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Q&A: Local grocer speaks out on Wal-Mart and NT
(Tonawanda News, North Tonawanda, N.Y. Via Thomson Dialog NewsEdge) Apr. 14--It's tough to find a more controversial figure in North Tonawanda never to have sought elective office than Frank Budwey.
Part entrepreneur, part philanthropist, part political activist, Budwey is among the most well known people in the Tonawandas, and depending on who you ask, represents the best or worst this community has to offer.
Owner of Budwey Markets in Kenmore and North Tonawanda, his two mom-and-pop shops have beaten the odds and survived in the toughest of climates for small business. That material success has translated into generous donations for a myriad of local causes. He is a donor of first resort for many of the cultural institutions that define the community.
And despite that impressive resume, Budwey is reviled in some circles -- dismissed as a bombastic, greedy egotist out only to further his own interests. His full-voiced opposition to the construction of a Wal-Mart supercenter in North Tonawanda has been seen by some as prima facie evidence of his true motive -- self-preservation.
And at the center of it all is the man himself, unafraid of criticism -- and giving it as good as he gets.
Frankie Budwey, in his own words:
QUESTION: So, Wal-Mart is quite the hot-button issue these days. Given the vitriolic response that some of your opposition to the new supercenter has generated, do you regret getting involved?
ANSWER: Not at all.
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Q: Why?
A: It's the right thing to do first for my employees and for my business and for the taxpayers of North Tonawanda. And for the American economy and jobs for American citizens.
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Q: The economic squeeze on the middle class and especially in places like NT has been well documented: Rising gas and health care costs. Taxes always going up. Why shouldn't residents here have the option of a discount retailer if they're feeling the pinch?
A: Because it is going to cost, if someone does an economic impact study, we'll find out that the taxpayers of North Tonawanda, the property owners, will be subsidizing this project. The city will be in the red, not in the black if you really do the numbers. But nobody has done their homework. Just like I did the homework and decided not to take the Newfane store because it didn't make sense, I'm doing my homework on Wal-Mart.
Wal-Mart is wrong for the North Tonawanda taxpayers.
Now, I will say yes, the people will not be inconvenienced by going to a Wal-Mart right here. They can buy products very cheap. But nationwide, and that's where I'm going to be going after Wal-Mart, nationally, (they're) wrong for the United States.
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Q: Bottom line, do you think the opening of a Wal-Mart Supercenter will put your North Tonawanda store out of business?
A: Absolutely, because they need my business to stay in business. They average nationwide 1.5 supermarkets go down when they open. Intentionally they do this. I've seen it (in other cities) ... they will intentionally come in and cut their prices until they put you out. They match everyone's ads and I'm not going to give them that opportunity and I will not stop fighting until they open.
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Q: Are you prepared to file a lawsuit if the SEQR process results in a negative declaration and they OK to build the store?
A: The way I see it, if they don't change the way they are doing things, they are not following SEQR law. And if they do not follow the law, they will be sued by North Tonawanda First, by myself and anyone else who wants to join us because they are not following the laws correctly.
The (city's) consultant, Wendell Duchscherer, I do not feel is doing a good job. It's all one big conspiracy to have Wal-Mart in the city regardless of the effects to the taxpayers.
But let me add like I said at a public meeting, Budwey's doesn't want a lawsuit. North Tonawanda First doesn't want a lawsuit. Wal-Mart doesn't want a lawsuit. There's no reason for a lawsuit if they do everything correctly. And right now I don't believe they're doing everything accordingly to law.
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Q: But if they do everything correctly, that's going to result in a supercenter being built. And at least by your logic, you're going to go out of business. If the SEQR process is followed you wouldn't sue and you would let Wal-Mart come in?
A: I will only sue if I have a right to sue. I'm not going to spend the money and lose it in court.
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Q: Let's talk about some of your other work in the community. First, the News owes you a "thanks" for your cooperation in the "Help the Horse" campaign last year after the carrousel museum was robbed. (Budwey donated to the cause and sold stamps for $1 that raised nearly a third of the total donations for the campaign.) Can you talk about your philosophy when it comes to charity?
A: All businesses should give back to the communities because one hand washes the other and without the customers, we wouldn't be here. There's many organizations that, myself, Tops Markets, Wegmans, all my competitors, the small optical shops (support). Look at the ball teams being sponsored, they're all supported by the local merchants. We all give back because the community supports us.
We have to do that. It's only being a good corporate citizen.
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Q: Do you feel like you get the credit you deserve for having done that?
A: I think most people give me the credit and stand by us. They understand, and it's just a small core group if you read the Sound Off articles, it's coming from the same few people, the same five people, being pushed by Wal-Mart that say remarks that are comical and very entertaining. We laugh at them everyday. It's entertainment.
They can say my stores are very dirty and I shouldn't go to Newfane and clean up my stores here and on Kenmore Avenue. Come in and wash the store if it's really dirty. You'll hear customers joking in the aisle, "hey, I'm shopping at the dirty store."
It's not hurting me, it's hurting them. ... They're not supporting not shopping here because of falsified Sound Off messages.
Calling me the "snob flu" implying I'm being snobbish. When did I ever be snobbish to anyone in this city is what I'd like to know.
... It's very entertaining. I had one that was really pretty good. They called me greedy? I'm the guy that saved the 120 jobs that were here. I'm the guy that lost hundreds of thousands of dollars to turn this store around. I took the gamble, moved down the street and took it over. I didn't get anything special to move the store here from the city. ... Nobody did me any favors on any of that stuff. I worked very hard to get that done.
Of course over the years we made money on that, but that's business.
I can understand the public wanting to save money. Everyone has to look out for themselves. I'm looking out for my employees, myself and the city because they're not right for the city. And once I'm done with the city, I'll go further and go after them for monopolizing everything and sending our American jobs overseas.
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Q: Do you feel like this debate has been taken out of proportion. Aren't we really arguing about things bigger than just one store?
A: For Frank Budwey? I've fought multi-million dollar companies. I've fought the unions. I've fought a billion-dollar company.
I love being the underdog. I want to fight them nationally. I don't think, I know it: Rubbermaid, Huffy Bicycle, Mr. Coffee. Hundreds and hundreds of companies are forced to go over there because of our president, our Congress, our legislators, are only interested in the money they can make. The economy is going down the tubes.
They chased Bill Gates and Wal-Mart is seven times bigger than Bill Gates. I've got an agenda bigger than North Tonawanda with Wal-Mart. That's the way I am, when I get on a principle, I take it all the way.
Contact Managing Editor Eric DuVall at 693-1000, ext. 112.
To see more of the Tonawanda News or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.tonawanda-news.com/.
Copyright (c) 2008, Tonawanda News, North Tonawanda, N.Y.
Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.
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