Born and raised in the city of Butler, I’m old enough to remember many shopping trips downtown. While mom always took us to shop for shoes and clothes (the elevator at Troutman’s was so cool!), if I didn’t complain too much, we stopped at the best toy store around, Aland’s Toyland.  Woolworth’s was another great store.  The parakeet in the pet section was a highlight of the trip. And of course, lunch at the Hot Dog Shop.

I’ve watched the small businesses disappear over the years…. Downtown, the Butler Mall, and now Clearview.  The main drag, especially in December, used to be packed with shoppers of all ages, Christmas cheer, and kiosks. Now there’s barely a soul and stores inside the mall are closed.  It’s very disheartening.

When Covid hit and the country basically shut down, I had plenty of time to contemplate.  What happened to the small businesses??? How many of them did major corporations buy up?  How much did Wal-Mart and Amazon affect their demise?  I’ve come to realize that Big Corporate is not good for the community.  We (myself included) have sacrificed the welfare of our community in the name of convenience and money.

I’ve experienced Big Corporate in my purchasing profession the past 30-plus years.  Years ago there were several manufacturers that produced a certain product in the United States.  Now there are only one or two manufacturing that same product.  Bigger companies simply buy up their competition.  The scary part is that it’s been happening in Big Agriculture and our food supply, too.  How many corporations own most of our food and beverage choices?  What happens if something terrible happens to that single source?  We’ve got a major supply chain problem. 

This is why I’ve become involved.  How much we’ve come to rely on Big Corporate for our basic daily needs is a problem.  Corporations are driven by making a profit for their shareholders, not what’s best for us and the community.  The solution? We need to return to the basics, coming together as a community to support each other and our locally owned businesses.