Losing those stores will negatively impact poor communities in North Carolina in two ways: loss of a discount retailer and loss of up to 190 jobs. Sensible people can recognize it for the unfortunate news that it is.
For the North Carolina left, however, it’s not so simple. Their call on the desirability or undesirability of a discount retailer is as subjective as calling a charge or a block in a Duke/Carolina basketball game — it apparently depends on which shade of blue you’re wearing at the time:
- GOOD. They solve the problem of “food deserts,” where poor people live too far away from affordable groceries.
- BAD. They exploit poor people by situating themselves in poor neighborhoods and offering them low-priced groceries, knowing the poor can’t travel very far.
- GOOD. They offer employment opportunities in poor communities.
- BAD. They exploit poor people by hiring them to low-wage jobs.
- GOOD. They help stretch poor families’ budgets, and they could lead to more growth in the community.
- BAD. They’re ugly, they appeal to icky poor people, and they could lead to more lights and noise and dumpsters.