Sometime next year, a big company named Wal-Mart is coming to a small city in Southwest Washington named Battle Ground. However, this big company does not pay its workers well. Battle Ground needs more jobs, such as higher-paying high-tech jobs, and factories that send products around the world. The best product that a factory in Battle Ground could make is anything that would deal with timber. North Clark County has a lot of timber. These types of jobs, plus the expansion of state Highway 502, would make Battle Ground a richer and better community.
A lot of people hate to see the highway expanding. I see it as a good thing for Battle Ground, because it shortens the travel time to Interstate 5, so businesses can export their products out of Battle Ground faster.
Wal-Mart could put the smaller companies out of business. We need a balance between the smaller family-run companies and the high-paying companies. If the leaders of Battle Ground were smarter, they would ban Wal-Mart and find higher-paying jobs that will put Battle Ground on the map.
Matt Welsh
BATTLE GROUND
