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<title>Locally-Owned Independent Businesses and Communities vs. Corporate Chains - Reclaim Democracy.org</title>
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<h1>Independent Business</h1>
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			  <h2 align="center" class="dark">Recommended
		      Articles from Other Sources</h2>
			  
        <p><span class="guestfeature"><a href="/walmart/2005/krugman_bigboxbalderdash.php">Big Box Balderdash</a> <a href="../articles_2005/condemnation_nation_chains.php">Corporate
              Chains Exploit Eminent Domain </a> <a href="/articles_2005/ss_privatization_bad_business.php">Why Privatizing Social Security Would Be Bad for Business </a> <a href="/articles_2005/chamber_commerce_bush_agenda.php">Forget Small Business: Chamber of Commerce Serves Corporate / Bush Agenda</a> <a href="../articles_2004/costco_vs_wal-mart_political_contributions.html">Shop
        Your Party Preference?</a> </span> </p>
        <p><a href="/articles_2004/california_chamber_initiative.html">California Chamber of Commerce Initiative Threatens Public Interest </a></p>
        <p><a href="/articles_2004/community_enterprise_replacing_chains.htm">Who Needs Chains When You've Got Community?</a></p>
        <p><a href="/articles_2004/small_business_tax_cuts_bush.html">Dick Cheney, 
            Small Businessman</a></p>
        <p><a href="/articles_2004/milk_checkoff_unconstitutional.html">USDA 
        Milk Checkoff Fee Ruled Unconstitutional</a></p>
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			<h2><a href="local_prosperity_montana.php"><strong>Homegrown Businesses, Not Global Chains, Build Community Prosperity</strong></a></h2>
			<p align="left">A state economic summit illustrates the economic tunnel vision common among politicians.</p>
			<h2><a href="shop_locally_holidays.php">Give a Gift to Your Local Economy</a></h2>
			<p>Holiday shopping choices make a big impact on your community</p>
			<h2><a href="review_big_box_swindle.php">Book Review:</a><a href="review_big_box_swindle.php"> Big Box Swindle</a></h2>
			<p>Stacy Mitchell has provided a compelling account of why independent businesses are crucial to communities and democracy, and offers reasons for hope despite some bleak trends.</p>
			<h2><strong><a href="generics_2006.php" target="_blank">Debunking  Big Box Chains' &quot;Bargains&quot; </a>on Generic Drugs </strong></h2>
			<p>Wal-Mart and other mass merchants have received tremendous publicity for a pricing stunt that yields limited benefits and carries hidden costs for consumers</p>
			<h2><a href="mitchell_independents_week.html">Celebrate
	          Independents!</a></h2>
			<p> America's independent businesses have reason for optimism, thanks to creative
		    new campaigns.</p>
			<h2><a href="walmart_eminent_domain.html">Is
            Eminent Domain the Latest Form of Corporate Welfare?</a></h2>
			<p>Small businesses are being confiscated by the governemnt to benefit
            giant corporations.</p>
            <h2><a href="/food_and_health/tyson_milk_checkoff_lose_court.html"><strong>Ranchers
                and Dairy Farmers Win Two Battles Over Corporate Foes</strong></a></h2>
          <p>Ranchers and farmers win battles against &quot;check-off&quot; fees and price fixing.. </p>          
          <h2><a href="local_ownership_pays.html">Local Ownership Pays</a> </h2>
          <p>Local ownership of businesses is not just good for community
            character and quality of life--it's a foundation for building wealth. </p>
          <h2><a href="/independent_business/dead_malls.html">Littering America
              (with Dead Malls and Vacant Superstores)</a></h2>
          <p>What does a community do with an empty big box?</p>
          <h2> <a href="/independent_business/bigbanks_bigfees.html">Bigger Banks
              Mean Bigger Fees</a> </h2>
          <p>The Federal Reserve again has documented that
            large banks charged significantly higher
            fees to customers than small banks.</p>
          <h2><a href="/independent_business/amiba.html"> Unchaining Communities</a></h2>
          <p>The American Independent Business Alliance  is helping
            communities  support local independent business and stop
            chain proliferation.</p>
          <h2><a href="independent_drugstores_beat_chains.html">Mom and Pops Are Tops</a></h2>
        <p> Look to your locally-owned pharmacy for the best overall value, says <em>Consumer Reports </em>study. </p>
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				 <h4> Resources</h4>
			    <h5>The New Rules Project</h5>
			    <p><a href="http://www.NewRules.org">NewRules.org</a>                  does outstanding work to promote local ownership and community 
                  empowerment.  Their site lists dozens of examples of local 
                  and state policies.</p>
                <h5>American Independent Business Alliance</h5>
                  <p><a target="_blank" href="http://www.amiba.net">AMIBA.net</a>                  Communities don't have to sit by and watch chains displace
                     local independent businesses. They can proactively work
                    to maintain  community-owned businesses through local alliances
                    like those  AMIBA supports.</p>
                  <h5>Rocky Mountain Institute's Economic Renewal Program</h5>
				<p><a href="http://www.rmi.org" target="_blank">rmi.org</a> 
                  promotes community development 
                  without rampant growth or corporate dependence.</p>
				<h5> Big Box Toolkit</h5>
				<p><a href="http://www.BigBoxToolkit.com" target="_blank">BigBoxToolkit.com</a> Provides tools for communities to control big box development and support local businesses. </p>
				<h5>The Organization for Competitive Markets</h5>
        <p><a href="http://www.competitivemarkets.com/" target="_blank">competitivemarkets.com</a> 
          provides research and advocates for increasing competition in the agricultural
             market while fighting monopolization. </p>
        <h5>American Antitrust Institute </h5>
        <p><a href="http://www.antitrustinstitute.org/">antitrustinstitute.org</a>Advocates for enforcement of antitrust law </p>
        <p><a href="../walmart/index.html">All About Wal-Mart</a> 
          We've compiled a variety of useful articles about Wal-Mart Corporation
            and related issues on this handy index page. </p>
        <p>See our <a href="../food_and_health/index.html">Food, Health and Environment
            page</a> for more links to groups addressing independent business
        issues in farming and agriculture </p>
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