embrace all of this; at least most of us do. What worries me is our lack of shopping diversity (you had to know that this was coming). I first noticed this years ago when I had what I refer to know as a “real job”. I had purchased a summer top from Kohl’s and wore it to work the very next day. Within a week, I realized that two other women had the same top, but in different colors. Now, I have never been one to panic if I was seen in the same outfit as someone else, but this was the beginning of my awareness of bigboxitis.
Bigboxitis is a disease which compels us to run to the nearest big box store whenever we detect a need in our lives. We become unresponsive to mistreatment and lack of service. It makes us slaves to price and convenience instead of value. As for the summer tops, within a month they were all misshapen blobs of faded fabric.
The monetary price we pay for bigboxitis seems small, and that is why it is so addictive. The personal price is far greater. Despite the fact that these places appear to be time saving and convenient, how many of us feel more time deprived than ever? Do you feel more connected to the community or less connected than you did five years ago? Shopping in town increases the chance that we will see a neighbor. Knowing the business owners makes us feel connected. Stopping to chat makes us feel that we know what’s going on in the community. Spending our money here supports the entire community, not just the business owners. It brings in jobs and tax revenue.
We are born with our ethnicity. It cannot be changed. We are born into our religions, we can change that if we choose. But, regardless of our innate diversity, we should patronize independent businesses or soon we will all be dressed in the Croft & Barrow uniform of sameness.
Just as in other aspects of our lives, we have a diverse group of programs we can subscribe to in supporting local business. You can go with my $5.00 a day plan, you can check out the 3/50 Project, you can pledge to 10PercentShift.org. They are all good ideas, and any of them, together or separately, will make a big difference to Blue Island.
Candace Carr
CARR home-garden-holiday
P.S. As far as I’m concerned, Hellman’s is the only “real” mayonnaise. Now that the Jewel is closed, you can find it at Family Dollar Stores, 2418 Vermont Street.
The diversity of religion is evident, too. Catholics, Methodists, Lutherans, Baptists, Evangelicals are everywhere. A Muslim man was spotted on a prayer rug early one morning. I’m sure that there are atheists here, too. It’s hard to tell because they don’t have churches or public displays of non-worship, but I’m sure they’re here.
We embrace all of this; at least most of us do. What worries me is our lack of shopping diversity (you had to know that this was coming). I first noticed this years ago when I had what I refer to know as a “real job”. I had purchased a summer top from Kohl’s and wore it to work the very next day. Within a week, I realized that two other women had the same top, but in different colors. Now, I have never been one to panic if I was seen in the same outfit as someone else, but this was the beginning of my awareness of bigboxitis.
Bigboxitis is a disease which compels us to run to the nearest big box store whenever we detect a need in our lives. We become unresponsive to mistreatment and lack of service. It makes us slaves to price and convenience instead of value. As for the summer tops, within a month they were all misshapen blobs of faded fabric.
The monetary price we pay for bigboxitis seems small, and that is why it is so addictive. The personal price is far greater. Despite the fact that these places appear to be time saving and convenient, how many of us feel more time deprived than ever? Do you feel more connected to the community or less connected than you did five years ago? Shopping in town increases the chance that we will see a neighbor. Knowing the business owners makes us feel connected. Stopping to chat makes us feel that we know what’s going on in the community. Spending our money here supports the entire community, not just the business owners. It brings in jobs and tax revenue.
We are born with our ethnicity. It cannot be changed. We are born into our religions, we can change that if we choose. But, regardless of our innate diversity, we should patronize independent businesses or soon we will all be dressed in the Croft & Barrow uniform of sameness.
Just as in other aspects of our lives, we have a diverse group of programs we can subscribe to in supporting local business. You can go with my $5.00 a day plan, you can check out the 3/50 Project, you can pledge to 10PercentShift.org. They are all good ideas, and any of them, together or separately, will make a big difference to Blue Island.
Candace Carr
CARR home-garden-holiday
P.S. As far as I’m concerned, Hellman’s is the only “real” mayonnaise. Now that the Jewel is closed, you can find it at Family Dollar Stores, 2418 Vermont Street.
Thursday, January 8, 2009
Snowstorms and Partnersips
Quick recovery from a snowstorm requires a three way partnership. That partnership would be among the citizens, the Police Department, and the Department of Public Works. If everyone does their part the snow is quickly removed and we can all get on with our lives. At some point in time the City of Blue Island made plans for snow storms and snow removal. Many streets are marked with blue and white Snow Route signs. The signs warn that there is no parking after a snowfall of 2 inches or more until the snow is removed, and that violators will be towed.
The snowstorm that hit us on Thursday, December 18th was not a surprise. The weathermen had been forecasting it for two days, and originally it was predicted to begin about 2:00 p.m. on the 17th. I know that we all engage in wishful thinking. We hope that a storm will bypass us and we will not have to deal with it. However, on the morning of the 18th it was obvious that we had taken a direct hit. There was 4 to 6 inches of snow, encased in ice. This is when the snowstorm partnership broke down.
The general population made little attempt to move their cars or avoid parking on the snow routes. As of this writing (four days later) there are still cars plowed into place on residential snow routes around the city. People were parked up and down Western Avenue as if it were any other day. In front of our building there were at least two vehicles which were parked 5 feet from the curb because they either couldn’t see the curb or couldn’t get any closer. This put them partially in a traffic lane, which in and of itself would be deserving of a ticket. The vehicles remained there all day. This scenario was repeated up and down Western.
I can already hear business owners protesting that their customers have to park somewhere. How much better would it have been if those customers had waited for an hour or two until the streets were cleared? Many businesses still have lumpy snow in the street in front of their buildings. We have a 2 foot ice berm in the middle of the parking spots in front of our business. This is going to make it difficult and dangerous to park, not just for a day, but for several days to come. As for cars that remained parked on Western all day, I have to assume that these were business owners or employees. We should know better.
The Department of Public Works did what they could. The plows were out all day on the snow routes, plowing and spreading salt. But they can’t plow where cars are parked. I didn’t hear of one person being ticketed, much less being towed away.
As I write this it is 3 degrees below zero and the wind is howling. As a customer, I would not want to brave these temperatures just to be greeted with lumpy and icy parking spots. The partnership broke down, and the business district and sales tax revenue will pay the price until the next warm spell, which will be after Christmas at the earliest. Too late for any last minute Christmas shoppers. If it snows again on top this whole mess, things will just get worse. What were we thinking?
Spending my frozen $5.00 on Western.
Candace Carr
CARR home-garden-holiday
The snowstorm that hit us on Thursday, December 18th was not a surprise. The weathermen had been forecasting it for two days, and originally it was predicted to begin about 2:00 p.m. on the 17th. I know that we all engage in wishful thinking. We hope that a storm will bypass us and we will not have to deal with it. However, on the morning of the 18th it was obvious that we had taken a direct hit. There was 4 to 6 inches of snow, encased in ice. This is when the snowstorm partnership broke down.
The general population made little attempt to move their cars or avoid parking on the snow routes. As of this writing (four days later) there are still cars plowed into place on residential snow routes around the city. People were parked up and down Western Avenue as if it were any other day. In front of our building there were at least two vehicles which were parked 5 feet from the curb because they either couldn’t see the curb or couldn’t get any closer. This put them partially in a traffic lane, which in and of itself would be deserving of a ticket. The vehicles remained there all day. This scenario was repeated up and down Western.
I can already hear business owners protesting that their customers have to park somewhere. How much better would it have been if those customers had waited for an hour or two until the streets were cleared? Many businesses still have lumpy snow in the street in front of their buildings. We have a 2 foot ice berm in the middle of the parking spots in front of our business. This is going to make it difficult and dangerous to park, not just for a day, but for several days to come. As for cars that remained parked on Western all day, I have to assume that these were business owners or employees. We should know better.
The Department of Public Works did what they could. The plows were out all day on the snow routes, plowing and spreading salt. But they can’t plow where cars are parked. I didn’t hear of one person being ticketed, much less being towed away.
As I write this it is 3 degrees below zero and the wind is howling. As a customer, I would not want to brave these temperatures just to be greeted with lumpy and icy parking spots. The partnership broke down, and the business district and sales tax revenue will pay the price until the next warm spell, which will be after Christmas at the earliest. Too late for any last minute Christmas shoppers. If it snows again on top this whole mess, things will just get worse. What were we thinking?
Spending my frozen $5.00 on Western.
Candace Carr
CARR home-garden-holiday
Sunday, November 30, 2008
The Perfect Storm
It seems as if small business in Blue Island has been hit with the perfect storm. In the spring, people worried about whether or not the hospital would close, and whether or not they would still have jobs. People were afraid to spend. This summer, people suffered with outrageous gas prices. Budgets were sliced and diced while people tried to make ends meet. Then came the stock market collapse. People who had previously felt secure were suddenly alarmed as they surveyed their retirement plans. Spending was
re-evaluated. And as the presidential election approached, people held their financial breath. Anyone in retail knows that the months preceding a presidential are always slow.
All you need to do to see the effects of all this is look at Western Avenue. It is no secret anymore that Vermont Antiques is closing. Divas & Them is gone. One of our dry cleaners is gone. I have heard of three long standing Blue Island businesses that are relocating. They are not closing, but they are moving out of our city to greener pastures. Once all these buildings are empty, I fear that all the kings’ horses and all the kings’ men are going to have a heck of a time trying to put Blue Island back together again.
The closing and moving of various businesses can be blamed on many factors. Commercial property taxes have gone up, forcing landlords to raise rents beyond what the renters can afford. Some businesses have run their popular course, just as Ty Beanie Babies came and went. Some are just obsolete for today’s lifestyles. However, many should have had a fighting chance, but for the economic storm that has beleaguered our city during the last eight months.
There are always plans in the works, but most citizens have no idea what they are and how they are progressing. How many of us volunteered time to help develop the Blue Island Plan, and now, how many of us have heard anything about it since those wonderful, hopeful evenings when we dreamt aloud about what our city could be? Time and time again, a better city has been dangled in front of us, only to have the plan eventually put on the shelf. By the time any of these plans is truly implemented, there will be no business left to save.
I was touched when people stopped by and told me that they noticed I had not written a column lately. To tell the truth, I have been alternately disillusioned, angered, and disappointed in the things I see happening and not happening around our city. It is difficult to write a hopeful, upbeat, cheerleading-type column when it seems that no one has the ability or the interest to follow through even on what should be the simplest of things.
You still have time to join me, somewhat disheartened, spending my $5.00 a day on Western.
Candace Carr
CARR home-garden-holiday
re-evaluated. And as the presidential election approached, people held their financial breath. Anyone in retail knows that the months preceding a presidential are always slow.
All you need to do to see the effects of all this is look at Western Avenue. It is no secret anymore that Vermont Antiques is closing. Divas & Them is gone. One of our dry cleaners is gone. I have heard of three long standing Blue Island businesses that are relocating. They are not closing, but they are moving out of our city to greener pastures. Once all these buildings are empty, I fear that all the kings’ horses and all the kings’ men are going to have a heck of a time trying to put Blue Island back together again.
The closing and moving of various businesses can be blamed on many factors. Commercial property taxes have gone up, forcing landlords to raise rents beyond what the renters can afford. Some businesses have run their popular course, just as Ty Beanie Babies came and went. Some are just obsolete for today’s lifestyles. However, many should have had a fighting chance, but for the economic storm that has beleaguered our city during the last eight months.
There are always plans in the works, but most citizens have no idea what they are and how they are progressing. How many of us volunteered time to help develop the Blue Island Plan, and now, how many of us have heard anything about it since those wonderful, hopeful evenings when we dreamt aloud about what our city could be? Time and time again, a better city has been dangled in front of us, only to have the plan eventually put on the shelf. By the time any of these plans is truly implemented, there will be no business left to save.
I was touched when people stopped by and told me that they noticed I had not written a column lately. To tell the truth, I have been alternately disillusioned, angered, and disappointed in the things I see happening and not happening around our city. It is difficult to write a hopeful, upbeat, cheerleading-type column when it seems that no one has the ability or the interest to follow through even on what should be the simplest of things.
You still have time to join me, somewhat disheartened, spending my $5.00 a day on Western.
Candace Carr
CARR home-garden-holiday
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