Start your engines. The biggest shopping day of the year began at about dawn today, with many stores in the Miss-Lou opening in the early hours to entice early-bird shoppers.

Many area merchants said they are looking forward to this holiday shopping season even more than in previous years.

Despite the changes in our economy in recent years, we have an influx of new shoppers in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.

And that means good news not only for merchants, but for all of us.

Shopping at home keeps money circulating here at home. For every dollar you spend with a local merchant, he or she can spend more money with other local businesses, and so on.

Shopping at home also keeps local sales tax revenue at home.

And sales tax revenue is what drives our local governments. In the City of Natchez, for example, the majority of revenue in the general fund budget is from sales tax receipts.

With an expected boost in those numbers from early fall, just after Hurricane Katrina hit, city officials are hoping to end the fiscal year on a high note.

Considering this is a year when aldermen were forced to raise property taxes and garbage rates in order to balance the budget, we all depend on sales taxes to make life a lot easier.

So even if you don&8217;t brave the crowds today, make sure you keep your holiday dollars right here in the Miss-Lou.