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        New Message Board Archives >> 2005 General Board Posts >> Re: Is Wal-Mart Good For America?
        
(Message started by: medic1852 on Jan 17^th, 2005, 7:53pm)

Title: Re: Is Wal-Mart Good For America?
Post by medic1852 on Jan 17^th, 2005, 7:53pm

Well King of Pain. I am torn on that one. Did you read my post or thread on "Where are your priorities". I believe in Wal-mart providing lower prices for us. But I am against them doing it at the cost of our jobs here in America. I guess I am young and need to mature since I still want my cake and eat it too.

Title: Re: Is Wal-Mart Good For America?
Post by vig on Jan 17^th, 2005, 7:59pm

Wal*Mart only answers to it's shareholders, not to Americans. They USED to brag that they only sold American goods, but backed off long ago.

There's a South Park episode on the evils of Wal*Mart.
Ultimately the answer is that it's the consumer's choice to support them and not the fault of Wal*Mart.

It's OUR choice....
spend smart

Title: Re: Is Wal-Mart Good For America?
Post by medic1852 on Jan 17^th, 2005, 8:01pm

on 01/17/05 at 19:59:10, vig wrote:

There is also a skit on MAD TV where everyone who shops at Wal Mart has a frontal labotomy...and so do all the employees as well as haveing bar codes on their arms.

Title: Re: Is Wal-Mart Good For America?
Post by Leesa on Jan 17^th, 2005, 8:14pm

Yea I shop at Wally World due to the prices I admit that. But I have to say Im picky about WHAT I buy. I figure if I buy Amercian then Im helpin my country and my self. It's not nuff Im sure but Im trying.
Leesa

Title: Re: Is Wal-Mart Good For America?
Post by Kris_in_SJ on Jan 17^th, 2005, 8:25pm

I never shop there, but it's not a bad place to set up camp at night when travelling .... some of them even have cable TV hook-ups! All free of course, since they figure you'll need to run inside for something before you leave in the morning.

However ... my future son-in-law works for them ... at low pay, for poor benefits and during bad hours........

Kris

Title: Re: Is Wal-Mart Good For America?
Post by nani on Jan 17^th, 2005, 8:30pm

No. It's not. WalMart is good for the Walton family. That being said...I still have to go there sometimes. I avoid it as much as I can. ::)

Title: Re: Is Wal-Mart Good For America?
Post by BMoneeTheMoneeMan on Jan 17^th, 2005, 8:30pm

Most people that work at a local Walmart store have such low pay, they qualify for food stamps and other public assistance. Therefore, the government subsidizes Walmart. When a Walmart comes to town, yes they create jobs, but the tax revenue is not enough to pay for the increases public assistance. So net-net, a Walmart store in your neighborhood hurts the national economy and helps to increase our current RECORD national debt.
Its too bad the voting machines in Ohio were rigged to have Bush win. Otherwise, we would have ended this lying, botched neocon regeime.
Its sad.
BMonee

Title: Re: Is Wal-Mart Good For America?
Post by nani on Jan 17^th, 2005, 8:32pm

oh...I just love a liberal monee man.... :-*

Title: Re: Is Wal-Mart Good For America?
Post by Leesa on Jan 17^th, 2005, 8:36pm

Thats one of the bad things bout Wally World you cant beni's till youve been there 6 months even if your full time and if your part time its a year! >:( Have a wonderful friend of mine that worked there for over a year! Had sucky hours, very little pay (minium wage) and worked her butt off!!! She finally said KMA and bailed. That was over a year ago so maybe some of the time frames on the beni's maybe differnt. :-/
Leesa

PS: Dave was thinking bout a part time job there then found all this out and said "NO f*cking way!" Smart man in my book ;;D

Title: Re: Is Wal-Mart Good For America?
Post by PittsburghJoe on Jan 17^th, 2005, 10:02pm

I am SO glad I chose to work at Starbucks instead of Wally World!

Joe the Barista

Title: Re: Is Wal-Mart Good For America?
Post by Mr. Happy on Jan 17^th, 2005, 10:29pm

I buy tube sox and pocket t-shirts from Walmart. I'd buy more, but they treat employees like oriental sweatshop labor.

Sometimes, one just needs to draw a line.
RJ

Title: Re: Is Wal-Mart Good For America?
Post by nani on Jan 17^th, 2005, 11:58pm

People still buy tube socks?

Title: Re: Is Wal-Mart Good For America?
Post by brain_cramps on Jan 18^th, 2005, 12:53am

on 01/17/05 at 20:30:58, BMoneeTheMoneeMan wrote:

Most people that work at a local Walmart store have such low pay, they qualify for food stamps and other public assistance. Therefore, the government subsidizes Walmart...

Sounds like AirCanada! :-X ::)[smiley=huh.gif] ;;D

Title: Re: Is Wal-Mart Good For America?
Post by Mr. Happy on Jan 18^th, 2005, 12:54am

on 01/17/05 at 23:58:31, nani wrote:

People still buy tube socks?

Chesus H. An HOB from NM is now ridiculing my podiatric sweat absorbtion system.

And I thought I'd hit rock bottom.
This place is heck.
RJ

Title: Re: Is Wal-Mart Good For America?
Post by nani on Jan 18^th, 2005, 1:03am

I refuse to be offended until you tell me what an HOB is!

Title: Re: Is Wal-Mart Good For America?
Post by forgetfulnot on Jan 18^th, 2005, 1:30am

Years ago 15 or so they were flying the flag and the buy American deal. Now It's the buy Chinese deal. That’s ok if you know where your stuff is coming from. I don't go there but the wife doe's. Everything she drags in is made in China. It's a worldwide economy, get used to it. Anytime you can buy same for same at a lower price..............well it's your money.

Lee

Title: Re: Is Wal-Mart Good For America?
Post by Mr. Happy on Jan 18^th, 2005, 1:48am

on 01/18/05 at 01:30:43, forgetfulnot wrote:

Anytime you can buy same for same at a lower price..............well it's your money.

It's called Capitalism. It seemed like a good idea at the time.

What went wrong?
RJ

Title: Re: Is Wal-Mart Good For America?
Post by Charlie on Jan 18^th, 2005, 3:32am

I read or saw a piece on Walmart some time ago aside from the PBS special. It turns out that on some stuff, they don't always have the lowest prices. Say for something like microwaves or electronic toys for you and me. They like to put out a loss-leader to get us all excited and look around. What happens is that so many of us think that everything else behind the loss leader is the best price too. A lot of the time, it ain't so. They know what they're doing.

Charlie

Title: Re: Is Wal-Mart Good For America?
Post by floridian on Jan 18^th, 2005, 8:59am

Costco is good for America. They sell better stuff, and pay their employees much better than Walmart/Sams Club. The lowest wage that Costco pays any employee ($10) is higher than the average wage Walmart pays all its employees ($9.96). Employee turnover at Costco is low, and most Costco employees who have worked there for 5 years or more are making middle class money (~$35,000- $40,000). Almost all Costco employees have comprehensive health insurance.

Title: Re: Is Wal-Mart Good For America?
Post by notseinfeld on Jan 18^th, 2005, 9:17am

Wal-Mart is evil not because of price structure but for the fact that they will leverage (bully or bribe) local politicians to condemn land they want to use to build another store.

This has been going on all over the country and most recently I believe in Al. A group of people had some homes they had lived in for generations but were FORCED out of them by greedy politicians looking for higher tax revenue. Bribed of course by Wal-mart. When the gov't can comdemn your home/property on a whim then we truly have lost our last liberty in this country.

2012 is coming soon.

nots

Title: Re: Is Wal-Mart Good For America?
Post by medic1852 on Jan 18^th, 2005, 9:22am

on 01/18/05 at 09:17:02, notseinfeld wrote:

2012 is coming soon.

nots

Been reading the DaVinci code have we?

Title: Re: Is Wal-Mart Good For America?
Post by notseinfeld on Jan 18^th, 2005, 9:54am

Actually Medic---that's Olmec knowledger---PRE-Mayan and frighteningly accurate on other astronomical anomalies.
Good catch though-!

Title: Re: Is Wal-Mart Good For America?
Post by Melissa on Jan 18^th, 2005, 9:55am

on 01/18/05 at 09:22:18, medic1852 wrote:

Been reading the DaVinci code have we?

I just bought that book last night! ;;D ;;D ;;D

Title: Re: Is Wal-Mart Good For America?
Post by medic1852 on Jan 18^th, 2005, 9:56am

I watch all those shows on History and Discovery channel, I find it all interesting and cant get enough of it....even though the wife hates it and always changes the channel :-/

Title: Re: Is Wal-Mart Good For America?
Post by SFChris on Jan 18^th, 2005, 11:27am

Vig - Walmart actually answers only to the Walton family, not shareholders. It is still a privately held company...

RJ - you always make me laugh out loud!

Chris

Title: Re: Is Wal-Mart Good For America?
Post by ExplodingEyeBall on Jan 18^th, 2005, 1:10pm

on 01/17/05 at 20:30:58, BMoneeTheMoneeMan wrote:

Its too bad the voting machines in Ohio were rigged to have Bush win. Otherwise, we would have ended this lying, botched neocon regeime.
Its sad.
BMonee

I'm still convinced that BMonneeTrollWhatever is Mike Moore in disguise.

Has he made one post here yet that wasn't a political tirade against Bush or his supporters?

Title: Re: Is Wal-Mart Good For America?
Post by Gator on Jan 18^th, 2005, 2:41pm

on 01/18/05 at 09:17:02, notseinfeld wrote:

It's not just WalMart. Costco and Target are also doing it as well as many others around the country. These corporations don't even go to the families and offer to buy the property anymore. They convince local governments to use Eminent Domain to take land and give it to them either for free or at a substantially lowered price. They use the argument that the new WalMart or whatever will produce more money in tax revenue than the current owners will pay in property taxes.

The 5th Ammendment to our constitution states "nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation."

Eminent Domain uses this part of the 5th ammendment to take property for "Public Use." Recognized public uses for which the power of eminent domain may be used include, among other things, schools, parks, roads, highways, subways, fire and police stations, public buildings, and the elimination of blight through redevelopment.

The term 'blight' is used to describe whether or not the houses in an area meet certain standards. The city sets those standards, so a city could set a standard for blight that would say a home could be considered blighted if it doesn't have three bedrooms, two baths, an attached two-car garage and central air.

People don't receive "just compensation" because once the property is deemed "blighted" the value goes way down.

If a well cared for house in a well cared for middle class neighborhood can be condemned as blighted because they don't have an attached 2 car garage, then no one in this country can be secure in their property and the Socialist/Comunist/Liberal agenda marches onward.

Gator

Title: Re: Is Wal-Mart Good For America?
Post by tommyD on Jan 18^th, 2005, 3:58pm

Gator -

You got that right about the abuse of eminent domain. It's a growing problem, and the little guy gets screwed.

But I don't know why you call it a "Socialist/Comunist/Liberal agenda." This here's a corporate/capitalist agenda if there ever was one. No, wait, strike the capitalist part - the big corporations don't necessarily act in the interest of our capitalist economy.

And another thing about Wal-Mart. They degrade the quality of manufactured goods. They set a maximum price they will pay for a product and tell the manufacturer to take it or leave it. The price is too low, but the manufacturer wants his product in all those stores, so quality is cut back. Some manufacturers have gotten trapped in this, and gone under. They destroyed their reputations with other distributirs and ended up with little or no profit margin from just selling to WalMart.

A friend in the building materials business claims an item WalMart sells may be the same make and model (apparently) as the item is his store, but it will be a very different product - the manufacturer has put on a "WalMart run" using cheaper materials. (Don't know if this is true, but sound plausible).

WalMart is indeed evil, but then again, where else you gonna go to get, say a phillips head screwdriver, good or bad, in the middle of the night?

-tommyD

Title: Re: Is Wal-Mart Good For America?
Post by floridian on Jan 18^th, 2005, 4:12pm

on 01/18/05 at 14:41:24, Gator wrote:

... then no one in this country can be secure in their property and the Socialist/Comunist/Liberal agenda marches onward.

Gator

I agree with TommyD - its more like corporate facism. And liberals aren't cheering the advance of Wallyworld. Better take facism out of your sig, Gator ;)

Title: Re: Is Wal-Mart Good For America?
Post by notseinfeld on Jan 18^th, 2005, 4:51pm

For a switch I agree (politically) with Floridian. It's not a Liberal thing--it's a Liberal-Conservative thing ushering in a new era of complete disregard for the Constitution; personal property rights; decency.

Why oh why don't folks vote Libertarian? Short of moving, it's the only hope, IMO.

Title: Re: Is Wal-Mart Good For America?
Post by Gator on Jan 18^th, 2005, 5:26pm

Actually Tommy and Floridian, I think I'll leave the Socialism/Communism/Liberal part just where it is based on the quotes from a few people who demonstrate my point:

The American people will never knowingly adopt Socialism, but under then name of Liberalism, they will adopt every fragment of the Socialist program until one day America will be a Socialist nation without knowing how it happened.

- Norman Thomas, 1940's Socialist Party Presidential candidate

The goal of socialism is communism.
Vladimir Ilyich Lenin

The United States will eventually fly the Communist Red Flag... The American people will hoist it themselves.

- Nikita Khrushchev, Soviet premier, November 16, 1956

The right of private property in land is forever abolished. All land owned by the Church, by private persons, by peasants, is taken away without compensation.

- Vladimir I. Lenin, November 8, 1917

Our rights as property owners are slowly being taken away by greedy local governments and the courts are helping them. The misuse of Eminent Domain is a perfect example of this.

Gator

Title: Re: Is Wal-Mart Good For America?
Post by floridian on Jan 18^th, 2005, 6:36pm

Gator,

Lenin is dead. So is his movement. Kruschev was a deluded bureaucrat. Corporate feeding at the trough and corporate control and abuse of government power is nothing new or Marxist - read the history of the railroads. Large corporations do not want a single party state that will nationalize the means of production - they simply want a state that will protect them from being held accountable (sued) when their malfeasance and greed kills tens of thousands of people, like the makers of Vioxx did.

What is it they say about the most common error of military establishments is training to fight the previous war?

Title: Re: Is Wal-Mart Good For America?
Post by Gator on Jan 19^th, 2005, 9:21am

Sorry that I went off on a tangent. I hate WalMart. When Target or K-Mart (I don't remember which) was going to move into Stillwater, WalMart bought the property out from under them making sure they were the only game in town. The managers know it, too and act like it. That plus Nots' post about the abuse of eminent domain by WalMart just lit me up. I know that the corporations that benefit from the abuses are not the ones trying to take away property rights. The local governments may not intentionally be trying to take away our rights, but the sum total of the whole exercise ends the same. If the abuse is allowed to continue, it will snowball until there's no stopping it.

Lenin may be dead, but his movement is far from dead. The seeds he planted continue to grow.

Gator

Title: Re: Is Wal-Mart Good For America?
Post by JJA on Jan 19^th, 2005, 11:36am

If you are supporting conservatives to protect your land from being taken over by Walmart you are fighting fire with gasoline.
(Forgive me if you're Libertarian)

Ultimately, I agree with you (I think everyone here does) that this is an abuse of government and corporate power. But, the point remains that the government taking individual propery and giving it to Walmart is very un-liberal/socialist. I just think your blame is misplaced. Liberals are partly to blame, for making a huge and powerful government. Conservatives are partly to blame, for what they are doing with that government they have just taken over. (Walmart is a huge contributor to the Republican party). Corruption takes the most of the blame.

Jesse

Title: Re: Is Wal-Mart Good For America?
Post by Marc on Jan 19^th, 2005, 7:27pm

If only the world were as simple as outlined in this thread..........

Title: Re: Is Wal-Mart Good For America?
Post by vig on Jan 19^th, 2005, 8:56pm

on 01/18/05 at 11:27:38, SFChris wrote:

Vig - Walmart actually answers only to the Walton family, not shareholders. It is still a privately held company...

RJ - you always make me laugh out loud!

Chris

Hey CHris...
http://money.cnn.com/quote/quote.html?shownav=true&symb=WMT
:P ;;D

Title: Re: Is Wal-Mart Good For America?
Post by Charlie on Jan 20^th, 2005, 12:37pm

Quote:

The American people will never knowingly adopt Socialism, but under then name of Liberalism, they will adopt every fragment of the Socialist program until one day America will be a Socialist nation without knowing how it happened.

Hasn't happened yet. Unlikely, but this nonsense is still used by those afraid that they might have to help their potential customers stay alive long enough to sell their shit to them.

Charlie