By Vincent Price
Buy local, shop local, support local? If you have noticed local merchants sprucing up their storefronts, ask them who did the design work. You guessed it; out- of-towners.
It seems that the City of Lakeport awarded a taxpayer-backed program (your money and mine) to a firm that has no involvement in our community except to take jobs away from local architects, designers and contractors who are experiencing the worst building downturn in memory. People who have supported their community with donated time for community causes, as well as buying local and paying for local taxes and business licenses.
When the City of Lakeport awarded a contract to provide architectural services for the downtown redevelopment project, who was awarded the contract? You guessed it again, an out-of-towner.
To be fair, I understand that a request for services was sent to various local firms, which is required, according to law, but I also understand that not all local firms were contacted.
Even so, why were firms outside our community even considered? Certainly not because of qualifications or price.
In reading Melissa Fulton”s article “Shop local,” Nov. 17, she lists nine reasons to shop local. Does she or the local business owners, who subscribe to her article, understand that by not demanding that local people do their storefront design improvements that they are the real hypocrites?
I hope local business owners will read this article and understand that what goes around comes around. I will personally boycott all businesses that do not use local architects, designers and contractors for their future projects.
Vincent Price
Kelseyville
