I have an idea

Since Newburyport is so into sharing services with neighboring communities, how about we 'share' that giant (ugly) CVS that was just built in Salisbury Square and leave our perfectly reasonable-sized one alone?

I'm with fellow blogger Tom Salemi on this one.

While I understand that property owners have the right to do whatever they will with their property, I seem to recall someone named Steve Karp standing up in front of us and telling us how much he loved Newburyport.

So, yeah, let's put some locals out of business. That's true love.

Giant corporations have already cheapened our lives and taken the love and caring out of communities.

Where are all those corner stores I keep hearing about every time I interview a native? I used to enjoy one, when I lived on Beacon Hill. There was a cobbler there, too, across from the State House ... where's the cobbler here?

Who needs one? If you only pay a few dollars for a pair of shoes, who's willing to pay to have them fixed?

Well, my neighbor needs one, actually.

It's time to push back against this cheapening, this whitewashing - call it what you will - of everything around us.

Not too long ago, I heard a local developer being called "The Desecrater." Where are the harsh words for New England Development? If Karp gets his access through the waterfront, watch out.

This CVS/White Hen thing is just the tip of the iceberg.

I used to go to my native land, England, because I enjoyed the green grocer, the butcher and etc. Now all you see there is mega-stores. Cheap, cheap, cheap.

And do let us remember General Motors and how it dominated a certain city in Michigan that is now in ruins because people got sick of buying shoddily-manufactured cars once something better - and cheaper - was put in front of them.

How about we force ourselves to do better?