The recent public hearing conducted by the Wallowa County Planning Commission to appeal Dollar General’s development permit to construct a store on the outskirts of Wallowa brought to light in full view of the public some of the intimidation tactics that Dollar General is notorious for throughout the country.

Dollar General’s arrogant and condescending attorney belittled and promptly dismissed the sentiments expressed by every single member of the community who rose to deliver public comments. Some expressed their outrage and disbelief regarding the lack of notice and opportunity for public participation on such a significant decision for the county.

Most gave voice to their concerns about the many negative impacts of a Dollar General in that location — on small, locally owned businesses that would lose revenue to this multibillion dollar national conglomerate; on adjacent Bear Creek, where stormwater runoff will be routed, affecting water quality for habitat of salmon, steelhead, and bull trout; on public safety, especially for children catching their school bus in front of the store’s entrance, as well as for bicyclists and pedestrians trying to access the store; on traffic safety, with drivers having to turn off Highway 82, where the speed limit is 55 mph, onto a sharply angled dirt road; on nearby neighbors who can expect their property values to drop now that they’re next to a Dollar General; and on the unique character and local values of Wallowa County.

Bullies try to convince you that they are invincible, so you won’t even bother putting up a fight. Dollar General’s attorney tried to convince the audience and the Planning Commission that all these sentimental objections were of no consequence to their legal right to develop this site.

We’ve “dotted all our i’s and crossed all our t’s” in getting the permits approved, so there’s really nothing that you Wallowa County residents can do. Those pesky concerns about lack of public notice and possibly an improper local review process that some people are so upset about — forget ‘em… totally irrelevant now — all “cured” by conducting the public hearing.

The contempt shown by Dollar General’s attorney toward the concerns of Wallowa County residents is reflective of their business strategy to target economically struggling communities, expecting them to be easily exploited.

For more information about Dollar General’s business practices; lawsuits filed against them by customers for deceptive pricing and overcharging them, by residents of communities who don’t want a Dollar General in their community, and even by their own investors for making false or misleading statements to jack up their stock price; as well as Dollar General’s more than $3.3 million in proposed Occupational Safety and Health Administration penalties for putting their employees at safety risks, see the website www.nodollargeneral.com.

Dollar General also tried to bully the Planning Department, too. Here’s part of an email from the Dollar General developer that’s in the public record regarding the January public hearing: “… I tried calling each of you just now regarding the attached letter we received in the mail this afternoon. I am very confused and concerned as to why a hearing would be required for an active construction Project that has secured all approvals. I need to understand today if this meeting scheduled for 1/30/2024 is a formality or what could result from same. I need to hear from someone this afternoon on this matter.”

The thinly disguised attempt at intimidation and barely contained anger and frustration deflects their realization that they had not adequately done their own due diligence to more fully understand how Oregon’s land use laws are implemented. Statewide and at the local level, “Citizen Involvement” is elevated to the No. 1 Goal for land use planning and regulation.

Here’s some advice for dealing with predatory corporate bullies like Dollar General:

• Don’t let them convince you that resistance is futile or you’re already defeated — stand up to them and commit to fight.

• Study their tactics used elsewhere — they usually keep drawing from their same limited playbook.

• Identify their vulnerabilities and anticipate their next move — act quickly when the time is right to gain advantage and then be relentless.

• Build broad public support and seek advice from others, especially those who have successfully fought corporate bullies like Dollar General.

• Know your rights — hire a principled attorney who believes lawyering’s goal is to help ensure justice for both plaintiffs and defendants, not to make a fortune assisting corporations avoid accountability.

Don’t let Dollar General succeed in convincing Wallowa County that our local values don’t matter!

An error in editing this column resulted in a paragraph that might have confused some readers. The paragraph in question should have read:

• Know your rights — hire a principled attorney who believes lawyering’s goal is to help ensure justice for both plaintiffs and defendants, not to make a fortune assisting corporations avoid accountability.

The online version of the column has been corrected.