I'm glad I'm a Rhode Islander now so I don't have to possibly pay part of the $25 million just to have a big Wal Mart in my area.

While it's totally different, in some ways this isn't that different from throwing money at Iran. 25 million would go a long way towards anything in Massachusetts.

Cabelas wants 25 million in tax breaks and grants (http://www.boston.com/business/articles/2006/02/17/not_enough_bang_for_buck/)

subsidising billion $$ corps.- the american way :mad: total bs.

Yup! Another case of "money goes to money" and screw the little people!:mad:

Bad news
I hope they don't get it.

this last line pretty much sums it up

"The point is to get the most bang for your buck. If backing up the truck for a retailer that will pay $10 an hour is the best we can do, then we are in more trouble than we know."

25 million :yak:

let them shell out their own money

What I don't understand about companies like Cabelas and BassPro is that isn't it enough for them that people will mail order and buy online their products?It is what made these companies.

Do they believe that they'll change someone's mind who was indecisive about buying from them if they open a giant store within driving distance?

Do they believe that someone like me will stop going to my local shop like Pete's?

Sure I've ordered stuff from Cabelas.Big fan of their waders and shoes.

When I buy plugs,terminal tackle,line I go the local guy like Pete because he has exactly what I need.The big boys including Wallyworld or #^&#^&#^&#^&s most of the time don't.

Are these big guys gonna have that spare part for my 'ol 704 lying around or replace that broken tip on my rod?Of course not.

$25,000,000.00 in tax breaks v.s. one Cabela's store = 200 to 400 jobs.........


end results is 200 to 400 low paying clerk type positions.....underprice local tackle shops and sporting goods dealer until they drive a number of them out of business..........then raise thier prices higher than they would have been anyways........lay off clerks they dont need....sell the store before tax breaks dissipate to competitor who then also applies for more tax breaks.

$25,000,000.00 in tax breaks v.s. one Cabela's store = 200 to 400 jobs.........


end results is 200 to 400 low paying clerk type positions.....underprice local tackle shops and sporting goods dealer until they drive a number of them out of business..........then raise thier prices higher than they would have been anyways........lay off clerks they dont need....sell the store before tax breaks dissipate to competitor who then also applies for more tax breaks.

YIKES!! I dont have a problem giving tax breaks to bring jobs and more tax revenue to Mass. How many people out of state tourist will be heading towards Cabelas and Bass Pro before they head down towards the Cape, Islands and RI?? I hope the tax break is not true as i would like to see businesses choose to be here because of the potential for a high return on their investment.

unreal :doh:

Gosh,I hope that's not how it works.Are we maybe being a little too cynical?Isn't there any benefit when these big stores come to an area?

Thompson's Sport Shop bit the dust shortly after Sports Authority moved down the street from it. That was a great shop that did everything and it was my childhood fishing shop.

A good friend of mine owns a fly fishing shop in the area BPS seems to have it's heart set on. It's the shop that really got me into saltwater fly fishing back when I was younger. Thriving in the shadow of one of those mega stores is NOT easy and I'll not be too pleased if he struggles on account of BPS.

I'll be even more hell bent on ruining BPS and Cabellas sales in this region then I already am if that comes to pass. Don't think I won't start selling freshwater bass stuff just to spite them. :mad:

What also gets me riled up is that I really don't feel those places do anything to pass fishing on to the next generation in the way smaller shops do. My parents really weren't that into fishing, I can say right now Thompson's is a large part of what I'm doing both for work and play today.

Gosh,I hope that's not how it works.Are we maybe being a little too cynical?Isn't there any benefit when these big stores come to an area?When towns or states give tax breaks to businesses/industry there is the benefit of more jobs but generally only for the term of the tax break then the business/industry decides to try for mor tax breaks or threatens to leave, they usually do the latter and take the jobs with them. The towns/states are left to deal with the abandoned property and unemployment. If BPS or Cabelas aren't making enough profit to expand then let them think twice about expanding.
Also for thosse who use BPS an d Cabelas for tackle purchases now do so without paying any sales tax. If either of these two sores come to Mass. then you'll have to pay sales tax even when ordering online. Just some morre fuel for the fire. Ron

You make excellent points,guys.

BTW, the BPS retail expansion was not initiated with funds from people on some other part of the planet. Fleet Financial was involved using funds from investors local to the Southern New England Area.

Problem is that these businesses (along with many others) are masters of playing one community off another. If one doesn't offer the breaks, another will. The lure of new jobs to build and staff the new development is very hard for local politicians to pass up. Many other businesses may thrive, restaurants, other shops, etc. that make it very hard to say no, especially when there is another community ready to say yes.

It sounds like its getting down and dirty time for Cabelas. They have looked and entertained alot of prospective property, Hartford, SE Mass, and New Hampshire.
The one in Derry New Hampshire sounds like a winner, unless they plan on putting more than one store in the area. NH will go wayout of their way for a commitment. The bonus for NH is it will be after the first toll booth.

:yak6:

Whether its Walmart or Cabelas or any of the other giants. This can be construed as progress and/or "whats to come in the future." Thier is just so much more riding on this type of business coming to the area for us, and our friends who run the shops we patronize. AND HAS ANYBODY NOTICED THAT PRICES ARE NOT ANY CHEAPER AT WALMART THAN THEY ARE AT YOUR LOCAL TACKLE SHOPS , and for many items that I buy I believe are less expensive. The bid deal is that Cabelas and/or Walmart have everything you could imagine under one roof sports wise. The regular prices are the same until they start putting items on sale as come ons to get your in the store.

In case none of you noticed in Mass. all of the big supermarkets are sponsering a bill before the legislature that will in all likelihood eliminate the corner packy. Roche Bros., Shaw's, and Stop and Shop or as I like to refer to it, Stop and Steal, all want to sell hard liquor now. In other words maiking thier beer and wine licenses all alcohol licenses. Same difference, same problem as Cabelas moving in. I dont see wine or beer prices any different in Roche Bros than I do at the corner packy.

At the North end of Lake Okeechobee is a very large Super WalMart that hosts the weigh-ins for the FLW trail. Within the past year, two local tackle shops opened their doors..one down the road abit and the other directly across the street.

117,000 for each job that pays 10.60 an hour?
Romney will sign it if it comes up, I betcha a fluke.

Hell if i owned a company and could get $25 million in tax breaks i'd do the same thing! Who in thier right mind wouldnt?!

A few things to keep in mind.
Make money the old fashioned way:
tax breaks
eliminate competition
create a need/market that previosly was not present

Maybe the state should say like we give the 25 mil in tax breaks, and as a kickback you put up front 10 mil for local low income housing for your low paid employees. Let NH have them.

Thats sort of whats going on up there. Upgrading utilities and basic services.
No mention of low income houising.

One issue that is often overlooked is that when a large store like walmart opens up in a strip mall type thing in a small town the town loses money. Breaking even is often a good thing. I live in sturbridge. Bout 8 years ago a walmart opened up, with a stop and shop, gap, ole navy, pier 1 and a few others. The town actually wound up losing money on the deal. The megaretailers really tax our emergency services, the police, fire etc. Add 5000 extra cars to a small town and there are a lot more traffic accidents and shoplifting, all requiring the authorities that i get to pay for. Also, road maintence, thats a lot of traffic and a lot of heavy trucks, ya think walmart flips the bill for that.