I noticed that Bayview has changed the sign in front of the store to include a reminder that they are a "locally owned" business. I assume this is evidence that Storeman's accountant is reporting that 2006 is not looking like such a great year. This got me to thinking about what it means to be "locally owned." What is the relationship between a business and the community? What can a business ask for based on this relationship, and what can the community ask for?

First, the point of contention: refusal to stock Plan B, a form of emergency contraception. I think there is no dispute that Storeman looked into his own heart, and made a decision that it was wrong, based on his religious beliefs. I'm pretty sure he didn't come under any pressure from the community to not stock Plan B -- it was his idea, and his idea alone.

I think it's fair to say that the response to this in Olympia has been negative, in a word. There have been well organized, and well populated demonstrations against this policy since the summer, and even the counterprotesters focused primarily on Storeman's right to not stock Plan B, not on Plan B per se (although I know of one person who did demonstrate against Plan B itself, and he demonstrated a not too firm grip on human biology with respect to reproduction when I pressed him on it).

So now, when it's starting to hurt the bottom line, we see the appeal: "We're locally owned." The message is clear: "You should shop here because we're better than Safeway or Top Food, who will just ship your dollars out of state." But, this brings up the question, are they really all that different? Bayview certainly isn't listening to the local voices calling for access to emergency birth control. That doesn't seem very invested in the local community.

The point that really struck me after seeing the new sign was that, Bayview receives certain advantages just from being in Olympia. For example, I'm sure people talked it up as a cool place to shop (as I know I did before the boycott). Storeman's benefits from that. And if, say, the City of Olympia included Bayview as an example of a successful local business, which they may do, for all I know, then Storeman's benefits. I'm sure Storeman's would welcome almost any kind of positive exposure that comes from being associated with Olympia, and accept it without a second thought.

This is beginning to sound like a one-way relationship, isn't it? What are the prospects that Storeman's would be willing to do some couples counseling (i.e., mediation with members of the community)? It seems like the right move, because right now, it looks like neither Storeman's or the community are getting their needs met by this relationship.