Walmart is opening 4 stores in DC

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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.

Seriously, that's the bottom line. There are number of ways that WalMart is incredibly corrosive--but those effects are felt most keenly in isolated rural communities. The fact that WalMart's moving to Washington is kind of irrelevant, as there are about a million other options out there. They're not going to corner the market on retail and shut down Main Street.

Swamp Waller, Arkansas, on the other hand, has something to worry about.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

Seriously, that's the bottom line. There are number of ways that WalMart is incredibly corrosive--but those effects are felt most keenly in isolated rural communities. The fact that WalMart's moving to Washington is kind of irrelevant, as there are about a million other options out there. They're not going to corner the market on retail and shut down Main Street.

Swamp Waller, Arkansas, on the other hand, has something to worry about.

But is poverty and lack of opportunities different in rural vs urban areas? Will that make the difference in how Walmart affects the community?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

Seriously, that's the bottom line. There are number of ways that WalMart is incredibly corrosive--but those effects are felt most keenly in isolated rural communities. The fact that WalMart's moving to Washington is kind of irrelevant, as there are about a million other options out there. They're not going to corner the market on retail and shut down Main Street.

Swamp Waller, Arkansas, on the other hand, has something to worry about.

But is poverty and lack of opportunities different in rural vs urban areas? Will that make the difference in how Walmart affects the community?

There are large differences. But just as a beginning point, the largest critique of WalMart as it relates to rural communities is that it eventually manages to corner the market on retail. That's possible in small town America. Not possible in the Eastern megalopolis. Even in the much touted "grocery deserts" in SE DC, you're still a five minute car ride from several grocery stores. Heck, that's better than the best-case scenario in most rural environments.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

Seriously, that's the bottom line. There are number of ways that WalMart is incredibly corrosive--but those effects are felt most keenly in isolated rural communities. The fact that WalMart's moving to Washington is kind of irrelevant, as there are about a million other options out there. They're not going to corner the market on retail and shut down Main Street.

Swamp Waller, Arkansas, on the other hand, has something to worry about.

Wow, someone used my snarky comment (that the blight brought on by Walmart would actually IMPROVE Burke) and used it to make a real point. I'm impressed.

[Anonymous]

DC residents can't afford to live on Walmart wages.

[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.

Well I think your information about Walmart's healthcare coverage is outdated. The news reports are that Walmart will be paying comparable grocer salaries. Therefore, the salaries will be comparable or slightly lower than Whole Foods or Giant. Would you deny the presence of Whole Foods or Giant in these neigborhoods, or do you just have a hard on for Walmart. Also, howmany of those smaller retail and grocery stores from your hometown paid any form of health insurance.

Finally, if your town was anything like Michigan and Ohio's factory industrial cities, your city was failing well before Walmart arrived. The jobs moved overseas and it is convenient to blame Walmart since they may have been the last employer standing. Or, did Walmart compete against the factories as well.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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?

I agree with this last poster. I'm not a fan of Wal-Mart, but they had a major PR crisis on their hands when an internal memo on their health insurance practices leaked, I believe it was 2004-2005. Since then, they have totally turned things around. I'm not saying they did it out of the kindness of their hearts, but they caved to pressure and their benefits are quite good, at least comparable to other corporations.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DC residents can't afford to live on Walmart wages.

So how much do you think a grocer (Walmart, Safeway, Target, Whole Foods, etc) should pay an individual who is only qualified to work in retail or grocery? I am sure that if you asked the hundreds of unemployed in S.E. (26% unemployment) if they would take the job, 95% would accept. Who are you to deny them the opportunity to earn a fair wage.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DC residents can't afford to live on Walmart wages.

So how much do you think a grocer (Walmart, Safeway, Target, Whole Foods, etc) should pay an individual who is only qualified to work in retail or grocery? I am sure that if you asked the hundreds of unemployed in S.E. (26% unemployment) if they would take the job, 95% would accept. Who are you to deny them the opportunity to earn a fair wage.

Is it a fair wage? Unless there are at least two people gainfully employed per household, isn't it better to live off of welfare because it covers more?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DC residents can't afford to live on Walmart wages.

So how much do you think a grocer (Walmart, Safeway, Target, Whole Foods, etc) should pay an individual who is only qualified to work in retail or grocery? I am sure that if you asked the hundreds of unemployed in S.E. (26% unemployment) if they would take the job, 95% would accept. Who are you to deny them the opportunity to earn a fair wage.

Is it a fair wage? Unless there are at least two people gainfully employed per household, isn't it better to live off of welfare because it covers more?

No. Welfare is preferable to some people because they don't have to bust there ass to still be broke. But most people would prefer a job.

[Anonymous]

there=their

[Anonymous]

I'm not not an expert on Walmart, but I do know that few other retailers have the balls to open shop where Walmart is going to open up.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DC residents can't afford to live on Walmart wages.

Do you really think the clerk at the gas station or the "teacher" at your daycare make more? What about your waitress? Local artist?

[Anonymous]

Let's stop talking about ethical issues and focus on what's important here: Walmart has some awesome terrible Christmas vests for sale right now for $16. Mine has gold piping around the neck and applique ornaments hanging from the shoulder and armpits.

[Anonymous]

Every time I think about Walmart I remember hearing Paris Hilton say "Walmart? Is that a store where you buy wall stuff?" I thought she was joking, but maybe the insanely rich really do not know what Walmart is.