Against a backdrop of several Wal-Mart protests along the Wasatch Front recently, Salt Lake County business and political leaders have launched their "Buy Local First Utah" campaign.

The clear message at a Monday news conference was for all Wal-Mart haters to put their money where their mouths are. Instead of complaining, about "big-box" stores, people need to start supporting local businesses when they shop. Otherwise, look-a-like retailers will gain an even greater strangle-hold on the area's cultural feel.

"I believe we can no longer be eternally neutral and say every business is great for this community," Michael Shuman, author of the new book "Going Local," said at the press conference, held at Pazzo Deli, 2005 S. 2700 East.

The new campaign was developed by the Salt Lake Vest Pocket Business Coalition and is supported by local politicians like Murray Mayor Dan Snarr, Salt Lake City Mayor Rocky Anderson and Salt Lake County Mayor-elect Peter Corroon.

The campaign will sponsor lectures, like the one Shuman is giving at Westminster College tonight at 7 p.m., on the importance of buying local. Also, the campaign will lobby governments to create an even playing field for local businesses and give each a placard.

Campaign director David Nimkin said communities need to realize the importance of local businesses. Various studies have shown that for every dollar spent at a local businesses, three times the value is returned to the local economy as compared with national stores, Nimkin said. Those values come when home-grown businesses hire local public relations agencies, accountants and attorneys to work for them, he said. Shuman added that these businesses' valley roots stabilize an economy and aren't likely to pull up a workforce and move to China or Mexico to find cheaper labor.

Anderson said the community should support local businesses to save our culture from being homogenized into a retail mass of Barnes & Noble, Gap and Target.

"If we do not take this step, chain store merchandise will be all that is available to us as consumers," Anderson said.

Nimkin said he realized some people might not be able to afford to shop at smaller stores because they could get goods cheaper at chain stores. Still, he encouraged people — when possible — to go local.

Shuman added that consumers shouldn't assume that Wal-Mart or other chains are always cheaper. He cited a study showing prescription drugs in Maine were cheaper when bought at small local stores compared with the same prescriptions bought at larger stores, including Wal-Mart.

The campaign counts the Salt Lake area as one of about three dozen medium-sized American communities that have adopted local first campaigns, Shuman said.

The group will do special promotions to attract customers to local businesses. Advertising and other efforts to reach customers are planned over the next year but as yet are unfunded.

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E-mail: bsnyder@desnews.com