NEW! Click here to see whats NEW on OurLosBanos.com or Search OurLosBanos.com

Let me take a few minutes to put forth the idea that one business that Los Banos could really use is a large thrift store. I would be absolutely thrilled to see an organization such as Goodwill or The Salvation Army open up a place, perhaps over in the San Luis Plaza or one of the other shopping centers here in town.

Los Banos California is a place which includes families from many walks of life that and we have have some pretty significant diversity of financial means.

On one end of the scale you have folks that own pretty big plots of land and or run businesses both in and out of town. These folks, many of whom who live on the south side and in the county areas south of Pioneer Road have a fair amount of money and are pretty well heeled individuals.

On the other end of the scale, you have families of immigrants who are trying to catch a piece of the American Dream but who have not exactly made it yet. These folks who live in rentals and lower income areas and who sometimes share space with extended families and friends do not make huge salaries.

In the middle there are the rest of us. Many of the large number of middle class work locally for businesses that support the community or perhaps are part of the city or county government or support staff. Some of us run micro-businesses and are trying our hand at being entrepreneurs. Many others commute 'over the hill' into Silicon Valley and San Jose but choose to live in Los Banos because of the insane price of housing in the Santa Clara Valley.

No matter which group you fall into, I opine that a high quality thrift shop can be a benefit to you, to your neighbors and to our community.

The first and most obvious benefactor of a new large thrift store in Los Banos would of course be the store itself. I truly believe that a customer base exists here which would allow such a business to thrive. This would bring in money to the store itself and to the parent organization it supports. I personally prefer the Salvation Army, but Goodwill, or a much expanded St. Vincent De Paul would be most welcome and could likely turn a profit in Los Banos.

Not only does this help the store and their parent organization, but opening a thrift store would also bring in a handful of new JOBS which Los Banos can always use.

Another beneficiary to a good thrift store would be the many families in town who are on a tight budget. Usually people think of those who shop at second-hand places as being part of the lower class, and while this is very true, it is also equally true that middle America is also shopping at these sort of stores on a very regular basis. I believe that a large draw to living in Los Banos for a number of people (particularly those who commute Pacheco Pass every day) are the economic benefits of living here. Even the upper- middle class who work in Silicon Valley will likely be able to make good use of a thrift store since by the very fact that they choose to live here they are making a statement about saving money. People do not commute 70-100 miles each way for the fun of driving after all.

For those on the lower end of the financial spectrum as well as for those who by necessity are really watching their money, a thrift store offers an alternative to buying lesser-quality brand new goods at a big box store. It is always amazing to me the range of products that you can find, particularly clothing, that is in excellent shape and very serviceable for very reasonable prices at the Salvation Army. A decent size clean and easy to navigate thrift store offers clothing, toys, books, and even the occasional collectable at very reasonable prices. It's hard to beat 2 bucks for a shirt or 4 dollars for a pair of twice worn denim jeans.

For those on the higher end of the economic dog pile, a thrift shop in town offers several side benefits even if you never shop there. These include a happier population, extra income for city and county projects via taxes, and the increase in employment and buying power makes for better citizens and customers in general.

Another benefit to folks on the higher end of the spectrum is that a good thrift store here in town would provide you with a convenient place to get rid of items that you no longer need or that did not sell at your garage sale. Thrift stores promote the 'recycling' of clothing and other goods and this keeps our landfills form becoming filled even more quickly than they already are.

In addition it is much more convenient (and lets face it you are probably more likely) to drop off donations locally than packing the BMW mini-van to the gunwales and dragging all that junk over the hill or to Merced to drop off. Large thrift stores also provide donors with receipts that can allow for tax write-offs. Anything that gives you a legal tax break is always a good thing, and having a thrift store in town might just mean that the IRS gets that much less from you next year.

So in closing I would like to promote the idea of opening a large thrift store in Los Banos because it benefits everyone.

A thrift store would benefit Los Banos residents economically by making decent quality goods available for cheap. It would benefit us ecologically by using our landfill up more slowly. It would benefit donors with tax write-offs and clutter removal. And finally it brings a few extra jobs to a town that could really use them.

What is your opinion on bringing a large thrift store to Los Banos?
Share it with the Los Banos Community on the Los Banos Discussion Forum & Bulletin Board!