Muskogee Phoenix: Spend $20 on the 20th

From Larry Corvi, publisher of the Muskogee Phoenix (published in today's newspaper):

Dear Muskogee Area Residents:

As we all know the national economy has slowed. Some are calling it “the great recession.” So far Middle America has been spared much of the pain. Housing prices here, for example, are overall holding. Our local and state unemployment rates are up but way below the national average.

But many local businesses have seen sales slow down affecting jobs of their employees and in some cases shaken their future viability.

Additionally, as the news article on this page points out, many dollars leave Muskogee and small towns around us for businesses in Tulsa. In some cases up to 30 percent of the dollars in local business segments are lost because of leakage.

We also spend money with online retailers across the country and around the world. These dollars, too, are lost from our local economy.

A newspaper plays a number of roles in the local community it serves in addition to keeping area residents informed. I take these responsibilities very seriously. One role I believe a local newspaper has is helping our local communities grow and prosper.

With that in mind we at the Phoenix are proposing that on Saturday, June 20, Muskogee and residents in other communities we serve spend $20 on some good or services you had not planned to spend, in our local communities. That $20 purchase will greatly help local merchants, who down the road could improve their business for you. And according to economic experts your $20 will continue to circulate up to seven times locally providing other economic benefits.

The $20 will come back to our towns in more sales tax revenues. Those tax dollars will be spent in improving quality of life issues right here in our communities, for you and your families.

So let's go out on the 20th and spend that $20 locally. Your community will get a lot more back than the good or service you purchased. And you will, too!

LAWRENCE CORVI
President/Publisher
Muskogee Phoenix