Dear editor,I’m writing in response to Ken Brown’s tirade against “self-styled environmental experts and whiz kids with plenty of free time” who he claims are responsible for the demise of our local economy.The reason for the demise of our local economy is not because some of us are trying to protect our environment or preserve local businesses. The reason is that people have bought into the idea that the best way for the economy to operate is to let big global corporations extract and export raw resources and then have other big global corporations import and sell to us all the products we need.And we allow our governments — federal, provincial and local — to subsidize the big corporations and support them, while ignoring the needs of local producers, in fact creating obstacles that make it difficult for them to even stay in business.Big piles of money are funneled out of the Comox Valley every day and delivered directly to the head offices and shareholders of large global corporations, and to people who work in countries where wages are low and environmental standards are often non-existent.Then we’re told that to make up the shortfall the only thing we can do is to allow a coal mine or a pipeline or a big-box store to set up shop here. And we fall for it because it is supposed to “create jobs” which somehow never turn out to be as many or as well-paid as we were led to believe, and the taxpayers often get to pay for the cleanup when the companies are long gone.We really need to reconsider this whole concept. Think of the vibrant local economy we could have if all that money that we currently send to other parts of the world stayed here.Not so long ago, 85 per cent of our food was grown and processed on Vancouver Island. Now it’s less than six per cent.You have to ask yourself why people won’t pay a little more to keep our local farmers and food processors in business, and why we allow governments to support agribusiness enterprises at the expense of local producers.Clothing could be made here, but it might cost a little more than clothing made elsewhere, so people don’t want it. The same is true for furniture, toys, household goods, building materials, office supplies, and many other products. Even if goods were imported, they could be sold by locally owned businesses, whose owners support our community and and spend their profits here.But apparently people want the lowest prices possible regardless of where the product comes from or what kind of conditions it is made under or who benefits from its production and sale. Then they complain that there are no jobs here for their children.And I don’t buy the argument that people can’t afford locally produced goods and services because they would cost a bit more. The liquor store is always a busy place, lottery ticket sales are booming, big-screen TVs and iPods and iPads and other luxury items fly out of the stores, there are lots of shiny new vehicles on the roads, and the airport keeps expanding.So I don’t think lack of money is really the problem. I think it’s a case of misplaced priorities.Do we want to spend our money in ways that create a vibrant local economy and keep our environment healthy or don’t we? Are we willing to spend a little more for the products we buy and maybe forego a few luxuries so that our children and grandchildren will have jobs here on the Island? Or would we rather buy our goods from China, destroy our environment, and have our young people leave to work somewhere else?The choice is really ours to make.Ellen Rainwalker,Cumberland
