Opinion on Wal-Mart to pull of of Washington D.C.

[esmith]

So now you care about ghettos having access to healthy vegetables etc? Can you tell me where Walmart was planning to setup their stores based on your source map?

Well since you asked and it appears that you did not attempt to find out where the stores were going I will do it for you. They were going in Wards 4, 5, 6, and 7

Walmart Locations Near Washington DC – Walmart DC Area Stores

 

[esmith]

This makes the assumption that no other business would fill the vacuum left by Wal-mart. Seeing as Wal-mart and other such big box stores tend to put small businesses out of business, I think the opposite assumption would be more likely.

Do you know of any retail or grocery stores that had plans to go into the areas that Wal-Mart was going into? Did you happen to read the link that I provided that showed the lack of businesses in those areas. I will also give you another link to look into.
Walmart Locations Near Washington DC – Walmart DC Area Stores
You may have your complaints against Wal-Mart but they do have a reputation of providing goods at prices that people can afford. Before Wal-Mart there were Sears, Montgomery Wards, and Woolworths to name a few. Did they have an impact on small businesses? Probably yes, but that is what is called progress.

 

[esmith]

So you were talking about welfare when you said charity? That's what I thought. You do realize that 1 in 100 people is on welfare? I don't care if my tax dollars go to it, you do.

Do you care that by enabling the dependency on government welfare that you are hurting the recipient by, for one lowering their self-esteem, work ethics, to name a few debilitating results.

 

[dust1n]

Do you care that by enabling the dependency on government welfare that you are hurting the recipient by, for one lowering their self-esteem, work ethics, to name a few debilitating results.

How many of those on welfare have agreed with your assessment that they are becoming dependent and lowering their self esteem and work ethics? If not many, what is the foundation for your assessment?

 

[dust1n]

Consider that every person who works at Walmart does so because it was a better choice than all others available, eg, lower paying jobs, unemployment. So if we compare the taxpayer burden of these alternatives (ie, work for Walmart vs not work there), our (taxpayers) cost is lower if they become Sam Walton's minions.
Regarding tax breaks, can you explain how Walmart gets such subsidies?

Wouldn't the demand for the products Walmart carry continue to exist without Walmart, thus creating a vacuum of supply to which new business owners can exploit, thus job creation without Walmart?

 

[flodycake4]

Walmart operates on 3 to 3 1/2 percent profit margins. Walmart is not just some big corporation that's out to get profit and screw people. They provide jobs for many Americans across the country. DC is in problems and they wonder why! Hmmmm....

 

[Monk Of Reason]

So from you post I will have to assume you believe in the following:
Keeping people enslaved by not allowing them a chance to better themselves.
I continue to here from public figures saying that their community is lacking in businesses within their community that allows the members of their community to have a source of goods and materials without commuting great distances to do so. Having a local business that can provide work experience so that they can gain experience. Maybe giving a person some self-esteem by giving them a chance to work for something rather that having to live on the charity of others.

Before I seriously respond to this I would like to know the extent of your knowledge of what Walmart has done to local economies and how far reaching the damage actually is. Or are you someone who believes that walmart is the best thing sine sliced bread and the world is a better place because of it?

You also seem to be assuming that I"m a far left democratic liberal. Not true. Would just like to stamp that out before it goes any further.

 

[Reverend Rick]

I take issue with a corporation like walmart doing whatever they can to make as much profit as possible.

Do you think this company is not doing what they are suppose to do? They have a responsibility to their shareholders. They are not a charity. :no:

Wages are controlled by workers who choose to accept what is offered or not.

 

[Monk Of Reason]

Do you think this company is not doing what they are suppose to do? They have a responsibility to their shareholders. They are not a charity. :no:

Wages are controlled by workers who choose to accept what is offered or not.

The second part is simply not true. In certain cases of skilled labor it is true but as far as Walmart is concerned the workers have 0 say in the wages. Its either take that wage or be unemployed. Again there is some misconception that somehow there are tons of jobs out there and its the fault of the worker for settling for such a low paying job. There are no better jobs out there for them. These workers are at the mercy of the corporations in which they work for and they have no power at all unless its unionized. That is why unions are so important and why right to work states have lower wages and worse benefits.

 

[Reverend Rick]

Monk, would you work for a penny an hour? Why not? Using your logic, you would have to take the job no matter what it paid, right?

If NO ONE worked for low pay, there would be no low paying jobs.

 

[esmith]

Wouldn't the demand for the products Walmart carry continue to exist without Walmart, thus creating a vacuum of supply to which new business owners can exploit, thus job creation without Walmart?

So, you don't think that stores like Target, Winco, HEB, Costco, Fred Myers, and other chain stores are not in direct competition with Wal-Mart? I am assuming that you are advocating that Wal-Mart be driven out of business just because you disagree with their employment policies or is it that you despise them because they do not knuckle under to the mind set of the anti-capitalism mindset?

 

[tytlyf]

Walmart operates on 3 to 3 1/2 percent profit margins. Walmart is not just some big corporation that's out to get profit and screw people. They provide jobs for many Americans across the country. DC is in problems and they wonder why! Hmmmm....

Walmart also destroys small businesses in communities. Although 3-3.5% profit margin is true, that about 1% higher than other competition.

And concerning your last sentence, what sort of problems is DC having? Care to share?

 

[esmith]

Walmart also destroys small businesses in communities. Although 3-3.5% profit margin is true, that about 1% higher than other competition.

And concerning your last sentence, what sort of problems is DC having? Care to share?

Washington, District of Columbia (DC) poverty rate data - information about poor and low income residents living in this city

 

[tytlyf]

Washington, District of Columbia (DC) poverty rate data - information about poor and low income residents living in this city

How does that relate to my question to the other poster? How will walmart adding jobs help the poverty rate if they are paying minimum wage? If 1,600 jobs are proposed in 6 different locations, do you really think that will affect the population of DC poverty rate?
I'm failing to see the point

 

[ZooGirl02]

They aren't necessarily pulling out, they are reconsidering 6 new stores being built that won't be grandfathered in. Let them pull out, they still have their own stores there. I take issue with a corporation like walmart doing whatever they can to make as much profit as possible.

I take issue with it as well. I personally believe it is a form of greed. I also feel it is unethical when it is causing their employees to remain poor when they could be offering their employers what I believe would be a more ethical wage so that they can live a better quality of life.

 

[dust1n]

So, you don't think that stores like Target, Winco, HEB, Costco, Fred Myers, and other chain stores are not in direct competition with Wal-Mart? I am assuming that you are advocating that Wal-Mart be driven out of business just because you disagree with their employment policies or is it that you despise them because they do not knuckle under to the mind set of the anti-capitalism mindset?

Is mindset one word or two?

No seriously though, I'll shop at HEB, though it ain't the only place I get food. I have no interest shopping at Target or Walmart, and never seen a Winco, Costco, or Fred Meyers in my life. I have to right to boycott whoever I please, thank you.

And mainly, if the constituency of some municipal doesn't want something, and the people who they vote represent their wills, then the constituency has a right to prevent certain businesses from entering their district. Or can I just go ahead and assume you are anti-democratic?

 

[Brickjectivity]

There's always a tendency for businesses to merge together until neither consumer nor producer has any choice or utility -- eventually with only one entity making decisions and profits. Its been that way since civilization began. Strings entangle, and businesses glom together. That's why we in the US needed the Sherman Antitrust Act of 1890, and its why DC's authority over this financial arrangement is justified. Yes, businesses must be allowed to compete fairly. At the same time they never stop growing, so competition naturally worsens as businesses build structure. Walmart has grown almost to the point where there is no more room for it, and its going to run into limitations.

 

[Monk Of Reason]

Monk, would you work for a penny an hour? Why not? Using your logic, you would have to take the job no matter what it paid, right?

If NO ONE worked for low pay, there would be no low paying jobs.

Do you wish to know how much money untouchables make in India? Look that information up and see why your argument fails.

Now lets see for a minute. What if EVERY JOB AVAILIBLE TO YOU! Every single one without exception will only pay you 1 dollar an hour. You get no benefits and if you unionize you get fired. What do you do? also you have no access to funds to start your own business.

I spent 6 years of my life working in a meager job and had to take 2 years off of college because I had no way to pay for it. I still swim in debt of my college and I'm just in my first year of actually making money. It gets better for me from now on but there are a lot of people who can't do what I did. I was lucky. If I had stayed in that job though and didn't Finnish college I would never had gotten a meaningful raise and i never would have cracked 30k a year even at full time. Maybe with lots and lots of overtime. And i had a certification for it. I wasn't some burger flipper or meaningless stockboy whose total net worth to a company was less than spit.

Your views are still stuck in the 70's. Its great that you have had some kind of success in your life and I am glad for that. But you dont' seem to know exactly how hard it is for certain people and how difficult the situations are. Its not impossible to get out but the system is set up against them in so many ways that its entirely unfair. Hard work should be rewarded more than it is. You should be able to get places from sweat blood and tears but you don't.

 

[I.S.L.A.M617]

I take issue with a corporation like walmart doing whatever they can to make as much profit as possible.

In all fairness, isn't that the purpose of running a business in the first place?

 

[Freedomelf]

There has always been complaints that stores that provide good nutritional groceries can not be found in low income areas of big cities. Why the City Council is basically "cutting off it nose to spite it's face" is hard to understand.

What is your opinion on the possible legislation?

To use the words "Walmart" and "nutritional groceries" in the same sentence is laughable. Walmart buys the cheapest genetically modified foods around.

The inner cities would be far better off with a farmer's market where they walmart used to be, if indeed they aren't just blowing smoke.