Boycott Chamber Bu$ine$$e$!

Submitted to Shelton Blog by Tom and Amy Davis

If the past few months have taught the opposition to biomass fueled electric generation plants anything, it is that our elected officials no longer feel compelled to serve the vast majority of the residents of Mason County.

There are few effective options at our disposal, so I would suggest we use what we have, to be as effective as we can be.

I suggest a boycott of all businesses that are registered members of the Shelton Mason County Chamber of Commerce, because, let’s face it, if the Chamber hadn’t sided with Tim Sheldon and Jay Hupp as proponents of biomass, both the proposed Adage and Simpson incinerators would have been dead on arrival. But they did, The Chamber embraced the prospect of short term gains for their members. at the expense of the health and welfare of their friends, their customers and, yes, even themselves and their families. The almighty buck takes no prisoners.

I’m not suggesting we turn ourselves inside out and run all the way to Olympia every time we need a dozen eggs or a couple of wood screws, but the summer will soon be over, and local business will be depending more on the good will of the permanent residents of the county and less on transient dollars.

These businesses need to be reminded that good business transactions are a two way street; they cannot turn their backs on their customers when we need them to take a stand on an issue that will affect us all for decades to come, and then expect we will support them when they need us to buy their goods and services.

Amy and I have begun to exercise our right to choose who we do business with by not eating out in Shelton any longer; by taking a cooler along when we travel to Tumwater, Lacy, Olympia, etc., and stocking up on groceries. I no longer buy my building supplies or automotive parts locally, nor do we make any purchases of major- or any other- appliances or dry goods locally.

We feel that members of the Shelton Mason County Chamber of Commerce do not reflect our concerns for our community, so we treat them as if they are not members of our community.

Is this effort a little inconvenient? A little. But we no longer feel like powerless pawns controlled by forces beyond our ability to oppose.

Try it. Tell your family and friends to try it. And when you think about it, go into the business you’re not patronizing and tell them you’re on your way to Olympia to spend your money, instead of doing business with them.

And then tell them why.

Tom & Amy Davis