BUSINESSES: Locals need a boost

I’m jumping on the bandwagon about the frustrations and aggravations of our continuing population explosion.

There’s the fact that 12-month check-ups have been moved to 15-month checkups, contractor services take longer because they’re swamped with all the new homeowners and construction projects, rising property taxes, and everybody’s favorite, traffic — but this latest one caught me by surprise.

I need some repair work done on my dash touchscreen that controls most of the key features, like the backup camera, on my Ford. I contacted our local dealer on U.S. 95, where we got both our cars and the best date they could give me was the middle of August! Afraid I’d lose my space in the queue, I booked the appointment.

Now, I don’t know if it was frustration or my need to operate my car safely, I reached out to Wendle Ford in Spokane. Thankfully, I was able to get a service appointment for June 30.

We support local business because it’s the right thing to do and every Sunday there is a list of new businesses in this paper, but it seems all that’s opening are restaurants, bars, coffee kiosks and boutique retail shops and salons. Crazy thought, maybe it’s time for the various city economic development departments and chambers of commerce to put more emphasis on attracting or incentivizing the everyday businesses we all need and use instead of the businesses for transplants and tourists.

G.E. WILE

Post Falls