Walmart is opening 4 stores in DC

[Anonymous]

Walmart might not be great for every community but I fail to see how it would be negative for the eastern portion of DC.

ITA with this. I'm from a semi-rural state and saw first-hand the WalMart effect on Suzie's Kountry Kurtains and Edson's MiniMart. ie, they don't exist anymore.

But. East Capitiol has an entirely different dynamic and if residents of the surrounding zipcodes wholeheartedly want WalMart, then good.

Naysayers should explain in detail how Walmart will have an overall negative effect on the actual local population.

(I reserve the right to have grave concerns about the global effect of WalMart on goods and production)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Walmart might not be great for every community but I fail to see how it would be negative for the eastern portion of DC.

ITA with this. I'm from a semi-rural state and saw first-hand the WalMart effect on Suzie's Kountry Kurtains and Edson's MiniMart. ie, they don't exist anymore.

But. East Capitiol has an entirely different dynamic and if residents of the surrounding zipcodes wholeheartedly want WalMart, then good.

Naysayers should explain in detail how Walmart will have an overall negative effect on the actual local population.

(I reserve the right to have grave concerns about the global effect of WalMart on goods and production)

You reserve the right to be concerned that people will make the right and rational choice (in the grand scheme) and shop with the most efficient retailer?

[Anonymous]

I'm not a huge fan of Wal-Mart -- it's arrival pretty much began the demise of the downtown district where I grew up, but I also think it will be reaching an underserved market here. I do think 4 stores is just overkill.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:13:19 just how will Walmart rape and pillage my beloved city. Just asking!!

Oh, and are you currently employed. Have you been consistently employed within the last three years. Do you know someone who has been unemployed for more than eighteen months in the last three years and their unemployment benefits have been exhausted. If you know of such a person, go to him/her and ask that person if they would accept a job from Walmart at approximately $14 -$16 an hour plus health insurance right now.

Only 44% of Walmart employees have health insurance, because the insurance is unaffordable. Also, Walmart employs more part-time workers who are not eligible for health care benefits. And $14-16 an hour? Where did you get this information?

To answer your question, yes, I know several people who have been unemployed for extensive periods. Most of my family members live in a small industrial community in Illinois. The town where I grew up is similar to Flint, Michigan. GM and other numerous factories have closed, decimating the community. So, yes, I am all too familiar with poverty and joblessness.

Not a big surprise, a Super Walmart was built on the outskirts of town a few years ago. While Walmart is not the only reason many long-standing stores closed, surely, it contributed greatly to the demise of many smaller retail and grocery stores in the area. I've had discussions with my parents and siblings about the existence of Walmart in their community, and even though they're as poor as church mice, they hate Walmart because it's cleared out other shopping centers and has made their home a ghost town.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It seems that African Americans are happy that Walmart is coming. The only people opposed are smug, stuckup, white liberals who want to control the way people, eat, drink and think. I'm glad they're coming.

http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/housingcomplex/2010/11/18/wal-mart-news-fast-and-furious/

I'm not smug or stuck-up. Although, I'll proudly claim to be liberal.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm not a huge fan of Wal-Mart -- it's arrival pretty much began the demise of the downtown district where I grew up, but I also think it will be reaching an underserved market here. I do think 4 stores is just overkill.

They're smaller and grocery focused. Sounds fine to me.

[Anonymous]

n some communities, they have closed stores--moving to new locations where they receive better tax breaks--and have left huge, abandoned warehouses that are unlikely to be occupied by other businesses.

I grew up in a small town that had this situation. Wal-mart abandoned a LARGE shopping center for a new building. The entire center went under. Add to that the tons and tons of businesses that went under after they came to town, and boy is that a depressing place to visit. Loads of empty buildings all over.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Walmart might not be great for every community but I fail to see how it would be negative for the eastern portion of DC.

ITA with this. I'm from a semi-rural state and saw first-hand the WalMart effect on Suzie's Kountry Kurtains and Edson's MiniMart. ie, they don't exist anymore.

But. East Capitiol has an entirely different dynamic and if residents of the surrounding zipcodes wholeheartedly want WalMart, then good.

Naysayers should explain in detail how Walmart will have an overall negative effect on the actual local population.

(I reserve the right to have grave concerns about the global effect of WalMart on goods and production)

I'm from rural area as well and all the mom and pop stores were closing before WalMart came in. We had to drive pretty far to get clothes and other goods you can't purchase at the Grocery store. We were the lucky ones in our county because we actually had a couple of nice grocery stores.

Walmart came in during the mid 1990's. Their sales were through the roof and more and more businesses started taking an interest in our town. The town is still economically depressed but it's in a much better place than it would have been if Walmart didn't come in and wind up bringing other businesses with them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It seems that African Americans are happy that Walmart is coming. The only people opposed are smug, stuckup, white liberals who want to control the way people, eat, drink and think. I'm glad they're coming.

http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/housingcomplex/2010/11/18/wal-mart-news-fast-and-furious/

What's wrong with you? Can't you have a discussion or debate without all the anger and name-calling?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Good! That means more jobs you morons.
gotta hate corporate america so you can justify your crunchy lifestyles, right?

No, you just don't understand the big picture. Walmart has a history of wage and work hour violations, lower than average retail wages, and unaffordable health care. The impact on communities can be extremely negative: depressing wages and displacing better paying retail jobs by forcing smaller retail businesses to close. Walmart receives subsidies (your tax dollars), while they implore tax loopholes to avoid paying state taxes. In some communities, they have closed stores--moving to new locations where they receive better tax breaks--and have left huge, abandoned warehouses that are unlikely to be occupied by other businesses. Drive around middle America, and you'll see this over and over.

They currently have about the best and most affordable health plan in retail. Their wages are pretty close to Whole Foods, and those mom and pop retailers generally never offered health care at all.

Having come from middle america, I am pretty confident that people love their Wal Mart stores. WalMart has had some labor issues in the past. But it's current practices are good.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:13:19 just how will Walmart rape and pillage my beloved city. Just asking!!

Oh, and are you currently employed. Have you been consistently employed within the last three years. Do you know someone who has been unemployed for more than eighteen months in the last three years and their unemployment benefits have been exhausted. If you know of such a person, go to him/her and ask that person if they would accept a job from Walmart at approximately $14 -$16 an hour plus health insurance right now.

Only 44% of Walmart employees have health insurance, because the insurance is unaffordable. Also, Walmart employs more part-time workers who are not eligible for health care benefits. And $14-16 an hour? Where did you get this information?

To answer your question, yes, I know several people who have been unemployed for extensive periods. Most of my family members live in a small industrial community in Illinois. The town where I grew up is similar to Flint, Michigan. GM and other numerous factories have closed, decimating the community. So, yes, I am all too familiar with poverty and joblessness.

Not a big surprise, a Super Walmart was built on the outskirts of town a few years ago. While Walmart is not the only reason many long-standing stores closed, surely, it contributed greatly to the demise of many smaller retail and grocery stores in the area. I've had discussions with my parents and siblings about the existence of Walmart in their community, and even though they're as poor as church mice, they hate Walmart because it's cleared out other shopping centers and has made their home a ghost town.

This is an outright lie. 95% of employees are covered by health care. The discrepancy is that about half are on their spouses health insurance. There is nothing wrong with that.

You say the health insurance is unaffordable. Pull the premiums. I defy you to find someone with cheaper options with the same benefits. It is a good plan. And btw part time employees are eligible. You can't sign up the day you join, but that's because they can't have every already sick person taking eight hours of work a week and then turning around and immediately filing claims.

It is shocking the untruths that people say about WalMart. Their health plan is on their web site. Have you ever bothered to check it out or do you just say whatever rumor you heard?

[Anonymous]

(I reserve the right to have grave concerns about the global effect of WalMart on goods and production)


You reserve the right to be concerned that people will make the right and rational choice (in the grand scheme) and shop with the most efficient retailer?

No, notice I didn't use the word "shop."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Good! That means more jobs you morons.
gotta hate corporate america so you can justify your crunchy lifestyles, right?

No, you just don't understand the big picture. Walmart has a history of wage and work hour violations, lower than average retail wages, and unaffordable health care. The impact on communities can be extremely negative: depressing wages and displacing better paying retail jobs by forcing smaller retail businesses to close. Walmart receives subsidies (your tax dollars), while they implore tax loopholes to avoid paying state taxes. In some communities, they have closed stores--moving to new locations where they receive better tax breaks--and have left huge, abandoned warehouses that are unlikely to be occupied by other businesses. Drive around middle America, and you'll see this over and over.

They currently have about the best and most affordable health plan in retail. Their wages are pretty close to Whole Foods, and those mom and pop retailers generally never offered health care at all.

Having come from middle america, I am pretty confident that people love their Wal Mart stores. WalMart has had some labor issues in the past. But it's current practices are good.

I'm from the Mid West and not everyone loves WalMart. Search "WalMart lawsuits," and you'll find plenty of current evidence of predatory practices and unfair labor disputes.

[Anonymous]

I live in Burke, VA near a Walmart and I had no idea my way of life and my town were going to be destroyed by them!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I live in Burke, VA near a Walmart and I had no idea my way of life and my town were going to be destroyed by them!

Well, you have to factor in where you're starting from. I mean, it's Burke - it may lead to an improvement.