ShawneeDispatch.com

To the Editor:

As a resident of western Shawnee, not a resident of Grey Oaks, I oppose the construction of any Wal-Mart store. We already have two in very close proximity and there is one planned for the northwestern part of Olathe as well. Wal-Mart stores do not enhance communities. They only enhance the loss of U.S. dollars being sent to China, where Wal-Mart is making many lucrative deals.

The City of Shawnee and all of its elected officials need to remember that growth, just for the sake of growth, is very damaging to the families that reside in them.

We want and need nicer places to eat, not lots of fast-food chains and drive-thru's that create more litter in our neighborhoods and along our roadways.

We do not need another bank. We currently have 10 from Shawnee Mission Parkway and Barker to 55th and K-7, not counting those located in grocery stores. That's overkill!

We could use a Quik-Trip along the Parkway that would be more competitive so the local gas stations wouldn't continue to charge us 7 to 15 cents more per gallon than stations in surrounding areas.

We did not need a Starbucks, 100 feet away from the Country Club Cafe. There is an empty strip mall with a drive-through already built in the Shawnee Crossing Development. Monticello and 66th Street are a disaster during the rush hours both morning and evenings, so more traffic in that vicinity is poor planning. The decision to allow a Starbucks so close to a small, locally owned business that does so much to help those less fortunate, was mean-spirited, especially in light of other locations that are available.

In regard to Sara Peterson's judgmental comments, most of us are not rich or selfish. We care about our community and want it to develop in a manner that is best for our future. Because we care about what happens in our community certainly doesn't mean that we don't fight for "meaningful justice in this world." I know many people in our community that do volunteer work, donate to numerous charities around the world, and show their kindness in extraordinary ways. Her statements were plain ignorant. She needs to do some serious research regarding Wal-Mart, and quit throwing disparities at people she doesn't know.

Jan Brickey

Shawnee