>>It is amazing that any small stores are still able to do business and sustain the owners with a standard of living.
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>http://216.239.39.104/search?q=cache:FiXX8Pna8EcJ:onion.com/3935/opinion1.html+well+family+owned+onion&hl=en&ie=UTF-8

Mike;

Thank you for the link.

I grew up in San Francisco – the Eureka Valley district. We had three mom and pop grocery stores within 150 feet of our house. A total of ten within five blocks. There were little bakeries, hardware stores and many other small businesses. A supermarket came in and eight grocery stores closed. Similar things happened to each of the other stores. This experience is similar to what happens in a small town when a big business moves in.

We have a hardware store in Noe Valley, just up the hill from my old neighborhood. Lots of old timers. They have every plumbing device and part I have ever asked for. They can tell you anything about home repair you need to know, unlike Home Depot (known for poor relations with customers). The world changes and money becomes the motivating factor for success. Material goods and profit replace morality.

Is it good or bad? It depends upon how a person thinks.

Tom