"National chains do not come to MLK because of racial bias."
That's been the constant mantra of Irma Rogers, the executive director of the taxpayer funded Martin Luther King Community Development Corporation, and councilwoman Tabatha Taylor.
No, they don't say that explicitly.
But they implicitly use the race card as they complain about the MLK being in a "food desert." Their constant cry is for a super Brookshires or super Kroger’s to land right smack-dab ln the middle of the MLK area. And when it does, it can also serve as a landing spot for Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, and the tooth fairy.
Seemingly, they do not know, understand or even accept the realities of national chain decision-making on expansion plans.
Guess what?
Decision makers do not look at the history of a neighborhood, the ethnicity, or even the public school grades.
No, they look at hard data such as average population age, population density in a designated area, annual income per household, competitors within a designated area, infrastructure, etc.
Number crunchers in faraway corporate offices look at census data and other public available information from reliable sources. They give no credence to estimated census undercounts or pleas of racial equality in deciding retail locations. These decision makers focus on the color of green--not black or white.
A census population of 5,900 and an average household income of $19,000 in the MLK area will not attract a national or regional business. It’s just a reality.
These parochial notions ignore economic reality, and it is a disservice to their constituents.