Community businesses endangered

Bravo for last week’s articles and letters regarding the pharmacy benefit managers and the unfortunate closure of La Conner Drug Store, which is such a tangible example of rural America being at the mercy of big money and corporate capitalism.

I too had a small business in La Conner. Luckily it still prospers, but I remember fighting to get medical insurance companies to recognize a small independent physical therapy clinic. They kept telling me that they had enough service in Mt. Vernon and Anacortes. What happened to small individual capitalism and the creativity of the little independent guy that wants to do good in their community?

Alan Darcy and Eileen Engelstad question what small businesses are next. The slim profits in these businesses are fragile. Will they be gobbled up by big corporations or remain loyal to our community members who want to personally serve our community? How can we help small business owners before they walk away or give way to outsized corporations?

Now that the local drug store has closed, I don’t want to even imagine La Conner without an independent newspaper, or grocery store.

Joan Cross

La Conner