Stacy Mitchell is a researcher with the Institute for Local Self-Reliance in Maine and author of "The Hometown Advantage." Her most recent publication is called "10 Reasons Why Vermont's Homegrown Economy Matters: And 50 Proven Ways to Revive It" published by the Preservation Trust of Vermont.

Steve Bercu is president of BookPeople, a big independent bookstore in Austin. He is also president of the Austin Independent Business Alliance. Recently, the Alliance commissioned Dan Houston's firm, Civic Economics, to do a study on the impact of independent retailing on the city and its results have been cited in land use conflicts in communities all across America.