Abstract
Several people are conflicting with the opening up of the Big-Mart store in the Van wood heights because of various reasons that include the fact that that the Big-Mart would provide goods and services at very low prices which are believed to hamper the growth of the local economy. Some support the opening up of the store by the Big-Mart because of the proposals that Big-Mart will offer health services to the individuals of Van wood heights thus improving the health standards. The Van Wood Heights created strict zoning rules after several attempts of setting up Big-Mart stores failed thus Big-Mart needs to change its requirements for acquisition of sites.
Background of the study
The case study examines a situation whereby there is a conflicting issue in the establishment of the Big-Mart store in the VanWood heights. The Van Wood Heights is said to have changed from the original state and has been drastically deteriorating regarding job creation, revenue generation and closure of businesses like the automobiles that made many individuals lose their jobs.
Key issues
There has been a great conflict among the residents of the Van wood heights concerning the opening up of the Big-Mart store in the locality while concurrently the Big-Mart tries to justify its validity and importance of opening up of the new warehouse. Initially, there was opposition to the proposal that led to the dropping of the project by the Big-Mart. Later on, the Big-Mart changed its required zoning requirements of the acquisition of the site (Clemons & McBeth, 2009, p.32). From then the Big-Mart tried as much as possible to match its products and services to the people of the heights. It went further and proposed a health clinic that would serve the people without taking the medical insurance policy or provision of policies with minimal coverage.
There was a decline in the productive capacity in the heights but the citizens felt that it was not yet due to time for the Big-Mart to launch its store operations because they firmly believed the importance of holding on their small scale and individually owns businesses. They thought that the existence of such a big store would depress their local economy thus; they teamed up with other individuals who once owned big businesses in the woods to oppose the introduction of a larger store by the Big-Mart (Clemons & McBeth, 2009, p.33).
Big protests made when the bid announced in the name of saving the woods from effects such as getting a freeze on their property taxes that had been agreed to shelter income from the state departments. The opposition branched into labor unions, environmentalists and local growers association in battling the Big-Mart from establishing and setting up of its larger store in the heights.
Local producers in the can woods heights felt threatened by the cheap Sale of mainly the organic products by the Big-Mart and thus they went ahead to the court to seek petition against the competitive sales made by the new store in their locality (Clemons & McBeth, 2009, p.34). The environmentalist also disagreed with the Big-Mart with the claims that it is destroying the environment through pollutions and reduction of the green matter in the environment.
The Big-Mart reacted to counter the opposition by providing claims that they can provide services that matched with the citizen's preferences that favored the politically inactive and the poor in the locality. They also claimed to help the needy by clothing them and providing them with cheap products. They also had claims of increasing energy efficiencies and reducing the packaging wastes from the suppliers.
Analysis
It is clear that the citizens of the area have not welcomed the setting up of Big-Mart in the Van Wood Heights. The people's propaganda made it difficult to implement the operations of the Big-Mart. The community had tight rules that governed their community business that gave Big-Mart a hard time to get rooted in the area regarding business. Despite the challenges from the opposition, Big-Mart had substantial reasons to start its businesses. The profits that the city would achieve included getting products and services at lower prices, obtaining access to health care facilities, insurance covers at minimal coverages, provision of employment opportunities and improving the living standards of the locality.
They aimed at doing environmental cleanup of the region that initially utilized by automobiles that had environmentally polluted. Rana Sadiqah member of the regional environmental group believed that Big-Mart would kill the local economy by suppressing it by its low prices and polluting the beautifully blossoming environment.
Frank was against the views of Rana Sadiqah, and he believed that the problem of unemployment solved by the presence of the Big-Mart in the area. Further, he supported the views of the teacher who suggested that Big-Mart would be of much help to her regarding the provision of cheap foods for her schoolchildren and provision of health care facilities to them.
Criticism should not be the key action to take before considering the impacts undertaking an activity but to measure the general effects it will have on the larger population (Clemons & McBeth, 2009, p.36). The citizens of Van Wood Heights criticized the setting up of Big-Mart significantly and did not consider the advantages that accrued to the economy in the event of embracing the opening up of the store in their locality.
Recommendations and practical examples
It recommends that the citizens of the Fanwood heights take the initiative of embracing opening up of the Big-Mart store since it will bring many positive changes to the citizens of the locality. Those who are opposed should take a step of having the positive mind towards the Big-Mart store set up and broaden their knowledge on the impacts of the store in long-term periods. Being pessimists does not help but getting into the proper examination of the effects of the new events is critical.
Another good recommendation is that the local authorities in charge of zoning restrictions should reduce their constraints and regulations to suit the needs of the future investments that are meant to boost the health standards, environmental improvements and profitability of the Van Wood Heights residents.
Politicizing of such ideas should be kept far since it will lead to favoritism and rejection of offers that might have been of real use to the citizens (Clemons & McBeth, 2009, p.37). In our case, the people holding big positions in the government authorities have considerable impacts on the decision making thus poor management can lead to losing of benefits that would come along with allowing the Big-Mart store to carry out its activities.
References
Clemons, R., & McBeth, M. (2009). Public Policy Praxis: Theory and Pragmatism: A Case Study Approach (2nd ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Publishers
