Big Box Blog

The Leo Sears My Word article on Jan. 13 puts in sharp perspective his need for a lesson in history other than the one offered by the taxpayers league or the local chamber of commerce.

First off, the term ³free enterprise² has become an oxymoron. We haven¹t had free enterprise in America since the first Congress of the U.S. As for its pre-eminent position in the world, I imagine he¹s referring to the business and industrial complex, along with the chambers of commerce and taxpayers leagues, who devoted four decades to opposing Social Security, wage and hour laws, organized labor, the eight-hour day, overtime, the coffee break, minimum wage, child-labor laws and all the other employee benefits that labor fought to win against the auto, steel, mining, chemical and oil industries during the ¹30s and ¹40s. Obviously Leo never stood on a picket line, his dignity and humanity bleeding from the blows from industry¹s strike-breaking goon squads.

If ever American industry became pre-eminent, it was to the credit of the labor movement for their steadfastness, determination and dedication to the rights of employees to gain some degree of dignity in the work place, as well as in the homes they worked so hard to acquire ‹ and to their ability to come together when the nation needed unity of purpose.

As to the Sears nomination for sainthood for the Arkleys, he should be reminded that their philanthropy has limits: first above all else profit to themselves, and second their commitment to using their wealth in support of
right-wing causes wherever they see fit both in and out of Humboldt County. Mr. Sears obviously believes the old adage, "What¹s good for General Motors is good for America," only he substitutes Arkley for G.M. and Humboldt (or
Eureka) for America.

It¹s time we stop the hawking of the taxpayers league and rid ourselves of the political mantra ³whatever the Arkleys want the Arkleys get.² Eureka is not an Arkley fiefdom nor an affiliate enterprise of Security National, as
Mr. Sears would have us believe. They are an enterprise dedicated to making money however and wherever they can with a blind indifference to what¹s best for the community. If left to the Arkleys, we will have a big box outlet in
Eureka with their generic history of cheap labor and poor community philosophy. It will be no better if it¹s called Home Depot or any one of the big-box corporate behemoths championed by the Arkleys.

So let¹s stop worshipping at the mother church of Arkley and give some credit to those who honestly work for the good of the community rather than the already enriched pocketbook of Security National.

Gerald McClosky, who recently retired after a lifetime career in public opinion research, is author of the book "Growing Old Is Not For Sissies." He lives in Fortuna.

The opinions expressed in this My Word piece do not necessarily reflect the editorial viewpoint of the Times-Standard.