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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote]Um, please get your facts straight. DC didn't say "no" to Wal-mart, they simply had a condition that Wal-Mart wasn't willing to fulfill: a livable wage. For once, I am actually proud of the DC Council for doing the right thing. And, that is not a sentence I thought I ever would type! [/quote]

Okay, lots of misinformation on this thread. First, DC Minimum was is 8.25/hr. Average wages for Walmart are 12.67. Walmart is not pulling out of all stores, but pulling out of 3. They may in fact be paying the 12.50 an hour, but Walmart is known for not bowing down to criticism, so they will not agree to this, in part to show other cities they mean business.

In terms of this 'big box' ruling by the DC city council: frankly it is full of shit. I'm all for raising the minimum wage, for the entire city. But there has been NO political will to do so, because who is against it??? the business community, who have a lot of power/influenc eon the city council. Much research has shown that raising minimum wages has not, in fact, negatively impacted businesses in most cities.

Let's also examine who is behind the Living Wage rule just passed. Is it the Labor unions, concerned for exploited workers?

No, in fact, it is the BUSINESS COMMUNITY in dc, who are worried about competition. The same folks who have not supported raising the minimum wage for all workers.

Now, I don't like Walmart at all. I am not happy about thte fact that one of the stores that they are sticking with is within a mile of my house. I would MUCH prefer other kinds of retail, but frankly, Georgia avenue is not developing on its own. I live in the neighborhood of the future--and it always will be. My sense is that bringing Walmart in could be bad for the neighborhood, or could be a wash. I don't see much good in it, but what I dislike is the underhanded bullshit attempt by the business community to block walmart based on some fake sympathy for exploited workers--and ditto for the council members who supported the bill. Raise the minimum wage to 9.00/hr for all workers, and start coming up with alternatives to walmart and making this city an attractive place to do business. Oh, but given the inherent dysfunctionality and corruption in DC politics, who wants to open a business here?

The message that this most recent ruling has just sent is one that didn't go just to Walmart--it also went to Target, and Wegmans, and REI and any number of other large businesses that might want to open up retail in DC--the message is that this is [b]a shitty, shitty place to do business[/b], with a weak-willed, easily corrupted city council and a very influential existing business community. [/quote]

OR that if you are a corporation with more than $1B in corporate profits, operating in an enormous space, and employing members of the community, you need to pay them wages that will allow them to meet their basic needs, rather than forcing them onto welfare and making the District pay for them while you extract cheap labor.

I get what you're saying about Georgia Avenue needing development, I really do. But Walmart jobs are the employment equivalent of feeding a starving dog poisoned meat. He'll eat it, and may feel better for a little bit, but it'll kill him in the end.[/quote]

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