Some ways to stimulate the economy
By Chuck Doud
The Madera Tribune
I don’t know what you’re going to do with your stimulus bonus, but I’ve been thinking the patriotic thing to do is buy stuff that I’ve been putting off buying.
For example, I’m going to get a bunch of new undershirts, so Mrs. Doud won’t have to wash so often. We have a big washer that could wash bigger loads of undershirts than it already does. But since I have so few, she has to wash what I do have a lot more often than if I had more. However, I might be making it tough on the laundry detergent people, who will be selling us fewer scoops if Mrs. Doud washes fewer loads.
But something has to give as we stimulate this economy.
For another example, I was thinking of buying an upscale brand of cat food instead of the cheapo stuff we’ve been feeding her, and which she seems to like just fine. Buying the upscale cat food will put money in the pockets of the upscale cat food moguls, but will pick the pockets of the poor folks who turn out the cheaper stuff. I tried a few cans of the expensive stuff, and the cat didn’t seem to like it, so I could have saved my money But we are talking about stimulating the economy here.
Here is a way to stimulate the economy that can’t miss: spend those dollars locally, whatever you spend them on. When you spend locally, the city sales taxes you pay stay home instead of paving somebody else’s street or putting gas in somebody else’s police car. The dollars pay local wages, maybe even yours.
Locally spent dollars get passed around locally. That really stimulates an economy.
If you use your bonus to pay off your credit card, that’s okay. When you’re ready to max it out again, though, do it here in town. You’ll be glad.
Last night I visited the local … (fast food restaurant) in Madera. I spent over $23 for dinner for 4. At the order board in the drive thru the posted price for a double (No#2 meal) was $5.99. I noticed when I placed my order the price on the screen came up as $6.99.
I waited until I got to the window to see why I was being charged that. The girl at the window said that is what the computer says to charge. I asked how much is cheese? She stated $0.50. I said how can you get $6.99 from $5.99 plus $0.50? That should equal $6.49.
She called the on duty manager. This was even worse. When I stated that it was illegal to charge more than the posted amount, she basically blamed the computer. I said you need to change it. She said I needed to talk to the store manager. I said I thought you said you were the manager? She said no.
I said you know if you sell 20 of the same item with cheese, and you charge $1 instead of your posted amount of $0.50 and I know that the $0.50 may not sound like a lot but after 20 that becomes $10 worth of over charges.
In times like these when families are trying to save every penny just to make the fuel bill to go to work, how can these operations take advantage of customers. This is not the first time I have been overcharged, but it is the first time I have been refused a correction.