There is a consistent chorus of anti-corporate, pro-living wage, protect our children voices singing out against a proposed Dollar General store in Middletown.

Their narrative includes a number of reasons why a Dollar General store is not a good fit nor welcomed in Middletown.

Some local business owners want Middletown to look like Calistoga or Healdsburg with gift and specialty shops, coffee shops, restaurants, day spas and wine tasting rooms.

Many of them, but not all, believe a corporate small-box retailer is out of character with their vision for our downtown.

Dollar General’s wage structure and mix of part-time versus full-time employees is also drawing fire.

Starting wages are $9 per hour with medical dental, vision and stock purchase options offered for full-time employees only. Approximately one-half of Dollar General’s employees are part-time and are not eligible for these benefits.

Others point out that Dollar General stores are conveniently located next to our local schools. They fear unspecified negative influences on young impressionable minds.

Even if one accepts their concerns as legitimate, any potential influences generated by a Dollar General would pale in comparison with those resulting from our county’s leading threat to children – poverty.

One-third of Lake County’s children are growing up in poverty. These children are informed by this experience in lasting and often unalterable ways. Poverty not only forecloses many of their lives, but its consequences often become generational.

I’m sure we can all agree that:

– having 27 percent of Lake County’s population living in poverty is unacceptable;
– having 26 percent of our households making less than $15,000 is unacceptable; and
– being ranked the poorest county in California in a recent USA Today article is unacceptable.

I believe those wanting to block a Dollar General store in Middletown represent the status quo. We have been presented with an opportunity, and I believe it is time to try something different.

I believe a careful and measured mix of economic interests is needed in order for our community and Lake County to prosper economically.

In less than a year, a primary election will be held to select our next District 1 supervisor. To those who have announced their candidacy and to those considering running for the office, I pose the following question(s): Do you believe it is possible to create 60 new jobs in South Lake County over the next three years? And if not, what do you believe are the three major obstacles/problems facing us?

A Dollar General store in Middletown would serve as a nice down payment of 10 jobs towards the goal of creating 60 new jobs over three years.

This would be a good start, but I acknowledge that $9 an hour is insufficient for a single parent to cover rising housing, child care and health care costs.

Mike Tabacchi lives in Middletown, Calif.