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• Officers issue almost 300 tickets in a day

• Judge: No pledge in schools

• Schools celebrate anniversary of 'The Star Spangled Banner'

• Lodi residents get a sample of fair at 'Taste of the Festival'

• Lodians continue efforts to help victims of hurricane

• Regional Roundup

• Rosie Ortiz is CSEA's 'Employee of the Year'

• Logbook

November 20th, 2009

• Acampo woman killed

• Salvation Army Kettle Kickoff

• Advocacy groups sue East Bay Municipal Utility District over Pardee expansion

• Regional Roundup

• Galt plans to help residents with energy-efficient projects

• Stable southeast of Lodi approved

• One year after a heart attack, Lodi's Judy Mims thanks rescuers

• National Guard troops return home in time for the holidays

• Real estate market gets on more solid ground

November 19th, 2009

• Lodi Unified School District board votes to cancel summer school for 2010

• Water surges in Mokelumne River yield more salmon

• Lodi City Council will consider redevelopment next June

• Lodi City Council plans to cap number of taco trucks at 22

• Corrections

• Chase ends in crash

• Operation: Christmas

• Logbook

• Suspect arrested after hiding in fridge

• Galt Joint Union High School Distric hires new superintendent

• Sales tax hike yields dividends: 5 new officers join Galt Police

November 18th, 2009

• Regional Roundup

• Paranormal group conducts second investigation of building

• Congress allocates money for local water projects

• Lodi man finds wife's ashes during police display of stolen property

• Galt City Council rejects study on rent stabilization

• Sarah Palin's book hits the shelves: Locals react

November 17th, 2009

• Clarification

• Lodi Budget and Finance Committee to look into ways to save money on employee benefits

• Regional Roundup

• Decision on summer school expected at tonight's Lodi Unified School District meeting

• Clements gets free water rescue boat

• Redevelopment to be discussed by Lodi City Council again

• Court reinstates death penalty for killer of Lodi grad

• Paying tribute to a Lodian

November 16th, 2009

• Correction

• Public Meetings

• Regional Roundup

• Three members of Lodi-area family fall ill after eating poisonous mushrooms they reportedly found at Lodi Lake

• Sierra Adventure store to close after four years in Downtown Lodi

• Lodi's First Sip event showcases area wineries' latest vintages

• City Council 'triple-dog dared' to ditch cars, use Lodi buses

November 14th, 2009

• Galt school district narrows superintendent search to one

• Regional Roundup

• A first look at 2009 vintages at Lodi's First Sip wine-tasting event

• Watchful neighbor in Lodi helped bust suspected burglars

• Despite budget cuts, some Lodi Unified School District salaries continue to rise

• Despite an increase in homeless students, school districts look to bolster enrollment, raise revenue

• New Galt city manager juggles job, family

November 13th, 2009

• What to expect with new homebuyer tax credit

• Lodi Muslim: Local mosque not involved

• Regional Roundup

• Mayor Larry Hansen points out Lodi's economic progress

• First phase of Lockeford park by 2011?

• Lodi veteran recounts close calls in Vietnam

• Burglary suspects are under arrest

The following stories have received the most reader comments during the last 7 days.

• The country's mess is our fault (161)
• Obama is not a moderate (130)
• Sarah Palin's book hits the shelves: Locals react (70)
• Despite budget cuts, some Lodi Unified School District salaries continue to rise (58)
• Lodi City Council plans to cap number of taco trucks at 22 (48)
• The haves should help the have-nots (30)
• Public health care is a Christian option (29)
• Lodi Flames slim playoff chances vanish in setback to Tracy Bulldogs (25)
• Tokay in, traveling to unbeaten No. 3 Grant for football playoffs (25)
• Nightmares about America's future (23)

ADVERTISEMENT

Limiting competition is harmful to free enterprise

Pat Patrick's comments at the Sept. 7 council meeting should be of great interest to the Lodi business community.

Mr. Patrick wants to protect the big car dealerships in town by preventing a business from outside the community from doing business in Lodi a few times per year.

Last year, Mr. Patrick spoke in favor of a business from outside the community that would directly compete with local businesses on a permanent basis.

The auto tent sales do provide benefits to our community and its local businesses. They bring sales tax revenues, they bring customers to our local restaurants and specialty stores, and they bring affordable car prices to citizens.

If this sounds familiar, it should. These are the same arguments that were used by Mr. Patrick in support of the other outside business.

The big difference here is that a few weekend sales events won't close the big car dealerships or even the small used car dealerships. In fact, they may help those businesses by bringing people to our city who are looking to buy a car.

If they don't find what they want at the sale, maybe they might find it at one of Lodi's car dealerships, big or small.

To take Mr. Patrick's comments even further, maybe we need to stop having the Lodi Street Faire that brings in "unneeded outside business," and competes with the downtown antique stores and specialty shops. And don't forget the Farmers Market, as that competes with the grocers in town.

It's all about free enterprise. It's not about limiting competition, as Mr. Patrick's comments suggest.

As you indicated last year, Mr. Patrick, competition is a good thing for the citizens of Lodi, and people need choices, more than Geweke, Plummer and Sanborn.

It is Mr. Patrick's job to support local businesses, but he should not be selective as to those that he supports.

Treacy Elliott
Lodi