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Friday, Jan. 16, 2009

Loose Lips: Distribute that idea elsewhere

Would the pro-business Greater Merced Chamber of Commerce let the voice of the anti-Wal-Mart distribution center movement be heard in concert with the company's hired spokesman for the project? Nope.

The Stop Wal-Mart Action Team, or SWAT, sent a letter Wednesday to the chamber asking asking that it be able to present "an alternative vision for how to move Merced in a positive direction" during the chamber's "State of the Community" event Wednesday.

At the meeting, county honcho Dee Tatum, city leader John Bramble and smiley-face retailer spokesman Marko Mlikotin are set to speak. We think it'll go like this: Economy bad. Distribution center good.

Chamber exec Jennifer Krumm checked with her board, which advised her to politely decline the offer.

"The Chamber is an advocate for business and that we strongly support any organization that can bring much needed jobs to the community and this includes the much needed Wal-Mart distribution center," she wrote to Kyle Stockard, SWAT's co-chair.

The chamber event isn't a town-hall-style meeting, Krumm explained in her response. Of course, Lips likes to dig deeper.

Part of the business alliance's vision statement: "The chamber offers a meeting place for ideas to be shared and where a community consensus can be reached."

Perhaps it should add an asterisk: "Just not the ideas of the anti-Wal-Mart group."

Oh, the humanity

Merced's own version of the space-race continues.

In an all-out affront (sort of) to the county's effort to transform Castle Airport into the Central Valley's import/export hub, the city's looking to broaden its reach in the not-so-friendly skies.

A proposal to change the Merced Municipal Airport to the Merced Regional Airport may find its way to the City Council. The name's supposed to help with marketing efforts.

Does this sound familiar?

Back in October 2007, the county floated the idea of changing Castle Airport to Central California Yosemite Airport or Merced County Yosemite Airport. That went down like the Hindenburg.

How will this name change fare? Well, at least they're not trying to put Merced in the middle of a national park.

Lips has always felt "municipal" was holding the city back. Regional? Now that has some pizazz. That's what's been holding the city back.

Their lips are sealed

Lips supports our no-government-waste state Sen. Jeff Denham, R-Merced, but today we differ.

Denham's staffer Kristine Hansen, who pleaded no contest Thursday to swiping a couple bottles of tequila, has been on leave and is looking for "other opportunities."

Despite being a worker on the taxpayers' dime, Denham's spokeswoman declined to say if it's paid or not. In fact, we're told, it's a personnel matter and not public under the Legislature's Open Records Act.

We just want to know. Paying someone not to do a job? We call those state representatives.

Loose Lips can be reached at editor@mercedsun-star.com.