Thinking Right

By lynn

July 31, 2006 08:25 AM | Link to this

I hate shopping at Wal Mart — so I don’t shop there very often. Most of my friends are the same.

The real problem with Wal Mart is the empty buildings they leave behind as they expand and grow. Unlike locally grown Home Depot, which wants to own the buildings that they use for stores, Wal Mart specifically doesn’t. They want the flexibility to abandon space, by finishing or paying off a lease and move to another building often just down the road.

Wal Mart creates urban blight all over suburban America. There aren’t alot of businesses that need the square footage that WM does.

Wal Mart has, I have heard, the highest turnover of employees of any retail company in America. (For the record, Costco has the lowest.) Ironically, if they just treated their employees better, my friends and I (a very desireable demographic, by the way) would probably shop their more. (We all shop at Costco all the time.) The stores would be cleaner, the help would be more polite and the inventory would be in better shape if the employees actually took pride in their job.

By Rod

July 31, 2006 08:29 AM | Link to this

That’s right Jim, ignore the little guy as usual. I’ve personally seen the small towns when Wal-Mart comes in. People are excited for the assortment and low prices. Then, when half the stores in town have shut down and all the business people are either out of work or working for a low wage at Wal-Mart they realize that they indeed allowed the devil in their house.

Anyway you cut it - Wal-Mart destroys communities and families. Again, I know you’re to rich to understand (or care about) the average American.

By Richard

July 31, 2006 08:32 AM | Link to this

I agree with Lynn about the buildings. All over the country they leave behind buildings when they move - most often next door!! It creates problems for communties as no one wants to move into the big building next to a Wal-Mart.

By Charlie

July 31, 2006 08:38 AM | Link to this

Just see the movie “Wal-Mart: The high cost of low prices”, Jim. Maybe it will give you an idea of what people who don’t like Wal-Mart are talking about. Oh wait, you probably won’t see a left-wing propaganda movie like that. You probably refuse to see “Fahrenheit 911” because it’s just liberal crap, right? Anyway, I no longer set foot in Wal-Mart and I sure don’t miss it. They are the heartless, crooked thugs of the business world. The difference between Wal-Mart and Enron is Wal-Mart is craftier.

By Dana

July 31, 2006 08:39 AM | Link to this

Why does it always have to be a left v right thing with you? Walmart is only successful for it’s top execs - not for it’s employees or it’s patrons. The stores are filthy, the left over buldings an eyesore and a general blight on the area they are in. I will drive past a Walmart to shop at a CLEAN Target. I won’t even get into how they treat their employees, or their total lack of care or concern for the communities they inhabit.

By Renee

July 31, 2006 08:42 AM | Link to this

WAL-MART SUX!

By Mid-South Philosopher

July 31, 2006 08:48 AM | Link to this

Good morning, Jim,

Without doubt, Wal-Mart has been the victim of unfair intervention by government in the recent actions you describe in your column. Likely, this is because Wal-Mart is the premier “corporatist” business in the United States today, and given the amount of profit the business earns, the nature of the treatment of its “associates” is often times shameful. All of that being true, as long as the “associates” will stand for it, who am I to complain?

I do not want the government interfering in my doctor’s office, my classroom (that’s a laugh), or in my bedroom…so why should I want them in Wal-Mart.

The fact of the matter is that I have a very effective way of dealing with Wal-Mart and what I believe is the mistreatment of their employees…I don’t patronize them. It will be a cold day in the Infernal Regions when they get one dime of my money. That I can control.

The sad part is that the vast numbers of people who patronize the business are those that are likely to be taken advantage of by the “corporatists.” Cheap goods at a central, convenient location constitute an attraction that the vast herd of humanity cannot resist.

By Robert

July 31, 2006 08:50 AM | Link to this

Jim, have you ever even been in a Wal-Mart? I seriously doubt as you’re driving your Hummer to Phipps Plaza that you even think about how the other half lives (real Americans). So, why would you pretend to show an interest now?

By Andy

July 31, 2006 08:50 AM | Link to this

The entitlement mentality is alive and well I see.

Walmart should not be considered anything more than a stepping stone to better employment conditions. If employees don’t find it to their liking, they are free to move on and try to do better for themselves. If Walmart can’t attract employees with their current pay and benefits, then the Free Market will force them to up the ante. I’m pretty sure Walmart is not forcing people to work there.

If employees and state legislatures start the process of forcing private business to pay a better wage, where does it stop? Why wouldn’t auto mechanics start feeling that $500,000 a year was a good “living wage” for their work?

An even better solution to this problem is for these vote buying legislatures to create enough jobs on Capital Hill to keep the whole world fat and happy. Maybe they could have 1 million man secretarial staffs or perhaps or a vast army of serfs to carry them from their luxurious offices out into the hicklands where they can bask in the glory of all of the other people’s money that they throw around.

By Van

July 31, 2006 08:51 AM | Link to this

Dana,

If Wal-Mart is so bad to their employees, why do they have no problem filling jobs?

While I am not a fan of Wal-Mart, I do not dislike it. I appreciate their stance against organization of the workers into unions, an archaic idea and concept.

What Wal-Mart does do is give me a choice between other big box stores, like Target, Costco, BJ’s and even Sam’s Club - I don’t always want 40 pounds of potato chips.

I personally think the problem with Wal-Mart, is people think it is where the poor shop and don’t want it in their neighborhoods. All the other hype is just that - hype.

Let find something that a lot of people like and demonize it.

By the sweet by and by

July 31, 2006 08:59 AM | Link to this

The USA and Jesus and Walmart.

Test your lunatic fringe quotient here.

Many of us wonder where we fit spectrum. We know, for instance, that Hillary is left of center. Bush is far(out) right(on). Jim Wooten is right of center. Mckinney is a teenage mutant ninja turtle.

But what are we?

Test is 99.9999 percent accurate. Dont blow this.

Q1) Match the diety to the branch of government: “Jesus, His Father, HolyGhost” and “Executive, Legislative, and Supreme Court.”

A) Jesus is the Supreme court. His Father the executive branch. The holy ghost the Legislative…..B) and then we wonder why anyone gets crucified…C) His Father is all three and the other two were created when man first observed them, in a quantum leap of spiritual zeitgeist evolution that, if real, would learn from the passage of MAN which temporarily had sustained it. Our very spirits evolve, (if you think you have a spirit. you really do have to believe it to see it).

B). I used to get wood in English Class in Middle School whenever they conjugated verbs. I got spirit.

Question number 2):….. Jesus once whipped an entire holy strip mall………once…..because…..

a) He heard his first pope-on-a-rope joke. b) He saw his first Mohammed Cartoon. c) He realized that he was a man

Question number 3):… Bush’s claims of being born again sent him to the white house. Why? …. 1) We worship Jesus through others…. 2) The cleric you know is better than the cleric you dont know…. 3) WDYGFY has been copywrited by Cheney, and now the Saudis get a penny evertime you use it….. 4) Didn’t we all call for W’s resignation effective noon three days ago? What happened to that? I dont get it. Someone baptise a dangling Chad and let him be the highpriest……..ew.

Your score interprolated here:…. 1.) Oh, you’re lunatic fringe alright…. 2.) A good man’s got to know his own limitations…..3.) If you’ve read this far, the FBI has had enough time to be real time on your virtual life, Daddyo. We need our constitution back. We need it now, and I nominate Cynthia McKinney to be our commander in chief/president. I really think she can bring the constitution back to all americans.

“I like her. She fights”. (Lincoln at an AA meeting)

By Dana

July 31, 2006 09:04 AM | Link to this

Van,

While I can see your point, and agree with your union comment, Walmart DOES have a hard time keeping employees. Their turn over rate (and I appologize, I didn’t save the article so I cannot quote it) is higher than their competitors. Yes, their mistreated employees can find other jobs, and should, if they feel mistreated. However, in some communities, there are no other jobs. Once the smaller stored are run out of town, there is often no other choice for at least some of the employees.

I am not saying that I agree with legislating this, though there are some people in this country who do not have anyone to speak for them. I do it in my own way, I choose not to patronize a business that in my opinion is unethical.

And by the way, I worked for the Wal-Mart Corp years ago, I DO know how they treat their employees. I was lucky, I did find other work, put myself through school and can afford to shop eleswhere. Not everyone can.

By deegee

July 31, 2006 09:05 AM | Link to this

I live within 15 miles of 2 Super Wal-Marts and they are planning to build 2 more in the same general area. A Super KMart went out of business some 3 years ago but apparently the vacant Super Kmart building was insufficient so Wal-Mart has been fighting residents of the community for the last 3 years in order to build their next Super Wal-Mart that is about ten miles from the existing Super Wal-Mart. How many of these eyesores do we need? What is so attractive about a store full of cheap junk that is priced accordingly? I could understand it if they were offering nice stuff at attractive prices but alot of what they stock on their shelves is substandard merchandise made just for Wal-Mart.

BTW, Wal-Mart tried to make a go of it in Europe but is selling off stores in Germany. They didn’t do very well in S Korea and pulled out of that market in May. Chinese Wal-Mart workers are forming a union.

By Rod

July 31, 2006 09:10 AM | Link to this

Many of you are missing the point. You say if Wal-Mart is so bad to their employees, why do they work there. When Wal-Mart comes to a town (or area), they effectively shut down all competition. Therefore, the employees of the closed businesses must work at Wal-Mart as that’s their only viable option.

It’s easy to say “if you don’t like your job, get another one” - but again, that’s the opinion of the rich - but ignorant - people who don’t live the situation. Jobs for real Americans are harder to come by.

By Jim Wooten

July 31, 2006 09:11 AM | Link to this

For the record,Rod, my Hummer is a 13-year-old Mazda. I was last in a Wal-Mart earlier this month and last at Phipps Plaza two years or more ago. I just drive and shop cheap, though, so that my millions can one day be taxed away at 55 percent.

If stores like Wal-Mart allow people, and especially the poor, to get more groceries or more merchandise that improves the quality of their lives for the same money, why is that not a good thing?

By Mark the Lib

July 31, 2006 09:18 AM | Link to this

I’m not against Wal-Mart Jim and I will bet you that the majority of people you see shopping in Wal-Mart are Liberals, so don’t make that claim. The liberals you’re referring to are probably the extreme libs that feel the need to take a position on something. Most of us don’t care about Wal-Mart’s employee policies if we don’t work there.

Deegee, I don’t think Wal-Mart’s “cheap junk” is any worse than anyone else’s. Clothing maybe, but the rest of it can be found in any other store in America.

By Dana

July 31, 2006 09:22 AM | Link to this

But ARE they doing that? When a business (or any entity) exploits the very individuals they claim to help? A few years ago Wal-Mart was discovered to be rather dishonest in their “Buy American” campaign. Does a business have to use sweatshop materials and deliberately mistreat employees in order to provide lower cost consumer goods to the average American? Why?

By Mark the Lib

July 31, 2006 09:29 AM | Link to this

I think it is a good thing that poor people have a cheap place to get goods. The new Wal-Mart on I-20 and Gresham in South Dekalb has been accepted with open arms by the local populace. I shop there myself and don’t consider it a blight on the neighborhood. If anything it enhanced the neighborhood somewhat. What people don’t like is when they build too close to their own homes.

By Van

July 31, 2006 09:29 AM | Link to this

Answer me this, When a Super Target goes into a neighborhood, why is there protests and law battles to keep it out? Taget is the store that forbids the Salvation Army a place to ring its bells during Christmas.

And I assume that when aSsuper Target is built, the smaller businesses do not go out of business.

Face it, there are some folks that feel the government, like Maryland and Chicago, should have control over private businesses, and I can tell you these are not conservatives.

First it was control over interstate commerce, then more regulations, then taxes and now it is a battle over how much I can pay my employees and what benefits I must give them. When the government have control over all business, I guess the next thing will be a five year plan on what crops peoples farm #4 will plant and tractor factory #13 will produce “x” number of units. Oh, wait a minute, that was already tried and failed.

By getalife

July 31, 2006 09:31 AM | Link to this

Jim,

The cost of living has gone way up but the GOP has consistently voted down an increase on the minumum wage along party lines. Of course, they also consistently give themselves a raise.

I have noticed something very sick about our friends on the right. After reading right wing blogs about the bombing of children in Beruit and the madness in Iraq, I saw something missing. They have no heart, no feeling of compassion for human suffering and no morals.

They are very selfish, scared little people and it is all about them and their safety. They will not sacrifice anything but are okay that children die as long as they are safe. These pathetic Americans will happily hand over all the freedoms the greatest generations have fought and died for as long as they think they are safe. It is pathetic.

By the sweet by and by

July 31, 2006 09:34 AM | Link to this

“Why is that not a good thing?”

It’s not a good thing, Mr. Wooten because it threatens to centralize the distribution of food. I guess the Right doesn’t think we Americans are lined up in straight enough rows. The domino theory meets the trickle down theory. Now we’ve got (insert you’re best bit here……winner of “Find the funniest line here” will be published in this blog)

By Sheri

July 31, 2006 09:39 AM | Link to this

Hey, don’t go lumping Target in with Wal-Mart. Last time I checked, nobody was suing Target for making their employees work off the clock. Plus, Target routinely tops Forbes annual list of America’s Most Philanthropic Companies, giving 2-3% of their annual income. Wal-Mart gives 1% or less.

Want a simple explanation of how Wal-Mart’s 97-cent shampoo is not a good thing? Try this:

http://www.jibjab.com/JokeBox/JokeBox_JJOrig.aspx?movieid=122

By deegee

July 31, 2006 09:42 AM | Link to this

Mark the Lib, I definately agree with you about the clothes. I will take exception with you about the rest of the stuff at Wal- Mart because I have had experience with it. The PC that I now use I bought at Wal-Mart because it appeared to be a good value. The manufacturer loaded it up with so much junk that it performed worse than the old Pentium II that I was replacing. Fortunately I could FDisk it and rebuild it from scratch. I bought a name brand cordless phone from Wal-Mart that wouldn’t hold a charge after approximately one year of usage. I am done with electronics at Wal-Mart. I have even bought tennis balls at Wal-Mart that were defective. I am a bargain shopper but there is no value in buying twice due to the fact that what you are buying is so poorly manufactured.

By getalife

July 31, 2006 09:43 AM | Link to this

Walmart is a good thing.

For communist China and their cheap goods.

I appluad local governments demanding a living wage.

Lord knows, the pathetic pinko GOP will do nothing for the people.

Corporate whores.

By time for the truth

July 31, 2006 09:43 AM | Link to this

Walmart plays a vital role in US society, if nothing else it is where Rednecks does its food stamp food/clothes/footwear shopping. Note I didn’t mention personal hygeine as that would be an absurd notion.

However Wal-Mart is not a perfect place to work although I like the fact its anti-union. Unions in the USA are usually corrupt and dominated by leftist thugs who intimidate everyone who rejects the notion of the ‘closed shop’.

Several years ago I talked to an assistant manager about what working for Wal-Mart was like, he told me to guess how many weeks of paid vacation he had in his first year. The answer was the same as the number of honest answers ever given by a corrupt Clinton about their corruption - ZERO!! Wal-mart certainly exploit many of their employees. Yes they have a choice to not work there, but often in small town America there isn’t much of a choice.

Wal-mart shop managers get paid at least six figure sums, including a small annual (percentage based) bonus, based on the turnover/profitability of their shop. Some local Wal-Mart employees tell me that their health benefits are not very good, because they’re either paying for about a third of them out of their own pockets, or not even getting any if they’re part timers. Again the issue of who pays for health benefits is a dodgy one in the US. Should employers pay, all of it - or not? And what should the balance be nationally? Walmart is at the low end of retailers for health insurance contributions.

I talked to providers of Wal-Mart when I looked into opening a shop locally a while back and several told me they wont ever sell to WalMart becasue they squeeze the margins to the point it makes no sense for them to supply them. Obviously many companies do - but a great deal dont, often products appear for a while and then quietly disappear. Perhap some new products are launched at Walmart and then sold at more profitable outlets. Supermarkets usually have small profit margins, but comparing the WalMart price to the likes of Publix for the same brand item is a no brainer.

From the average shoppers point of view Walmart is great, its often a one stop place for at least the weekly food basics and toiletries, although Walmart is very limited in its range of more ‘upmarket’ stuff, especially food.

Walmart’s supply chains are often poorly managed and various items often disappear for months on end. A great deal of what they sell comes from Red China - a deliberate policy which is at least a little unsettling.

As Walmart is not targeted at the typical Publix shopper - I use both shops - and is clearly down market in much of its offerings I guess you pays your money and takes your choice. Both as a worker and a shopper. But compared with UK supermarkets Walmart, Publix and Ingles etc are a sad and sick joke, especially in terms of the range/quality/price of food products. Walmart bought ASDA - a big UK chain a few years ago, but very sensibly dont run it like a Walmart.

By Gustof

July 31, 2006 09:50 AM | Link to this

When I was a kid, I got lost during a “Blue Light Special”. I tried to get someone’s attention but was soon covered in wax shirts.

. That’s why I think we should veto The Walmart Amendment, because people dont act themselves right-like when they goes shoppin no mo.

By On the fence

July 31, 2006 09:51 AM | Link to this

One concern I have not seen in the previous blogs- what happens when Walmart goes the way of Enron- something internal happens to shut down the biz- it will creat a huge vacuum in our economy. They monopolize a huge part of buying- wether it be imported goods or domestic goods. Does anyone know how much of their inventory is American made? Can this be controlled fairly?

By Mark the Lib

July 31, 2006 09:56 AM | Link to this

TFTT, thanks for the morning laugh from your first paragraph. That was pretty funny. The Clinton thing, substitute it for Bush and it would be even more accurate.

By time for the truth

July 31, 2006 10:02 AM | Link to this

getatinybrain …

The ‘civilians’ killed in IAF raids on legitimate targets, targets that have been warned repeatedly, even by leaflet drops and computer generated phone calls are of course unfortunate. But the hizbollocks scum persistently deliberately HIDE their terrorists and weaponry amongst civilians, knowing that the IDF have to make the choice to fire or not on such targets. Arabs have a long cowardly history of doing this.

As ever your usual hysterical leftist lies on this subject make smirk inducing reading. I assume you’be seen some of the photos taken very recently by an aussie photographer that show civilians sitting on large Hizbollocks anti-aircraft guns in S. Beirut. Its just one evil example of how low arab terrorists sink in their war agianst Jews/West. The PLO thugs used to mount large canons on Lebanese hospital balconies and dare the IDF to fire BACK at them!! That was well over 20 years ago.

Your phony concern is quite repugnant mate. But unsurprising. Perhaps if the far left actually pressured the virulently anti-semitic Hizbollocks, Syria and Iran into behaving in a civilised peaceful way none of this would be happening. Yet again you smugly seem to forget just who started this!!

By Van

July 31, 2006 10:02 AM | Link to this

Sheri,

Yes, JibJab is funny, but not a good factual base.

My jab at Target, is valid, it appears only Wal-Mart drives out local businesses while Super Targets don’t.

In the small town I live in, we have down SR 124, a Sam’s Club, a Walmart, Home Depot, Lowe’s and plenty of strip commercial and small businesses. It appears that the big draw of Sam Walton’s stores means increased traffic for other small businesses. Hmm, that can’t be right, the left said it is the other way around.

By where are the cashiers?

July 31, 2006 10:02 AM | Link to this

The biggest problem that I have with shopping at Wal Mart is the lack of cashiers. Why build 65 checkout lanes if the most you will ever have open is 10? Replace them with you scan lanes. I cannot believe they truly created the number of jobs they claim to when opening a new location

I also have a problem with them abandoning stores as they move into larger locations, and the accusations of eminent(sp?)domain to obtain land. That being said, I do save money when I shop there, and they carry grocery items that I cannot get elsewhere.

By Gustof

July 31, 2006 10:06 AM | Link to this

Good point, Onthefence, the food inventory has a half(shelf)-life of 50 thousand years cause of all the ionized chemical plasma they put in the hot dogs, man.

SO I’d say the fresh food inventory is only one week, cause after that, throw out whatever it is you bought. Bacteria is the enemy. Dont give it time. Only buy what you need for one week or a half a week, or ten minutes if you’re my wife.

I hate the grocery store. I mean, all those tricks management plays on you to get you buy something. Who invented that portable tsunami machine that sprays the produce? And those loud sound effects of thunder to warn shoppers to take cover? There’s not enough time. I’ve already had two fake rolex’s rusted completely out. There’s spots on my lucky leather jacket, (I’ve been pinched twice wearing it in only twenty five years).

This is the very reason I always RUN quickly past the Depends Display. When you hear a loudnoise in that aisle, That’s not thunder, baby!.

By time for the truth

July 31, 2006 10:08 AM | Link to this

Mark

But Bush is NOT personally corrupt, not like the Clintons were/are…

Rape, sexual harassment, stealing W House furniture, travelgate nepotism, lying about missing billing records, perjury, disbarrment, pardon selling to felons, abusing the IRS for audits, illegal REPAID fund raising from red china etc, sleazy cattle futures slush fund, the huge AK library slush fund … this list is only a partial one.

By Think Tank Timmy

July 31, 2006 10:10 AM | Link to this

TFTT’s comment needs spin: He saying that it’s alright to fire from Israel, but not alright to fire from Lebanon. I’m sorry, that’s in violation of Roberts Rules of Order (page 37): No splitting inflectives.

This blogger has skill with sentence construction, but there’s no foreman editing his logic, which is always circular, and the reader becomes the dog chasing his tail……..ew.

By time for the truth

July 31, 2006 10:11 AM | Link to this

Walmart cashiers … my local Walmart tells me - about the same problem - they cant recruit and retain sufficient staff!!

Quite often many of them call in sick apparently!!

By Dana

July 31, 2006 10:12 AM | Link to this

None of us here really lives in a small town - we are all Metro Atlanta. Go up to some of the towns in N GA, and you will see exactly what Walmart is known for.

All the big-box stores have issues. However, Walmart is the worst. I live equidistant between a regular Target and a Super Walmart. I can drive past the Super Walmart to get to the Super Target. I also get to drive past the empty Super Walmart that was abandoned less than 5 miles from it’s current location. Kudos to any community who manages to keep the blight of Walmart from their town.

Good day all, I like my job so I am getting back to it!

By time for the truth

July 31, 2006 10:17 AM | Link to this

Time to at least try and think for once Tommy

No one, least of all me, is saying that ONLY Israel has the right to fire - you utterly dishonest/distorting fool!!

But the obvious CONSEQUENCES when the IDF fire BACK at arab terrorists who frequently hide amongst women and kids must be accepted by the terrorists!! and not disgustingly used by the leftist media and arab nazi types against the Israelis who are simply defending themselves from arab terrorism!!

By jackc

July 31, 2006 10:19 AM | Link to this

Interesting that a judge overturning this ordinance is not “activist”, while one that overturns other government agendas is.

Hmmm…guess it all depends on whether you agree with the particular agenda.

By Mark the Lib

July 31, 2006 10:20 AM | Link to this

TFTT, then why isn’t he in jail? Probably because none it was/can be proven. Who got raped, sexual harassed, stole furniture etc? The perjury charge and the pardoning of Mark Rich, I’ll agree with you on those since it was documented with witnesses. Everything else is rhetoric. But no matter what Clinton might have done, none of it trumps the Iraq fiasco. None of it trumps the secret energy policy being set by Cheney and his goons from the industry. Those things effect all Americans. Clinton’s misgivings, if true didn’t effect anyone but a few who were involved.

By JK

July 31, 2006 10:27 AM | Link to this

The mass corporatization of America is ruining not only our landscape, but the tradtional spirit of individuality, ingenuity, and self-sufficiency that once defined our nation and propelled us to economic success. Drive through any suburb or small town and you’ll see the exact same things you see everywhere else. Big franchises not only squeeze out the entreprenurial dreams of the aspiring small businessman, they’re making us mentally lazy while marketing executives decide what we’ll want to buy next year. We’ve come to think that buying more is better, even if it’s cheap crap that falls apart in a year (hence we return to buy more cheap crap), or cheap, unhealthy food that has us running back for more (Spurlock’s “Supersize Me” explains the deliberate, addictive qualitites of fast food — see it!), and now we are all dependent on (as Sweet by and by pointed out) centralized food distribution, which could be disastrous in troubled times. “Quality” is only a marketing term now. Where are the localized economies that foster the growth, strength, and ingenuity of individual communities? They’re lost to the primary interests of the major stockholders of multi-national conglomerates. Just like our government, “free trade” is controlled by big money and belongs to fewer and fewer of the people.

By Brandi

July 31, 2006 10:32 AM | Link to this

O my I never knew people hated WalMart so much. Well I shop at WalMart sometimes but it is in the middle of the night when I am not having to fight people to move out the way. As big as the stores are I thought that everyone in such a small town would all be at WalMart at the same time. As far as how they treat their employee’s well I think that is everywhere now days. It is hard to find a good job.

By Mark the Lib

July 31, 2006 10:33 AM | Link to this

Deegee, because the brand name phone you bought broke is Wal-Mart’s fault? What if you bought the same brand name phone at Macy’s, would it be Macy’s fault? Wal-Mart doesn’t manufacture things so I won’t blame them when something fails. Besides, their profits are so ridiculous that they can accept returns no matter what. Try that with a mom and pop operation.

Computers, I would never buy a computer from Walmart or any other retail store, I build my own. For those who have to, well that’s a risk they have to take.

By Producer

July 31, 2006 10:36 AM | Link to this

I am so glad to see the class warfare drones opining today! Facts are facts. Life is about choices. So, quit blathering on and on about “living wages” “working folks” and all this other crap that non-achievers use to justfy their failures in life. Get off your butt, get more education, use some initiative and make your own life better and stop being potential burdens on productive taxpayers.

And quit whining about Walmart not paying their employees enough for a “family of four.” If you work at Walmart and that is your primary source of income, you have NO BUSINESS having one child, much less two.

And “sweatshop labor?” Give me a break! By getting their goods from overseas they are able to deliver products to Americans for cheaper prices. If the American labor market hadn’t priced themselves out of the market we wouldn’t need to go overseas in the first place. You can thank the unions for this. When people who work on an assembly line make $50 an hour for essentially unskilled labor, now that’s a joke.

Look at GM and Ford. They are almost bankrupt because of the overpriced union contracts that make these companies pay for huge retirement salaries and benefits for workers who are no longer producing anything for the company. That is insane! I read over the weekend that 60% of the federal budget is paid out for this type of situation, so it’s not just a Walmart or GM thing. It’s government, too.

So, quit crying about how poor you are and get out and do something about it. Use the Hope Scholarship and learn a trade at a techincal school. Imagine that!

Nobody owes you anything in this world.

By Curious Observer

July 31, 2006 10:36 AM | Link to this

Forget the minimum wage and other labor issues for a moment, along with the urban blight created by empty WalMart store buildings. My gripe with WalMart is that it is a prime distributor of sweatshop Chinese goods that undercut American manufacturers and thus destroy our job base and eventually our standard of living. It also runs small retail stores out of business anywhere it sets up a store. Our children will be paying the price of our short-sighted emphasis on the lowest price for consumer goods regardless of more substantial social and economic factors. And don’t even get me started on WalMart’s practice of dumping the health care costs of its associates on the public. Any other company of WalMart’s size would offer adequate health insurance plans to its employees. Instead, while a few Walton billionaires rake in the money, we taxpayers are left to pay the cost of medical care of too many “associates.”

By time for the truth

July 31, 2006 10:36 AM | Link to this

Mark

Clinton aint in jail because Bush wont push the pardon investigation or the illegal red china/bhuddist temple etc campaign funding. The DoJ is sitting on the investigations. The rape was committed when he was AG of AK, and Juanita had NO ONE in authority to turn to. The AG in AK also has authority over nursing homes, which she was running at that time. The rape in the UK occured when sick willie was at Oxford. Funny how when he began running in 92 the state dept file on this matter magically disappeared and has never been seen again. sick willie left the UK very speedily after the rape allegation, which the woman apparently wouldn’t pursue if he left the country. they handed back the stolen W House items.

your attempt at moral/political equivalency is not very credible. Iraq has NOTHING to do with the kind of vile personal behaviour of the clintons. Woger Clinton said on an FBI tape that his brother had a nose (for cocaine) like a vacuum cleaner … he didn’t know he was being taped at that point!! travel gate imposed clinton kin at the expense of very long standing employees - sleazy if nothing else. shrillary lied about the missing billing records which just appeared magically one day.

unfortunately in the USA the very powerful tend to look after each other … and Bush has no spine in this matter. otherwise the DoJ file would be finished and action of some sort would have happened by now … 5 + years later!!!

By oddman

July 31, 2006 10:38 AM | Link to this

Nice to know you’re all experts on the working conditions of Walmart vs. the rest of the mass merchandise retailers out there.

Walmart’s pay is better than most entry level retail jobs and there benefits are about as good as their competitors. I don’t hear anyone screaming about McDonalds or Burger King. They have higher turnover, lower pay and similar working conditions. Or, anyone want to discuss the working conditions of day labor, or even farmers???

No? Picking on Walmart is fashionable, but often uniformed.

That being said. I will not shop there for their neagtive impact on the local economies and their suppliers. Sure, the low prices are great, but where do the products come from? Local suppliers? No. Do they use their size to minimize local competition? Yes. Do they leave vast empty buildings as they move on? Yes.

Do you know they actually OWN the majority of their property, they do. They are one of the largest commercial property owners in the US. They leave for new sites often in five years, leaving behind a bunch of local stores tied to a 10 year lease in the old center, now without an anchor. And, that’s a major impact to the small retailer trying to survive…

Sure, bash them all you want. I’ll join you in it. But, if you only heard something from your best friend’s cousin’s wife’s great aunt who saw something on the internet, please be quiet.

BTW, their European problems were due mainly to the local laws of the various countries not being condusive to WalMart’s pricing and labor stratigies.

By ViVi

July 31, 2006 10:39 AM | Link to this

To Producer: I COMPLETELY AGREE WITH YOU!!! Right on!!

By getalife

July 31, 2006 10:40 AM | Link to this

time for the lies,

In case you have not noticed, the murdering of innocent children in Lebanon has been plastered all over the muslim worlds television sets. They are enraged.

If you think W’s middle east policies have made you safer, you are a fool. The US and Israel will not see peace for a very long time.

By Watta Load

July 31, 2006 10:41 AM | Link to this

So Jim doesn’t believe that governments should impose social agendas on private companies. Personally, I agree…

But who was that republican in the Georgia General Assembly that wanted to prevent the Bank of America from doing business in Georgia? It seems that BOA believes in it’s own discrimination policy and unfortunately had to stop giving charitable funding to a Valdosta boy scouts troop as the boys scouts does discriminate based on sexual orientation. The issue has been resolved without government interference, but I believe it was perhaps Glen Richardson? or some conservative that felt his social views merited punishing a private company. I’m sure Jim will say this would be justified somehow…but is it any different then sticking it to Wal-Mart…Jim?

By Lynn C

July 31, 2006 10:41 AM | Link to this

Huh? No one mentions anything about the billion + dollar stores scattered everywhere. What’s up with that? They sell worse junk and locate on every corner. At least Wal-Mart puts all their junk in one building.

By CommonSense

July 31, 2006 10:42 AM | Link to this

How about using just a little common sense:

1) If you don’t like Walmart, don’t shop there. If you think you can do a better job, go get your business license and start yournamehereMart. Capitalism may at times be ruthless, but it sure beats whatever is in second place.

2) If you think Walmart should have more American made products, why don’t you buy American made products? Do you think Walmart stocks what doesn’t sell? If you have the choice of a shirt made in the USA priced at $25.00 or a virtually identical shirt made in China for $15.00 which do you buy? Consumers make the ultimate choices, not Walmart.

3) Why should Walmart give any of their profits to charity? Walmart is not a person. It is a corporation owned by hundreds of thousands of shareholders and the profit belongs to those shareholders. Should a shareholder give to charity? I say yes but that is MY moral decision that I make with MY money, not someone else’s money. I love the way leftists are always trying so hard to give away someone ELSE’s money…

3) If a “living wage” was logical, why not mandate a minimum of $1,000,000 per year for all workers? If you have a family and are working at Walmart for minimum wage you probably have made personal decisions about education and job training that limit your opportunity. If you have no education and no marketable skills why should Walmart or any other employer be forced to pay you above what you are worth as an employee? The last time you had your car repaired did you pay the mechanic more money because he might have a large family?

How about we Americans re-claim our sense of personal responsibility. If you want to strengthen American businesses, buy American products. If you want to make more money, how about struggling to better your education to make yourself more desirable in the workplace. (My wife went from minimum wage to professional wages by going to college nights for years so that she could better support her family when she was a single mom…don’t say it can’t be done.)

By Kristen

July 31, 2006 10:42 AM | Link to this

I didn’t read the second half of the comments posted because I didn’t want to forget to say this.

For those of you that keep asking why WalMart is able to find people to fill their open positions is this: They Hire Anyone. You know that salesperson you hate because they don’t know ANYTHING? They hire those people. They hire just-out-of-school, retired, disabled, etc etc. They hire anyone, whether they should be in that position or not. The reason the folks GO to WalMart to find a job is because they know that is true! For some folks it really IS hard to find a job. It’s sort of like … “Where should I work, McDonalds or WalMart”. The logical choice would be WalMart, for many reasons.

So, WalMart pulls them in with their fancy words and then later the employee realizes what a great or not so great company WalMart is to work for.

I don’t shop there very often only because it’s so far from me but I would if it were closer. I live near Avondale right now and have been involved in the Avondale Estates WalMart “petitioning” going on. I’d like to have a WalMart there, I just don’t want it to become the eyesore that the old Avondal Mall has become. Why shouldn’t residents (all of us!) be able to have what WE WANT instead of what WalMart wants? A pretty parking lot, a pretty building, not an EyeSORE. It isn’t too much to ask. You just have to stick to your guns until WalMart gives in or moves on.

By getalife

July 31, 2006 10:47 AM | Link to this

Producer,

Nobody owes you anything in this world.

You are correct. We should cut Iraqi welfare and get out of the “suk”.

By time for the truth

July 31, 2006 10:48 AM | Link to this

getatinybrain

I have noticed the usual nazi like propaganda on arab TV … funny how they could care less about jewish/israeli kids and gloat about terrorist outrages … the Israelis dont gloat about (innocent) victims of war the way arabs do!!

you seem to forget about the huge number of victims of arab terrorism over nearly 40 years now!!

arabs are far more racist than the Israelis ever could be … just look at the tone of the coverage and the sick/twisted way they frame it and endlessly repeat it - with their inflammatory rhetoric etc.

taking on the expansionary mohammedan fascists is the ONLY thing to do for the peace of the world long term - but the appeasers on the left, just like in the 1930’s wont/cant see it!!

By deegee

July 31, 2006 10:48 AM | Link to this

Mark the Lib, Wal-Mart buys products from vendors that manufacture a specific model for resale at Wal-Mart. The manufacturer may, for example, buy a huge lot of inexpensive batteries that are known to have a short shelf life and then use the batteries in the manufacture of a phone that they will sell to Wal-Mart for a few price points below that of comparable phones. The consumer perceives that they are getting a bargain because they are getting a name brand phone with features they want and Wal-Mart maintains its “lowest price” guarantee. Yes, it’s buyer beware but my experience is that you can avoid some of the pitfalls by shopping elsewhere.

By Cammi

July 31, 2006 10:57 AM | Link to this

I would like to thank everyone for the morning chuckles. Who knew a blog about Wal-Mart could be so entertaining…

By getalife

July 31, 2006 11:00 AM | Link to this

time is a fool,

taking on the expansionary mohammedan fascists is the ONLY thing to do for the peace of the world long term

Tell me how you take on people who will strap a bomb on their backs and blow themselves up for their cause? Will you do such a thing to fight these people?

By Whit

July 31, 2006 11:06 AM | Link to this

Jim,

Wal-Mart is successful for three major reasons: 1. The cut-throat legacy provided by Sam Walton. 2. The major hub airport in the middle of nowhere, railroaded through the FAA (with support from the finger wagger), allowing a fleet of 747’s to land regularly. 3. Support to, and benefiting from, the Communist Chinese government.

I’m glad at least a few responses mentioned the Chinese connection. Don’t overlook the fact that many of us try our best to buy reasonably priced products from the USA or countries that are at least trying to be democracies.

There will never be a member from either side of the aisle, or any major corporation (certainly not Microsoft, Google and Yahoo), that will grow the necessary appendages in order to stand up against this “evil empire.” There is simply too much money at stake.

I choose not to support the burning of Christian churches, forced partial birth abortion, and all of the other egregious human rights violations taking place hourly in every region of the country. And don’t for a minute think that turning over a major percentage of our gross GNP will precipitate a fall such as witnessed with the former Soviet Union. Go ahead, send your hard earned money to the Chinese government.

My government and my political party will do nothing. Choosing to not shop Wal-Mart is the only option I have.

I have true and honest sympathy for the Chinese poor. In the long term however, the best support we can give them is not indentured labor, but support that will allow them to have a voice in their future and the future of their children. As a conservative you should realize this first, as it is a far better use of your time.

By time for the truth

July 31, 2006 11:08 AM | Link to this

geta tinybrain

you “take them on” by stopping the poisonous brainwashing at all levels of arab society, particularly of the young kids - at least 2/3 generations have grown up with a festering hatred of jews/the west and that’s where much of the terrorism comes from. … watch the new documentary OBSESSION about mohammedan facists - there’s an arab lady spokeswoman for the documentary and many others who understands the huge problem and how to address it. democracy, even arab (not literally western) style would help, arab propaganda against jews is literally NO different to the nazis. that’s a fact - not rhetoric either!!

you also bomb/kill the terrorists wherever they and their camps/safe houses are -offering genuine amnesty to those who genuinely renounce violence etc … at the moment the west is sadly still pussyfooting around!!

By Mark the Lib

July 31, 2006 11:18 AM | Link to this

TTFT, like I said, it sounds like rhetoric. If he’s not in jail for all of that, then it’s probably not true. We’ll agree to disagree on who’s more corrupt, Clinton or Bush.

Back to Wal-Mart.

Going there after I get off work today. Any haters want me to give the managers a message?

By deegee

July 31, 2006 11:20 AM | Link to this

Amnesty for repentant terrorists, Yeah!!

Amnesty for undocumented bricklayers, Boooo!!!

By JK

July 31, 2006 11:22 AM | Link to this

Whit, nicely put! Also, re: the Chinese, they are creating monstrous amounts of industrial pollution. The water is filthy and glowing, and the air is downright gritty. There are no “tree-huggers” there to argue either the environmental or quality-of-life issues with the oppressive regime. And as always, the toxins make their way beyond the borders. That’s no good for anyone, yet somehow Amerians think all the cheap crap we can buy is worth it.

By Marie

July 31, 2006 11:30 AM | Link to this

Jim, you need to do your research if you think that Wal-Mart is a law abiding business. Do you even listen to the news or read newspapers?

By time for the truth

July 31, 2006 11:34 AM | Link to this

it sounds like rhetoric.

NOT HARDLY mate .. I was very specific … you just wont accept any of it given your politics. you’ve given me NO examples at all of personal/sleazy Bush corruption - just the usual political leftist opposition to Bush.

amnesty was the wrong word to use - I was typing very quickly and should have used conciliation … not amnesty. terrorists should never be given amnesty -nor should illegal bricklayers or their craven leftist apologists!!

By E. Lewis

July 31, 2006 11:37 AM | Link to this

It’s the hypocrisy of Wal-Mart that I can’t stand.

It’s being one of the world’s wealthiest companies yet vs. paying some of the lowest wages.

It’s claiming to be all-America vs. all those made in China, Vietnam, etc. products they sell.

It’s the company that doesn’t sell certain CD’s or books because they might be offensive, but will sell guns and bullets.

It’s the big $$$ corporation getting all sorts of tax breaks and taxpayer funded projects vs. putting more employees and their children on taxpayer funded programs such as welfare, Medicaid than any other company.

It’s the corporation claiming to create jobs vs. putting local companies out of business and within 5 years of moving into a market showing no net increase in jobs or tax revenue.

If Wal-Mart wants to claim that they are a corporation in the business of coming out on top and using whichever means it can to do so, that I can understand. I just don’t see Wal-Mart executive dropping the flag, bible and cherubic baby it’s holding in order to do that.

By RWH

July 31, 2006 11:40 AM | Link to this

Wal-Mart has a long and untimely future. No matter what anyone say. Yes, it leaves empty buildings by expanding. To many, it is a sore eye and it brings negativity to a community. Guess what, those same empty building are claimed on the Wal-marts taxes each year and they make it their business to using it for a tax shelter. Good business on their behalf, yet, it leave a community stuck with eye-sore property as well.

By Michael

July 31, 2006 11:43 AM | Link to this

Jim, as you can see, you might as well have tried to explain quantum physics to chimpanzees. Your success rate would have been about the same. These people just don’t understand capitalism and why Wal-Mart is one of the best things to ever happen to America. And they never will.

By deegee

July 31, 2006 11:46 AM | Link to this

Conciliation for repentant terrorists, Yeah!!!

Conciliation for undocumented bricklayers, Boooo!!!

By getalife

July 31, 2006 11:51 AM | Link to this

Time is no fool afterall,

I thought you were going to say something silly like genocide.

Two things you should ask during conflicts how and why.

You nailed it here: genuinely renounce violence

I believe you must get the clerics, ministers, preachers, etc… to unite and “renounce violence” and promote peace now and for future generations.

By Dana

July 31, 2006 11:53 AM | Link to this

Ahem.

There is more to life, and to QUALITY of life, than money. And we chimpanzees may well understand Quantum physics better than you do, Michael. Can we not disagree without bashing? We don’t like Walmart. We don’t shop there. We have valid reasons for not liking them. That doesn’t mean we do not understand, and in many ways, agree with and support capitalism! Perhaps some of us feel that there should be a balance. Capitalism at it’s best provides opportunity and competition, not demolition.

By Mark the Lib

July 31, 2006 11:53 AM | Link to this

How did the Wal-Mart Blog degenerate into the Isreali-Hezbollah blog?

By bud

July 31, 2006 11:56 AM | Link to this

The goal of a corporation is to maximize the wealth of the shareholders. Wal-Mart does this by offering a wide array of goods and services at a low cost under one roof.

What’s the problem?

If their competitors are displaced by Wal-Mart, then these workers must do something else for a living. When a struggling corporation lays off 1/3 or 1/2 of its workers, it lowers its labor costs and the remaining people do more work, which boosts productivity. Plus, the laid off workers provide liquidity to the labor market and help other business owners fill their staffing needs. Like pruning a plant, removing the sucker vines allows the plant to devote more of its energy to the fruit instead of the vine. So too for corporations.

The workers tend to live beyond their means anyway…they fail to save anything and live paycheck-to-paycheck buying a great deal of crap. When the economy goes south, they don’t have anything set aside. Whose fault is that, Wal-Mart’s???

The days of staying with the firm for 30 years and retiring with a gold watch at the retirement party are long gone. If you want greater wealth and steady employment, you must work hard, train yourself constantly and save as much as you can. Investing in a mutual fund that has shares in Wal-Mart wouldn’t hurt either.

By J

July 31, 2006 11:56 AM | Link to this

Ok let’s see, I have to pay: mortgage, car(used-no lexus here),car insurance,electric, natural gas, water, food, phone, cell phone(must have for work),Outrageous GAS PRICES, clothing and shoes for my 2 kids, school supplies, toiletries, etc. I can’t change the economy. I can’t change prices on necessities. It’s either save $30 on necessities at Walmart, or spend the extra $30 at a mom and pop store that needs to go towards electric bill instead, or I get my power turned off. If I can save money, I will go to the cheapest place I can and I don’t apologize for that. Why is no one complaining about the Dollar Tree? It’s either save money and cut back somewhere, or live in a cave. That’s just the way it is. And no, I never spend on frivolousness. The last time I went clothes shopping for myself was a good long while ago, because I have BILLS TO PAY.

By deegee

July 31, 2006 12:01 PM | Link to this

Michael, why don’t you take a stab at explaining quantum physics to us chimpanzees by letting us in on why Wal-Mart is one of the best things that ever happened to America? Is it better than the invention of the transistor, the NASA space program or does it fall just below them? Is it better than federally insured savings and loans? Tell this capitalist how the quality of my life in the USA has been raised by the existence of Wal-Mart. Aside from their sophisticated use of technology in supply chain distribution what have they really contributed?

By getalife

July 31, 2006 12:02 PM | Link to this

It was my fault Mark the Lib.

May I have amnesty, I repented.

E. Lewis puts forth a good argument.

Maybe Michael can enlighten us on how Wal-Mart is good for the country.

By deegee

July 31, 2006 12:04 PM | Link to this

Michael, why don’t you take a stab at explaining quantum physics to us chimpanzees by letting us in on why Wal-Mart is one of the best things that ever happened to America? Is it better than the invention of the transistor, the NASA space program or does it fall just below them? Is it better than federally insured savings and loans? Tell this capitalist how the quality of my life in the USA has been raised by the existence of Wal-Mart. Aside from their sophisticated use of technology in supply chain distribution what have they really contributed?

By Brian Curtis

July 31, 2006 12:12 PM | Link to this

In the long run, Wal-Mart’s “low prices” are too expensive to the communities they operate in.

But most people can only see the short term, so Wal-Mart gets away with destroying local competition and draining local economies before moving on to the next victim.

By Tuckerite

July 31, 2006 12:24 PM | Link to this

Jim, I urge you to read up on the massive 2004 anti-discrimination lawsuit known as Dukes vs. Walmart Stores, Inc. This lawsuit represents 1.6 million past and present women employees. I’d say that’s a pretty big number of disgruntled current and former employees.

Despite the fact that the Wal-Mart workforce is 70 percent female, it pays its women employees up to 15 percent less than men in some cases. Wal-Mart rarely hires women in upper management positions and when they try, they are blocked or not even told about the positions available. Instead, they often hire young men with hardly any experience, if any.

And how does Wal-Mart affect our own Georgia economy? There are more Wal-Mart workers who have kids on PeachCare than you can shake a stick at. That’s how it affects us, Jim. That’s how Wal-Mart takes care of its “valued” associates.

I don’t care if other people shop at Wal-Mart. That’s their business. And I understand why low-income families do. But I refuse to step foot inside of one ever again.

By Markus

July 31, 2006 12:31 PM | Link to this

Well it appears the kook fringe socialist left is at their usual suspect ways. The whining about wages and minimum wages; the whining about manufactured goods overseas.

Of course, liberals think the government should step in and tell Wal Mart how much to pay it’s employees (that’s a form of facsism… and liberals say right-wingers are fascists… HAH!). I’ll tell you one thing, if I were in charge of a company and a city like Chicago told me how much I am to pay my employees, I’d close up shop faster than a taco cart on Buford Highway. “Ok Chicago political hack clowns, you want to tell ME what to do in my company? Fine. I’ll just pack the hell up and LEAVE. You’ll get NOTHING and like it and you’ll have unemployed people at YOUR feet!”

The problem here, and we already addressed this on the minimum wage debate, is that liberals have no clue of how the free market and capitalism works. The vast majority of minimum wage earners work part time, not full time, and the vast majority are single and unmarried and under 25, not 40 and married with 2 kids. Nobody seemed to be complaining about making $3.35/hr back in the mid-80s when I got my first PT job in high school. You are paid what your job and your skills are WORTH based on your ease of replacement (means your VALUE to the company). PERIOD.

And what’s this “living wage” horse snot? There are countless above-minimum wage jobs in this nation that any able-bodied person can handle. Look in the AJC jobs section: warehousing; drivers; customer service. If you are over 30, able-bodied, and able-minded, there is no excuse to be working in a minimum wage job as a primary source of income (keyword: PRIMARY). It is not society’s fault someone doesn’t have the drive to get off their butts and better themselves… one has to help oneself before others can. Individual personal responsibility does not compute in a liberal’s mind. We are becoming a nation of wussies who whine about everything, and liberalism has a lot to do with it.

Then we have the complainers about taking “mom & pop” shops away. Actually there are still plenty of those around all over metro Atlanta. Most, however, have turned into specialty stores instead of the old corner drug store that sold everything. When something better or a better idea comes along, it’s called economic evolution: we no longer need horse carriage manufacturers; we no longer need typewriter repairers. You either change and adapt or you get left behind. That’s LIFE.

Finally, socialist liberals should be thankful that Wal Mart delivers goods to the “working class” (as if white collar workers don’t WORK) and the “poor” (that they love to put on a pedistal during election cycles) for such low cost. But no, liberals have to complain like they always do. Liberals are always b!tching about something.. that’s why they are NEVER happy. Their struggle to find Utopia is never ending.

Ok, fine liberals. Shove your socio-economic fascism down Wal Mart’s throat and other stores. Make them pay $10, $15, hell… TWENTY dollars an hour with full paid benefits, family leave, etc. etc. When Wal Mart and others jack up the costs of their goods at the consumer level, you liberals will be the first ones saying they are hurting the “poor.”

“Fire, ready, aim!” - how liberals develop their emotionally-driven ideas.

By SamX

July 31, 2006 12:32 PM | Link to this

Michael, after our quantum physics lesson could you teach us dumb souls another lesson?

Why is it ok for American companies like Wal-Mart to help turn communist China into an economic powerhouse but but at the same time not allow trade with Cuba? Cuba is going to get rich selling their oil to China.

And what ever happened to the Red scare anyway? Are Republicans now the pinko’s?

By Harold

July 31, 2006 12:38 PM | Link to this

Harold says baseball and football are business. Those are the mose useless and boring “sports” on the face of the planet. Baseball football and WalMart should all be abolished. The problem with WalMarts is there’s always two of them- The open one and the shut down unoccupied one that WalMart won’t allow anybody else to use. The empties are a blight. Nobody should want a WalMart because it will be closed and abandoned when the other one opens.

By Dana

July 31, 2006 12:39 PM | Link to this

Markus Dear!!! Just because we dislike the way Walmart does business doesn’t mean we agree with the issue in Chicago!

For the record, I am a VERY happy, well adjusted liberal woman. I think, however, that you must have forgotten to take your medication this morning!

By Harold

July 31, 2006 12:41 PM | Link to this

Harold says Arabs are happy when their babies get blown up by the IsraeliAmericoFascist forces. The baby is martyred for Allah. So everybody can quit worrying about that bit of trivia. They only whine because it sounds good on Al Jazeera English edition. What they are really saying is praise be my baby is with Allah now I wish I were too.

By Larry

July 31, 2006 12:42 PM | Link to this

Walmart is a mixed bag – capitalism at its most dynamic, convenient, cheap prices, good selections. Add to this the eyesore factor, eliminating small retailers from communities, fighting with neighborhoods, don’t know a lot about their employment practices but have suspicions. Good one, Mr. Wooten, you sure stirred up the natives on the island today! Kudos!

By Markus

July 31, 2006 12:45 PM | Link to this

Dana Dear!! I’m glad you are happy; you seem to be an exception, and not the rule. Oh, and you have my condolences for being a liberal.

By getalife

July 31, 2006 12:48 PM | Link to this

SamX,

To be fair and balanced, the Dems love China too.

Venezuala and Citco are doing well in the oil business.

By Al

July 31, 2006 12:52 PM | Link to this

The increase in the costs to the company will result in an increase in the price to the end consumer. Period. So the few employees who are on the receiving end of the minimum wage hike will be benefiting on the back of the people who shop there(who happen to be some of the poorest in the nation.)

This will either cause the affected company to leave the legislating jurisdiction,thereby moving the under-paid to unemployed, depressing the local economy.

From the Wall Street Journal, according to a study by the economics firm Global Insight, the presence of low-price retailers saves working families on average more than $2000 a year. So the loss of a Wal-Mart(or other low price store) will cost the families that shopped there $2000 a year by forcing them to shop at the higher priced, yet much adored, “mom and pop’s”

If the store remains open, the higher wages will reduce the savings of the families that shop there by the amount of the wage increase.

I must be missing something. Where is the upside?

By J

July 31, 2006 12:56 PM | Link to this

I totally agree with Markus. My thoughts exactly.

By SamX

July 31, 2006 01:01 PM | Link to this

Getalife, its not the Democrats using the terms Commie and Pinko at their opponets. Its the Red scare Republicans. Now Republicans are the biggest supporters of communism. Wal-Mart was nothing until they partnered with communist China. A large part of Wal-Marts success comes from the communist system.

If you support Wal-Mart you support communism.

By Nick

July 31, 2006 01:05 PM | Link to this

It really sounds to me like people are jealous that Wal-Mart is so big. Now while I may not agree with all of their practices, the success of this chain is capitalism at it’s best. Wal-Mart started out as a little store up in AR many years ago, just like many other mom and pop businesses. The difference is that Wal-Mart has been successful in expanding into the giant that it is today. Do I think that they pay bad? Yes I do, but I also don’t work there so it doesent matter to me.

The bottom line is that all the whining and complaining about them coming in and shutting everyone else down is not going to change anytime soon unless others act instead of cry about it. If you really dislike that store, don’t shop there, If you are hard up and need a job, don’t apply there. Until massive boycott takes place, Wal-Mart is going to continue to be successful.

By getalife

July 31, 2006 01:08 PM | Link to this

SamX,

You are correct. I post at Mike Luckovich’s (Jim’s friend) blog and this one wingnut named “Andy” spews pinko this and pinko that.

I had to tell him how the GOP loves China. Karma, if you will.

The conservatives here have much better arguments and alot more class. I believe they are paid to post there.

Does anyone get paid to post here?

By deegee

July 31, 2006 01:08 PM | Link to this

And this paternalistic attitude that Wal-Mart is helping the poor by making their consumer dollars stretch so much farther is getting old. I have seen a greater concentration of $30,000 SUVs and pickups in the parking lot at Wal-Mart than anywhere else I can think of. Wal-Mart may have been the greatest thing that ever happened to American consumerism by elevating the shopping activity to hobby status like woodworking and reading once was. How many people go shopping because they have nothing else better to do? Then they get in there and find all kinds of low price merchandise that is just too good to resist. They walk out with a load of junk and another charge on their revolving credit card that will cost them 18% in addition to what they were charged for the junk. Then when it all gets to be too much for them the bank is stuck with bad debt and those of us that are showing some fiscal restraint end up paying for it. It’s gross, like a big blue and grey warehouse in your backyard.

By getalife

July 31, 2006 01:11 PM | Link to this

J,

That is really weird to have the exact same thoughts as another blogger. You do have your own brain don’t you? Do you listen to Rush?

By Political Foreskin

July 31, 2006 01:18 PM | Link to this

Getalife, everyone on this blog gets paid. This is a marxist/socialist blog modeled after the cultural revolution of China in the sixties. Remember, the deeper you think the more jack you get. (That gem just earned me a kiosk. Life is goot. Yah?)

By Tim

July 31, 2006 01:18 PM | Link to this

It really doesn’t matter whether I shop a big box, small box, cardboard box, mom&pop or corporate giant. I always ask myself; do I really need all of this crap? How much inventory is really a matter of importance in my life? Can I live without a case of dryer sheets? How many more plastic toys do I get for the rugrats so i can express my love for them? More stuff means less cash and more debt which means more work. Are you one of the new consumer slaves? Sure, I buy things. Just not as much as the whip crackers tell me to.

By Maria

July 31, 2006 01:20 PM | Link to this

Walmart is a public company. You have several options - (1) Purchase enough stock to become an influentional owner of the company and go about exacting the changes you desire, (2) work within the framework of the free enterprise system that makes our country great and don’t shop there. When the number of people that reject their business practices by refusing to shop there affects the bottom line, they will be forced to make changes, (3) Get a job there and work your way up the corporate ladder to become infulential in the company’s policies and business model.

Harbouring such hatred for a corporate entity is idiotic and wasted energy. Short of the three afformentioned possibilities - find another cause to champion.

By Dana

July 31, 2006 01:21 PM | Link to this

To bad we can’t solve all the world’s problems in a blog.

Yes, Nick, the only way we should be able to impact WalMart is by expressing our disagrement by not shopping there. Which is what responsible and caring Americans, who can afford to, do. Unfortunately, what Walmart is doing is to help perpetuate the Americans who have no choice. The problem is much bigger than Walmart’s underhanded business ethics.

We all have the ability to impact business without legislating the change. But many of us go with the easy choices, rather than the ethical one. How may of us chose to invest in companies whose policies are suspect or who engage in environmentally or socially unsound activities? How many of us actually check into what a company does before we invest, or do we simply look at the bottom line? It’s shortsighted to point fingers and try to divide us all neatly into liberal and conservative without looking at the real issue. I think most of us are far closer to center than this blog, or any political discussion would suggest.

Go shop at Walmart, or anywhere else you choose. But THINK about where you go, and what the consequences are. And try to look further than the tip of your nose.

By Harold

July 31, 2006 01:23 PM | Link to this

Of course you need dryer sheets. Dont be silly. How could you even think about drying your clothes without a little piece of paper??????

By JK

July 31, 2006 01:25 PM | Link to this

DeeGee… good point about the shopping hobby. Ever seen the kids’ rooms of the average WallyWorld suburbanite? Full of cheap-crap toys. The kids are buried in stuff, and value NONE of it. Their young minds think “Everything is replaceable, and I want more!”

Anyone else have a great-grandfather who MADE little kid-sized furniture for the grandbabbies to play with? Little tables & chairs & dollbeds? Even though he wasn’t a furniture maker by trade? Several generations played with the little dish cupboard, etc. that he made. Those items are like gold to us now, and our babies played with them too! We didn’t have roomfulls of cheap crap, and didn’t need it to be “happy.” But then, I’m more of a traditional conservative, than a modern “worship at the curch o’ capitalism where greed is the highest virtue” kind.

By getalife

July 31, 2006 01:27 PM | Link to this

Political Foreskin,

No, half a kiosk. I want my share.

By Van

July 31, 2006 01:28 PM | Link to this

I go to work and things are getting out of hand.

1) Sweat shops in China. Who is defining the term sweat shop and how does that relate to China? To them, working 12 hours a day, 6 days a week might be perfectly okay and good. Their $1 an hour might be big money to them. THis argument needs more work.

2) This under thread about the Israeli Lebanon conflict - Who started it? Lebanon, by allowing Hezbollah to attack Israel. Israel has been defending themselves, the real bad guy in this fight is Islamic wackos.

3) Capitalism, works, socialism doesn’t, communism doesn’t, what would you suggest?

4) Wal-Mart will not survive in its present form, over the next 10 years, It will have to change with the times, like all big businesses - anyone remember the early Home Depots?

By deegee

July 31, 2006 01:30 PM | Link to this

Yes, JK. I have a piece of handmade, wooden furniture than an uncle made for me when I was a kid. I still treasure it.

By Karen

July 31, 2006 01:33 PM | Link to this

Dear Jim,

I am fellow RIGHT but come’on Jim Wal-Mart just SUX!!! It’s always too crowded no matter when you go and the service is horrible so it leads me to believe that there’s gotta be some truth to the rumors of the mistreatment of employee’s.

I prefer Target these days. Nice bright stores,clean aisles, and better customer service. Sure you might pay a dime extra on some items but I’ll pay it just to keep from putting up with the hassle.

Oh and what ever happended to Wal-Mart’s Made in America promise? HUM !?! :)

By penguinmom

July 31, 2006 01:33 PM | Link to this

I am an avid conservative and I HATE Walmart. I don’t hate it for it’s anti-union stand, or even it’s poor healthcare insurance for its employees. I hate Walmart because it has caused the biggest decline in customer service this country has ever seen. Some consumers are so wowed by the dirt cheap prices (on dirty poorly made products) that they are willing to overlook the long lines, slow service, dirty stores, cramped aisles and unfriendly cashiers. Do they actually give bonuses for how slow these people can check you out? That’s the only explanation I have for how it can take 10 minutes to check out one item being paid for with cash.
I often tell my friends that I don’t shop at Walmart because of the slow service. I have never had anyone in Atlanta disagree with me that the service is HORRIBLE! And yet, my friends continue to shop there because they are wooed by the lure of a 5 or 10 cent savings on that package of american cheese.
Add to the poor service the fact that Walmart seems to think Gwinnett needs a SuperWalmart on every few miles and it’s no wonder that there is an ever growing clamour to stop Walmart.

By SamX

July 31, 2006 01:39 PM | Link to this

What happens when China says it wants more? Wal-Mart and the rest of the companies that do business with them will be forced to pay.

There is absolutely no guarentee that China will always be a low price goods provider. Especially when countries like ours have seen our manufacturing infrastructure wiped out.

Remember when gas was $1.20 a gallon?

By itsme

July 31, 2006 01:41 PM | Link to this

Well said, E. Lewis.

It’s the big $$$ corporation getting all sorts of tax breaks and taxpayer funded projects vs. putting more employees and their children on taxpayer funded programs such as welfare, Medicaid than any other company.

So, Wal-Mart makes its big profits because it shifts part of what should be its business expense onto the taxpayer. But the taxpayer, represented by the government, should not demand that Wal-Mart re-claim that expense? Interesting logic.

By hollie a. ryder

July 31, 2006 01:41 PM | Link to this

One of the truisms of becoming financially independent for me and mine is: “Get the best bang for the buck.” My wife and I reached that point many years ago. Minimally, twenty five percent of our retail purchases are from Wal-Mart when and if one of their stores is located within ten miles of our residence.

By Tim

July 31, 2006 01:41 PM | Link to this

I need my case of American made dryer sheets!

By E. Lewis

July 31, 2006 01:42 PM | Link to this

As far as Wal-Mart goes, nothing will change until people stop shopping there. It really is that simple. My sister hasn’t step one foot into a Wal-Mart in 5 years. She has earned the right to complain. If even half the people to object to Wal-Mart for any number of reasons were to vote with their $$$$, things would change.

By Barbara

July 31, 2006 01:47 PM | Link to this

Hey Karen. I think what happened to WalMart’s “made in America” promise is that Sam Walton died. It seems like that’s when the “made in China” stuff started slipping in. WalMart has changed alot since Sam died. I personally don’t like some of the rumors I’ve heard (like the eminent domain rumors about WalMart). And I believe that the stores do attract more traffic in the areas where they set up. I don’t like the old abondoned buildings. But I shop there. It’s convenient and not so bad. I wouldn’t buy clothes there (except Tee shirts, cheap bathing suits when we’re travelling and we forgot to pack one, etc.). The best thing about WalMart, in my opinion, is that they don’t let the unions in. I think current unions and union practices are the main cause of American business troubles today. Any store that rejects unions and union mentalities will get my business over stores that promote that environment today.

By getalife

July 31, 2006 01:47 PM | Link to this

Jim,

Here is an update on the minumum wage

Oh, those Republicans. Tired of being such grinches on the minimum wage, they flipped on the bill, crafting a proposal to raise the wage and rollback the estate tax.

By chamblee local

July 31, 2006 01:56 PM | Link to this

Wal-Mart is a lightning rod for urban sprawl and in most cases brings it on themselves by employee treatment, abandonment of buildings, arrogant pushes to build wherever they want regardless of what the community would like to have, shutting down small town businessess, and increases of traffic and air, noise, and light pollution. Wal-Mart is on its way to become K-Mart. They are catering to a specific demographic and they p**s off the people that have more money and are willing to pay extra to go shop at Target. They will never get that demographic back. How often do you hear people say “I hate Target?” Yet, Target is a big box company. They build huge parking lots, create urban sprawl with light pollution, large parking lots, etc. The difference is Target doesn’t bully people, abandon buildings, treat employees like low cost commodities, keep dirty stores, and sell sub-par items based totally on price. Target is mostly a good corporate citizen in the suburban consumer’s eyes. They have to be to get the demographics they desire. So think about that. Wal-Mart is what it is. Arrogant, uncooperative, huge, and they sell goods to the most price sensitive demographic on the planet. But, as they have saturated their bread and butter market (rural towns and large metropolitan areas) they are now venturing into uncharted territories. A great example is the Wal-Mart going in on Peachtree Industrial in Chamblee. It is of only 2 or 3 Wal-Marts in the country that have a parking desk. This is a very expensive building for Wal-Mart. They are banking that people will take MARTA to the Wal-Mart to shop. Well, that may not work for them. Time will tell. Clearly Wal-Mart is reaping what they sow.

By Tim

July 31, 2006 02:00 PM | Link to this

Why do people act like a union is some kind of boogie man? Don’t contracts or unions involve two or more parties? Am I to believe that companies like General Motors were scared into signing a contract? C’mon, they are adults with college educations!! If they didn’t like the deal, why the signature? I even know in my little world that it is best in the long run if you walk away. Yes, you may lose money and you may have to fold your business but at least you are still in control of your future. General Motors could have done the same if they didn’t like the offer. I am not nor have ever been in a labor union.

By Union Bay

July 31, 2006 02:08 PM | Link to this

Raise that minimum wage and get my union buds a some extra cash.

I bet most of the liberals here don’t even realize your puppetmasters are using you again.

By rednecks - America's Al Qaeda

July 31, 2006 02:09 PM | Link to this

Back in the ATL this weekend, struck by all the blight and the millions of rednecks (Black, white and Latinos) in their cars and trucks and SUVs driving back and forth between nowhere and nothing, between characterless vapid filthy fast food joints and stripbars, drive-in liquor stores, big box retailers and their acres of steaming hot parking lots and, of course, empty bombed-out overgrown strip malls and abandoned industrial areas. And that’s just Atlanta.

Sam Walton’s big claim to fame was all the “Made in America” stuff that Walmart sold. Now you can buy Chinese made US flags there.

Mr. Wooten and many of his fellow rednecks are on bended knee or lying prostrate at the altar of Walmart, their god Mammon is pleased…

By rednecks - America's Al Qaeda

July 31, 2006 02:12 PM | Link to this

Walmart is a great place to buy low quality trash. No wonder they are so popular in Georgia.

By Tim

July 31, 2006 02:14 PM | Link to this

Ever looked at the back of the magnetic “support our troops” ribbon?

By Mony

July 31, 2006 02:19 PM | Link to this

I figured I had laid around retired for long enough so I got a new job at Walmart as a Greeter but it did not last but about a half hour.

One of my first customers was a very unattractive, mean actin’ woman with her two kids. She has a nasty looking tattoo on each arm and rotten teeth. To make it even worse, she’s wearing flip flops and has long filthy toenails. So I ask her, “Are they twins”? The ugly lady says, “No dumbass, the oldest one, he’s 9 and the younger one, she’s 7. “Why?… Do you think they look alike?”

“No”, I reply, “I just couldn’t believe that you got laid twice”!
End of job!!!!

By Larry

July 31, 2006 02:21 PM | Link to this

redneck: you would know about low-quality trash. Ever look in the mirror? C’mon down, chicken! I got your god mammon in the ring, you pencil-neck geek!

By getalife

July 31, 2006 02:23 PM | Link to this

Mony,

I see you met Crusty “Dusty”.

Did you know she blogs here?

By shari

July 31, 2006 02:27 PM | Link to this

Walmart has limited selection on food, size and varity. some items are ok - shampoo and toothpastes - but other items are not worth the money, even when priced low. I have not found knowledgeable nor any polite staff in the few stores that i have visited. creating empty plaza, which close down the other little shops that are in those plaza to close, their past practices in labor rules and styles of purchase and distributions are what keep me out of there. I will drive the extra miles to food shop.

By Tim

July 31, 2006 02:44 PM | Link to this

How can you have free trade with a country that eats dogs? Will a compassionate conservative change his tune after his job has been outsourced to India or his pay drop when his competition brings in a “New American” to do his job at a much lower wage? Just buck up there young man!! Go back to school and get better educated!! You are the sum of your life choices!! Sound familiar? Can an editor’s job be done cheaper so we can make our stockholders happier?

By Harold

July 31, 2006 02:45 PM | Link to this

Characterless vapid filthy fast food joints and stripbars??

Harold has definitely seen some characters in the stripbars.

By Harold

July 31, 2006 02:46 PM | Link to this

Korea eats dogs. How’s that Hyuandai driving?

By getalife

July 31, 2006 02:50 PM | Link to this

“Larry” the cable guy,

Is that you?

Tim,

I doubt Jim will take a pay cut.

It is hard work to incite the conservative vs liberal blog civil war. All that hate rhetoric (Wal-Mart, they hate you. Go away. Get out of town. Die.) takes a toll on one’s soul.

By Joseph

July 31, 2006 02:52 PM | Link to this

Mr. Wooten, You call yourself a conservative AND you defend Wal-Mart?

Fact: Wal-mart receives millions of dollars a year in government subsidies.

Fact: In some states, Wal-Mart is the biggest user of the Medicaid system.

Fact: According to June issue of The Atlantic Monthly, Wal-Mart is now becoming one of the strongest advocates for socialized healthcare in the US.

Speaking as a conservative, Mr. Wooten, please educate yourself on the issue BEFORE writing about it.

By Joseph

July 31, 2006 02:53 PM | Link to this

Mr. Wooten, You call yourself a conservative AND you defend Wal-Mart?

Fact: Wal-mart receives millions of dollars a year in government subsidies.

Fact: In some states, Wal-Mart is the biggest user of the Medicaid system.

Fact: According to June issue of The Atlantic Monthly, Wal-Mart is now becoming one of the strongest advocates for socialized healthcare in the US.

Speaking as a conservative, Mr. Wooten, please educate yourself on the issue BEFORE writing about it.

By Joseph

July 31, 2006 02:55 PM | Link to this

Mr. Wooten, You call yourself a conservative AND you defend Wal-Mart?

Fact: Wal-mart receives millions of dollars a year in government subsidies.

Fact: In some states, Wal-Mart is the biggest user of the Medicaid system.

Fact: According to June issue of The Atlantic Monthly, Wal-Mart is now becoming one of the strongest advocates for socialized healthcare in the US.

Speaking as a conservative, Mr. Wooten, please educate yourself on the issue BEFORE writing about it.

By jbmlaw

July 31, 2006 02:57 PM | Link to this

Not a lot of intellectual content today, but the entertainment factor is way up.

Nothing brings out the Fascist stripes of our Leftist Patriots like mentioning Walmart. They absolutely want to control how we spend our money, and if they cannot do it through taxes, they’ll do it with direct regulation. For the record, I guess I spend less than $200 at Walmart in a normal year. But if anyone want to spend everything there, that’s fine by me.

By Andy

July 31, 2006 02:59 PM | Link to this

By rednecks - America’s Al Qaeda July 31, 2006 02:12 PM Walmart is a great place to buy low quality trash. No wonder they are so popular in Georgia.

Why do I get the picture of this blooming idiot buying high quality dish soap and as-swipe?

By ray

July 31, 2006 03:01 PM | Link to this

you are truly befuddled(did any thought process go into this column). the issue is about monopoly, how the state pays like $30 million a year so the company can get out of paying for health insurance, killing small businesses, building mountains to hide their warehouses, and also letting the company do anything they please, without any constraint, does not make sense. i feel for the workers, i used to work there myself, it’s a job. but i don’t want this particular company to be my only option. i hate to be too mean, but the columnists at the atlanta journal constitution might be the worst in the nation. tucker and wooten say the exact same things over and over and over again. the city needs a breath of fresh air. i think i would rather read five george will columns back to back, than listen to this nonsense. just an opinion from a sorry libertarian.

By time for the truth

July 31, 2006 03:02 PM | Link to this

REDNECKS - YOU SAD LITTLE DWEEB YOU!!

Nice to have you back after the formalities of your weekend extradition …from the Angola State Pen in Louisiana wasn’t it?

Predictably your bitterness about Walmart persists because you are banned for life from metro Atlanta Walmart’s for persistent shoplifting of Lice Be Gone type products.

Talking of buying trash at Walmart, isn’t that where you were purchased as a baby rodent one bleak rainy weekend, from the back of a heavily rusted, badly dented S.10 if memory serves. I heard your purchasers were going to feed you to one of their largewr snakes but took pity on you when you started gurgling “I love Republicans” at a very early age!

By Tim

July 31, 2006 03:02 PM | Link to this

Just buck up there JB; your job is next. What course of study wil you choose at vo-tech? Reality hits mighty quickly when you don’t think your in line.

By Yeah-huh.

July 31, 2006 03:02 PM | Link to this

They absolutely want to control how we spend our money, and if they cannot do it through taxes, they’ll do it with direct regulation.

Paranoid much? Put the pipe down, dude. Breathe.

By Larry

July 31, 2006 03:06 PM | Link to this

GET-A-LIFE: Nope, not Larry the Cable Guy. Larry the neck-breaker guy. ANDY: you really think redneck uses dish soap or “a-wipe”? If you people want a good laugh go to Walmart and check out the computerized employment application form. Questions designed to weed out independent people and hire only butt-smoochers. One of my favorite questions is “do you think Walmart’s safety procedures exist only to satisfy government regulations?” No, I’m sure they exist because the corporates actually give a damn haha.

By Whatever

July 31, 2006 03:08 PM | Link to this

@ Lynn, I never really understood the hate for Wal-Mart. I do understand the big empty stores they leave behind. It is an eye sore and there are not many other business that need that square footage. Too bad we couldn’t use those stores for extra space at schools instead of those horrible trailers. I have also heard about the unfair treatment of their employees. Greed should be the store motto.

@ Degree There are 2 less than 5 miles apart in my neighborhood. Bringing back unions would be a great idea and not just of r Wal-Mart.

@ Rod & Getalife, I couldn’t agree with you more.

@ Truth, thanks. I was wondering why sometimes items magically disappear from Wal-Mart shelves after time. Usually I do not agree with you, but this time you make a lot of good points. Just stop Clinton bashing. He is/was so much better than Bush. It’s like we live in a totally different, much worse country! You cannot be intelligent and think Bush and the entire GOP is NOT corrupt!

@ Where are… You hit the nail on the head!! And why allow people with 500 items in those lanes? Common sense would say that it is for people with a few items who want to get out quickly.

By time for the truth

July 31, 2006 03:09 PM | Link to this

I’m just wondering where our resident Israel hater Susan is - presumably not still out drinking with Mel Gibson … huge smirk

By concerned citizen

July 31, 2006 03:09 PM | Link to this

I think it’s hilarious that Wooten throws a punch in the direction of the “left” (as usual) on this topic. The reason I find this hilarious is how conservatives love any tax cut they can find (even when there is a multi billion dollar war and hurricane disaster) and oppose any increases in the minimum wage, and their typical justification for these moves is to protect the small businesses and entrepreneurs from being able to compete. But his position on Wal-Mart is a complete contradiction. Local communities have a right and obligation to protect the interests of their local tax paying and voting base. Wal-Mart comes in, puts the little guys out of business and sends their profits back to HQ to be spent everywhere but that local community. What’s wrong with a local government keeping their small businesses working and consequently more money spent locally? Conservatives love to point out how large the number is of how many people are employed by small business when they justify tax cuts, but when the “left”, as Wooten calls them, take up an issue on behalf of small business it is somehow wrong. Remove the hypocrisy in your positions before you speak Wooten. I personally have no issue with Wal-Mart, but I don’t mind local governments working on behalf of their constituency. State and federal governments could take a lesson in doing what the people want more often.

By C.C.

July 31, 2006 03:11 PM | Link to this

Mr. Wooten is cut from the same cloth as the Republican congressmen who do not want to raise the minimum wage, but do want to give massive tax cuts to the grotesquely wealthy.

WalMart goes into a town sucks the life out of its economy by running mom & pop out of business then offers piddling, poor paying, go-nowhere jobs to the very people they drove into unemployment. It’s brilliant really. No need for banks, grocery stores, toy stores, clothing stores, hardware stores, WalMart has it all. And it is the only game in town in so many places across this country.

By concerned citizen

July 31, 2006 03:26 PM | Link to this

Why does it seem that the people who oppose a raise in the minimum wage are also the people who complain about the welfare state? It’s not communism to try to prevent poverty. If the cost of living increases 3% from one year to the next but the minimum wage stays the same, eventually a person who was a responsible citizen and was able to maintain a home and keep their family fed will start to fall behind. But in the minds of conservatives (that live in a different tax bracket) this family should just pull themselves up by their bootstraps and work harder, not realizing that there are only so many hours in a day to work. My point is regularly increasing the minimum wage helps keep people from becoming a drag on our tax dollars in the form of welfare etc. But conservatives are so typically short sighted that they only see one move ahead of them, not two or three moves ahead that leads to something they like even less than the thing they were complaining about in the first place. After all, Jesus said to help the poor. So if you think raising the minimum wage is communism, then Jesus was a communist. Think about that when you fold your hands to pray for another BMW and trip to the Caribbean.

By getalife

July 31, 2006 03:37 PM | Link to this

Why does it seem that the people who oppose a raise in the minimum wage are also the people who complain about the welfare state?

So they can give more money for Iraqi welfare. Speaking of the forgotten war in Iraq, Chuck Hagel said Iraq is just like Vietnam.

I disagree, there is no draft and no sacrifice from the ones who spew “stay the course”. These hipocrites would never enlist to help the troops.

One did, it was John McCain’s 18 year old son who signed up for the marines. That is what I am talking about. Where are the rest of these cowards?

By rednecks - America's Al Qaeda

July 31, 2006 03:39 PM | Link to this

Greetings Walmart greeters!!!

Walmart is not such a bad place - who else is going to employ the hundreds of thousands of high school dropouts and millions of drunks and drug addicts in the state of Georgia?

By Cletus Snow

July 31, 2006 03:42 PM | Link to this

WalMart is what makes America great,just look what Sam Walton has done with a mom & pop operation. With hard work you can do it too.WalMart must be OK as an employer the stores are always well staffed if they weren’t happy they could quit or vote in a union. Some of us are just born to whine when they’re whinning about WalMart someone else is getting a break.

By Tomahawkin

July 31, 2006 03:43 PM | Link to this

Mutts Got Homer Hernandez back…I look foward to that diaster, but Oliver Perez Scares me, that Dude has potential, especially now that he has a good team around him

By rednecks - America's Al Qaeda

July 31, 2006 03:44 PM | Link to this

Poor Larry - still looking for a date - they call them wrasslin’ partners where Larry is. They call them butt buddies in TFTT’s prison.

Hey Larry, maybe you can get yourself incarcerated with TFTT! Lots of good wrasslin’ there for ya, bubba.

By Tomahawkin

July 31, 2006 03:44 PM | Link to this

My Fault, Wrong Blog…

By Play that funky music whiteboy

July 31, 2006 03:44 PM | Link to this

Since when is a newspaper columnist like Wooten considerd rich? Jim, don’t take offense, but all the newsies I’ve ever known - unless they have their own talk show on Fox News, don’t do all that well. So those of you thinking Jim is rich - forget it (unless he inherited it.) Now on to Wal-Mart, this company has worked the system better than anyone else in America. Anyone remember when WalMart used to tout the fact they sold American manufactured products whenever they could find them - seems like forever ago. They put so many to work in China now, WalMart can control Chinese foreign policy better than Washington can (literally). How did they get that power? The American consumer, who could care less what the impact is, will buy a product on price alone (given even quality). WalMart cut costs on the back of the American tax payer in general and Georgia tax payer in particular. Jim Wooten, it is IRRESPONSIBLE and just out and out PANDERING TO THE RIGHT for you not to cite the evidence of all the “WalMart” family children in Georgia receiving “Peach-care” health benefits. Who pays for that Jim?? You, me and all the other GA taxpayers that’s who. So to get that $200 TV at Walmart, it cost you double that in yearly taxes for their workers children to have health insurance. 10,000 Georgia kids, who have a parent that works at WalMart are on Peachcare (that’s 6.2% of the total program). That comes to a grand total of $6.6 MILLION DOLLARS A YEAR AND GROWING. But hey, if the system is there, milk it, eh Wal-Mart??

By time for the truth

July 31, 2006 03:47 PM | Link to this

If I was a Walmart greeter Rednecks and YOU slithered into sight at the shop entrance I worked at I would ensure you were nicked for indecent exposure, wilful cruelty to cooties and being drunk whilst in charge of a stolen shopping trolley (cart).

By Pompano

July 31, 2006 04:16 PM | Link to this

By Concerned citizen

you quote:”After all, Jesus said to help the poor. So if you think raising the minimum wage is communism, then Jesus was a communist”

Problem here is that what you are referring to is charity - and charity should be voluntary for the contributer. What you are requiring w/raising the minimum wage is mandatory charity on the part of companies. This should remain a personal decision and not legislated.

It’s easy to recommend solving the world’s problems with other people’s money

By Noelle

July 31, 2006 04:16 PM | Link to this

Boy, Jim, do you have it wrong! For most of us who don’t like Wal-Mart, its lack of unionization is way, way down the list. While I’m grateful for what unions did in the past for the American worker (try reading “Triangle” sometime), I’m no fan of unions as they exist today. Wal-Mart’s refusal to provide healthcare benefits is of significantly more concern than unionization, especially since taxpayers are picking up the bill for the difference through indigent and state-provided medical care.

The truth is, the main reason people of all political stripes don’t like Wal-Mart is simple: the stores are messy and invariably low on stock, the employees are generally surly and incompetent, and the prices simply aren’t that great compared with Target and other stores. I’d rather spend an extra five bucks a month (tops) than deal with the disaster area that is Wally World.

By Curious Observer

July 31, 2006 04:19 PM | Link to this

I guess Time for Fantasy and the other rednecks are right. They carry guns, and besides, I imagine they are a little antsy as the time for the biennial bath approaches at the trailer park.

By Jim Wooten

July 31, 2006 04:27 PM | Link to this

Funky, in a 2002 survey, 10,261 children covered by PeachCare had a parent working for Wal-Mart. Wal-Mart had 42,000 workers in the state. About 25 percent of them were part-time. And about 25 percent have children on Peach-Care.

Wal-Mart officials say they pay $11.11 per hour to full-time workers in the Atlanta area. In Georgia it now employs in excess of 52,000 and pays an average of $10.33 to full-timers. A full-timer is anybody working more than 34 hours a week.

The company reported back in May that it is introducing a health care plan with premiums as low as $11 per month and 30 cents per day for children, no matter how many an employee has. Company officials said then, too, that coverage is available for full- and part-time employees. Individual coverage nationwide is no more than $23 per month. Family coverage starts at $65 per month.

By Pompano

July 31, 2006 04:29 PM | Link to this

I find the posters amusing that lament the fate of “small businesses” at the hands of Walmart while also bashing Walmart for wages, health benefits, etc.

Sorry, but the mom&pops Walmart replaced paid lower wages than Walmart & sure as heck don’t supply any health benefits to their employees either.

The employees at the lowest rung of the retail ladder are no worse off post-Walmart than they were before.

By Sarah

July 31, 2006 04:31 PM | Link to this

I understand the dislike for Wal-Mart—they do have a tendancy to strip the charm away from small towns and I’m sure small business owners feel the pinch when a new big box store opens up.

I don’t shop at Wal-Mart much. Not because of any political agenda, but because the store is always a disorganized mess with little to no customer service. I instead shop at Target, another big box store and un-unionized, which I’m sure can equally put a small business under.

How many locally owned grocers are still around and haven’t been replaced by the big boys like Publix or Kroger?

Don’t kid yourself, Costco, Home Depot, yes, even my beloved Target all abandon buildings for larger ones and take business away from the local grocer, children’s toy store, or small hardware store. We all have a choice to make—but I will say that every time I drive by a Wal-Mart, the place is buzzing with customers.

We live in a free market society—which has benefits that we all take advantage of. These taxes and fees that cities are imposing will drive out other businesses too—I came from the Northeast where unions rule the world—and you know what? There is a reason there is little to no industry up there.

By time for the truth

July 31, 2006 04:34 PM | Link to this

@ curious flawed experiment

I’d be very happy to buy a nice big shiny new gun with lots of bullets and a filed down serial number and everything and show it to yer.

And what does ‘biennial’ mean tosser? Cos I’m fixin’ to have my once every two year bath soon and was hopin’ I could dunk your snotty dumb a_rse in the left over water.

By Bigun

July 31, 2006 04:37 PM | Link to this

I’m sick of hearing all the hype about Wal-Mart hurting local small business. If you are a business owner, you should know that to stay in business you need to offer products or services that are unique and priced accordingly. I hear specialty shops and boutique owners griping about Wal-Mart coming to town. “It’ll kill my business!” they moan. Does Wal-Mart really sell the same stuff as these people? NO! Just provide a quality, unique product or service and treat people well, and your business will thrive—even next door to a super Wally World.

By Van

July 31, 2006 04:43 PM | Link to this

I remember my first job at McDonald’s. I was paid $1.30 and hour, no health benefits, no vacation.

At that time federal minimum wage was $1.15/hour and the state of California was $1.25.

So, where is it written in stone, that a first job, an entry level job must pay benefits and a living wage.

By Scooter

July 31, 2006 04:47 PM | Link to this

It is funny to read people’s desires to get the collectivist hands of government and unions around the neck of a free market entity and choke it into inflation. Socialist leaders love blind compassion and sympathy because it gives them power.

By Pompano

July 31, 2006 04:51 PM | Link to this

Dead-on post Van. A lot of these bloggers seem to get tunnel vision when comparing Walmart’s business practices with those of other companies. Walmart does nothing unique - just on a larger scale and to greater success.

By Van

July 31, 2006 04:53 PM | Link to this

All this talk about a minimum wage, my duaghter worked as a server in a nice restaurant, her hourly pay was less than $3 an hour plus tips. If she did not do well, she had very little money in the paycheck, BTW, she had to pay taxes on the “presumed” tips she received. Also included was no vacation or benefits.

By Ron

July 31, 2006 04:55 PM | Link to this

WM pays its Chinese factory employees $3.00 a day. Americans spend that much on a f*ing Icee at WM. God forgive us.

By Yeah-huh.

July 31, 2006 04:59 PM | Link to this

It is funny to read people’s desires to get the collectivist hands of government and unions around the neck of a free market entity and choke it into inflation.

Can you name one person who said that here today? Nope. People mostly just said they think Wally World sucks, and gave a variety of reasons. I’m fairly certain no one said, “HEY lets get government to put our collective hands around the neck of the free market!” Most just said they’d never shop there.

And you people think WE’re paranoid that the goverment is spying on us. Geeezussss go pop a Papst, numbnut, and come off yourr “blame the LEFT” mantra. It’s SOOOOOO last year.

By How?

July 31, 2006 04:59 PM | Link to this

I guess I don’t understand how anybody can stand to be in that store. It is so unclean. It smells like MARTA (urine). I have been in twice and walked out with nothing but a stomach ache. There is not one near me anymore since I have moved, thank heavens. Never again will I go in one. How do you buy groceries from a place that is so filthy?

By Pompano

July 31, 2006 05:00 PM | Link to this

Hey Ron - which book is it in the Bible that addresses Global wages?

Wouldn’t the issue of low wages in China be just that - China’s issue to deal with?

By SamX

July 31, 2006 05:00 PM | Link to this

So the message from the conservatives is that when Jesus comes back he can sell his fish to Wal-Mart.

By Andy

July 31, 2006 05:05 PM | Link to this

By rednecks - America’s Al Qaeda July 31, 2006 03:39 PM Greetings Walmart greeters!!! Walmart is not such a bad place - who else is going to employ the hundreds of thousands of high school dropouts and millions of drunks and drug addicts in the state of Georgia?

Versus in bloody England where they spend their days getting drunk, rioting at the soccer match and chasing Al Qaeda’s Redneck through the streets. And getting paid by their socialist government to do it.

By Scooter

July 31, 2006 05:15 PM | Link to this

Yeah-Huh, sorry I commented on the topic of Jim’s blog. Shall I seek your approval in the future?

By Political Foreskin

July 31, 2006 05:19 PM | Link to this

Myspace.com called. They want their talc back.

By Yeah-huh.

July 31, 2006 05:21 PM | Link to this

Actually Scooter, you commented on the other posters on Jim’s blog in such a manner that (I perceived) misrepresented them in order to use the word “socialist” gratuitously, and without meaning or relevance, in an attempt to foster the wide divisions between “left” and “right” in this country, which are clearly hampering progress of any kind, and likewise any effort to return to better days gone by. But that’s just my opinion. Please continue to enjoy your First Amendment rights!

By Dana

July 31, 2006 05:24 PM | Link to this

Some of you need a nap, you’re getting grumpy and off topic again.

By Scooter

July 31, 2006 05:26 PM | Link to this

Thanks!

By Dana

July 31, 2006 05:31 PM | Link to this

my pleasure darlin. I’m off - guess where I am NOT going on my way home??? All of you have a good evening, even you misguided conservatives….. ;-)

By AtlantaNative62

July 31, 2006 05:32 PM | Link to this

The ingnorance that has been displayed in the responses to this column are frightening. If Wal-Mart was as bad (dirty, horrible to their employees, kicking dogs, etc) then they would not be in business! They would not have employees and they would not have customers. It is simple as that! Yet, the ignorant among you want to take out your frustrations with your own crappy lives (that YOU are responsible for!) on an organization that has generated weatlth for millions of people. Wal-Mart is a a publicly traded company and everyone who has ever bought stock in it (which I bet the majority of you “noble liberals” have through any pension/retirement/mutual funds you have).

It blows me away that in 2006, we still have arguments of ignorance about companies like Wal-Mart. Are they perfect? Nope. Guess what, neither are you. Wal-Mart is also not the demon they have been made out to be. It is simply the “have nots” who don’t want to work to be “haves” trying to drain the success from those who do work hard. If you don’t like Wal-Mart (or do like CostCo because of their nice employees), then vote with the most powerful economic force you have - your wallet.

By getalife

July 31, 2006 05:33 PM | Link to this

Jim,

Please post the link.

I know how conservatives like to play with numbers (Enron).

By Jim Wooten

July 31, 2006 05:42 PM | Link to this

There isn’t a link, getalife. The numbers are from previous news stories and from an interview in May with Sarah Clark, a former Atlantan who now directs Wal-Mart’s corporate affairs department.

By Markus

July 31, 2006 05:48 PM | Link to this

After all day long, hardly anybody beside me addressed what Jim was trying to get across: Wal Mart has become a target for the left in this nation to push forward their socialist economic fascism in the free market enterprise via government (like in Chicago).

It isn’t about hating or liking Wal Mart; it isn’t about fat rednecks; it isn’t about “big greedy profits”; it isn’t about how much China pays it’s employees (as if that’s anybody’s freaking business HERE).

What the topic IS about is forcing companies to pay out the nose; forcing companies who choose to not unionize it’s employees to bring them to unionized standards; and lastly and MOST importantly, abusing state/local government power to usurp company freedoms of selecting pay scales in the free market.

By getalife

July 31, 2006 05:52 PM | Link to this

Thanks Jim,

I found another link

Thousands of Georgia kids are going without health care as a result of Wal-Mart’s freeloading on the state’s health care program for poor children, according to a state legislator in Georgia, where a $5 million health care budget deficit was filled by “locking out” 45,000 low-income kids this year.

By Jim Wooten

July 31, 2006 05:54 PM | Link to this

Marcus, I think you read it correctly, but Wal-Mart does arouse the passions. You do have to agree with AtlantaNative62 that if the company is as bad as many here say, it’s a wonder they’re still in business.

By Markus

July 31, 2006 05:58 PM | Link to this

Has anyone other than me noticed that when liberals like “getalife” (a fitting forum name I might add) see like-minded conservatives agree with each other that Rush is brought up?

Hey gotalabotomy! Unlike many of you deadbeat liberals who post all day long in cyberspace, I have a serious job to attend to. I don’t have time to listen to AM talk radio during the day. I challenge you or any one of your fellow blind liberal sheeple moonbats on the left to find where Rush has said ANYTHING I have said.

How would you like it if I said all you liberals do is repeat what the New York Slime’s OpEd page told you (which happens to be the ENTIRE PAPER these days)?

*”By J

July 31, 2006 12:56 PM | Link to this

I totally agree with Markus. My thoughts exactly.”*

*”By getalife

July 31, 2006 01:11 PM | Link to this

J,

That is really weird to have the exact same thoughts as another blogger. You do have your own brain don’t you? Do you listen to Rush?”*

By Markus

July 31, 2006 06:00 PM | Link to this

Jim, I am no Wal Mart saint. I shop there when I see a cheap TV or the occassional DVD sale. Like others have stated, I prefer Target (pronounced “Tar-jeaaay” but the Alpharetta Housewives Association).

By anita

July 31, 2006 06:02 PM | Link to this

I despise Wally world for the types of people they “attract”. Low class people who bring their brats there to run wild as “recreation”. I stopped going theer for any reason a few years ago. Also, I get tired of being the only customer in the store who speaks English. They hire illegals, they teach their employees how to collect benefits from gov—-food stamps etc. Wherever a Wally World shows up, you will see masses of the unwashed, the un-citizen, and yes, pigs. Take a look at the parking lot someday. You will see dirty diapers, oil puddles from junk cars, bottles, cans like its a giant dumpster. Its disgusting.Yep, its for the average lower class “shopper”. Just my 2 cents, but people with ANY kind of class or manners DONT shop at Wally World.

By rednecks - America's Al Qaeda

July 31, 2006 06:02 PM | Link to this

Pretty funny all these filthy Georgia rednecks are worried about estate taxes -

Here’s some estate planning advice for Georgia rednecks:

1) There is no estate tax on food stamp income or welfare cheese.

2) Your lifetime welfare benefits stop when you die, you can’t pass ‘em down. However, if you claim all your illegitimate retarded kids on your welfare applications, you can insure that they have a lifetime of low rent squalor ahead of them too.

3) If your lot lizard wives just take cash from the truckers, you don’t have to worry lessen the revenooers catch ‘em. If they get caught, and they will, pay the fine, it’s less than the tax you’ll avoid, and your wife will get to spend a couple of nights in a clean jail rather than in your cesspool of a trailer.

4) On your income tax return, list your occupation as “redneck”. Then you can deduct all your expenses on beer, cheap wine, methamphetamine, and chewing tebakky. However, if you try to deduct expenses for soap and cleaning supplies, as a redneck YOU WILL BE AUDITED.

By getalife

July 31, 2006 06:04 PM | Link to this

Markus,

Let me guess, your important job is with Wal-Mart.

I am retired but thanks for asking.

That Ted Stevens is at it again

Ted, don’t mess with my tubes!

By DD

July 31, 2006 06:16 PM | Link to this

Mao*Mart - Always outsourced to Communist slave labor. Always.

By Susan

July 31, 2006 06:23 PM | Link to this

“By time for the truth

July 31, 2006 03:09 PM | Link to this

I’m just wondering where our resident Israel hater Susan is - presumably not still out drinking with Mel Gibson … huge smirk”

Yo, time! How’s it going? Fake.

Not that it matters, but I don’t smoke, drink alcohol or do drugs. Too old to be a straight edger, though. A cultural phenomenom outside your purview. (TFTT is busily googling straight edge right now!)

I know you badly want to argue about the Zionists but really, they are doing a wonderful job all on their own. I don’t need to worry about Israel because

a. They got their asses handed to them at Bint Jbeil

b. They killed scores of children on Sunday and it did not go over well

c. They will give up and retreat soon

The subject was, however, Walmart.

Re Walmart:

Right now, the first “urban” Walmart is under construction in my neighborhood. We are told by corporate types from Wallieworld that they will have ‘upscale’ merchandise. What I find hugely amusing is that they will be underground.

As for me, I am solidly with other respondents on the blog in that I do not shop there, will not be shopping there, don’t work there, and would not recommend that others work there.

Walmart does not make me angry, it just leaves me cold.

I choose not to eat in franchise restaurants and try to avoid shopping at anything that has more than two locations. Those decisions do not constitute a movement, and I do not think my choice has any larger impact.

And I also agree with the people on the blog who practice not being a knee-jerk consumer.

If you stay out of stores that sell cheap junky merchandise, you can (and I know this is antiethical to those who love credit cards) save your money and thoughtfully purchase things that are well-made and do not need to be replaced.

So no, no anger about Walmart, and they seem to be doing quite well no matter what people say.

By Ted

August 1, 2006 08:17 AM | Link to this

Wal-Mart DOES NOT destroy, or shut down, the other community stores…the people who who shop there do. If all these righteous people shopped the neighborhood stores that they claim to love, then a lot more would still be around. Why don’t they? Because people want to make $15 to $20 an hour at their job, but they won’t pay the prices for goods the sustain higher wages for other people.

By Brian Curtis

August 1, 2006 08:29 AM | Link to this

Wooten: “If they’re as bad as you say, it’s a wonder they’re still in business.”

Really? Think “drug dealers,” Wooten. Are they making money, even though they’re disgusting slimeballs that everyone hates?

Profit is no proof of virtue.

By Redwing

August 1, 2006 08:37 AM | Link to this

Its all about jealousy isn’t it? Why aren’t you complaining about low wages and no benefits for Mexican and others in construction. Why are there so many applicants for Walmart jobs when they open a new store? People shop there because of lower prices. How many of you elitists trade at a discount broker. How many of you buy online instead of a local store. Are you worried about the low wages of the person who packages your purchases. Shop where you want. That is your prerogative. If you are so worried agout the poor Walmart employee, which I doubt, seek them and help them out, as I am sure that you have more than enough.

By Dana

August 1, 2006 08:43 AM | Link to this

Wow. Isn’t it a little early for such nastiness?

Most of us who choose not to shop there are so far from elitist it isn’t funny. And you might be surprised how many of us DO help others. Why aren’t we complaining about the low wages of immigrants? Because the topic is Walmart! Amazingly enough, many of us “libs” agree that the legistlation mentioned in Jim’s article is not the way to handle Walmart.

Get a grip, and how about a discussion instead of an accusatory diatribe?

By itsme

August 1, 2006 08:51 AM | Link to this

Wal-Mart is still in business because low-to-moderate-income people hold their noses and buy products cheaper than they can at other stores. In short, we can’t afford our principles.

By Jim Wooten

August 1, 2006 09:02 AM | Link to this

There’s something interesting going on here. Just as many activists — environmental, race, labor — pretend that we’re worse off now, or at least no better, than we were eons ago, I must tell you that all these posters who trash Wal-Mart, as itsme does, either have short memories or are in denial. When growing up, my family shopped at stores that marketed to the poor, and I can tell you that about half the time we were ripped off, paid far in excess of real value for goods, and the selection was so obviously inferior that even a kid attracted to shiny things could detect it.

I’m not in the business of defending Wal-Mart, but the company has prospered in a free market economy because it found a way to give people what they perceived to be value — and its enduring success would seem to confirm that their perceptions were borne out.

By Larry

August 1, 2006 09:03 AM | Link to this

Redneck: which is it you’re most afraid of, me or your homosexual side? Or just jealous that we live in AMERICA?

By dorae

August 1, 2006 09:05 AM | Link to this

I thought I would put my 2cents into this conversation. It sems to me that once you suceed at something you become a target for those who didn’t have the inititive to make something of thir lives. When I started to work many years ago you started at a fast food resturant or at a retail store as a cashier and you made the bare min. in wage. It is still the same today. The entry level positions pay less as they were meant to train people how to work. I eat at fast food resturants, shop at large supermarkets and have been known to shop at walmart and target. I also shop at pricer locations when looking for a specialty item. This is the way most people I know shop. Most of middle america don’t have a lot to spend on basic items and the larger stores have the buying power to purchase items in quanity and pass on at least some of the savings to the consumer. Once I learned how to work I continued working for a retail store while attending College. At that time I looked for a job which paid more. It has been my oberservation that the main change I have seen in the work force is the lack of customer service. I will pay more at a specialty store if I receive good cutomer service. I don’t want to pay more for goods when I receive bad customer service. You get what you pay for. If you want to pay less for a product or service you will probably have to give up some customer service and some choice in goods.

About the products being purchased from China. I try to buy American when I can find it at a resonable price. But it seems to me that the unions and now some govt. would rather out source jobs than give the choice to an employee. One does have the choice of 0 income or a lower income. I have a family member who lives in the northern part of this country he was working for a union plant and was paid 60,000 a year to shovel coal into a furnce. Another family member lost their job when the union wouldn’t make concessions so he went from making $0 to $6.50 an hour. He wasn’t able to find a similar job in his area as he had worked for the one other company that had job openings in his field and since they were union they would have had to pay him more than they could other out of work people. He would have been glad to cont. to work in his field at a lesser pay. But since there was a union at the new job he wasn’t hired as the company wans;t allowed to pay him the same as they would an employee who had never worked for them before. Thus he now is paid $6.50 and hour. And you wonder why jobs are outsourced. The unions would rather you have no job than one at a competitive rate.

We have less sucess stories in big business as the govt. seems to want to peanalize people who are successful. Sam Walton, Chickfila, Kfc, Mcdonalds, Home Depot and many of the sucess stories all started with hard work. What has happened with the idea that hard work will pay off in the end. The govt. and unions want to requlate everything so that there isn’t a reward for hard work. Bad work ethics pay as much as good work ethics. So why work at all. Let’s just tax success stories and give their money to everyone else and you won’t have to work for it.

Well I’m afraid I rambled some here but thats my 2cents.

By Jim Wooten

August 1, 2006 09:10 AM | Link to this

Heartfelt and informative “ramblings” are welcomed, dorae.

By Mark the Lib

August 1, 2006 09:16 AM | Link to this

Dorae, that’s your 8 cents.

By Mark the Lib

August 1, 2006 09:20 AM | Link to this

Two days of Wal-Mart Jim? It’s not that important. Wal-Mart does not effect anyone’s life unless they are compulsive shoppers or nutcases. We need a new topic tomorrow.

By dorae

August 1, 2006 09:30 AM | Link to this

Correction in my comment. The family member was making $50.00 per hour not $0 and is now making $6.50.

By Jim Wooten

August 1, 2006 09:45 AM | Link to this

Mark the Lib, a new topic has been posted. You ask, we deliver. The free market of commentary, nothing cheap, all high-quality American-made topics. And if the model works, soon there’ll be a Thinking Right franchise every five miles across America.

By Anti Walmart shopper

August 1, 2006 09:53 AM | Link to this

I am soooo TIRED of Walmart. I live in Gwinnett & I have 7 Walmarts ALL in a 10 mile radius of one another & I think that’s sickening, greedy & big headed of Walmart. And their customer service has become the WORSE!! anyway. I think it’s a cult of some kind.

By Chris Fleming

August 1, 2006 10:11 AM | Link to this

What I cannot understand, is you people shouting that Walmart puts the little guy out of business? How? All Walmart does is open it’s doors, you, your friends, family, etc, are the ones going through those doors and shopping and spending your money there. YOU are the ones not shopping at the little guy, and therefore he has to shut his doors. The only thing Walmart ever did was just come to town. The customer is the one who decided who should stay in business..

By Larry

August 1, 2006 10:15 AM | Link to this

Mark the lib: I understand your comment (“…does not effect anyone’s life unless…”). That’s not true if a Walmart forces its way into your neighborhood or your small store goes out of business in its shadow.

By Bob

August 1, 2006 10:16 AM | Link to this

What a bunch of cry-baby, help-the-poor-small-guy libs….just remember….all these big box stores were Mom&Pop places at one time….this is America…it’s called freedom…capitialism….I bet 90% of the people posting here drive foreign cars…why? because they can…why not support the big 3 who are closing plants? freedom! ain’t it great?

By Humble Wal-mart Associate

August 1, 2006 11:44 AM | Link to this

When I got laid off from my long lasting job because they got a new computer system and didn’t need me anymore, Wal-mart was hiring in my neighborhood. I been a Wal-mart fan since I can remember…it allowed my family to have “stuff” that I wouldn’t be able to afford. I was very proud to work for them for a while until I finally could see the flaws… Employees are disrespected and neglected so often that the relationship become abusive. And as any abusive relationship it is hard to let it go, associates are usually divided between love and hate. There is hypocrisy…and I agree completely with others posts. On opening day the store donated almost $30,000.00 to charities, libraries and schools…wow! that’s lots of money for most of us…but consider that just one store makes that in less than 1 hour. It is like going to the church and throwing pennies on the basket. I believe they could help more. Merchandise? Lots of junk I agree…but if you’re buying groceries or brand names there is no way to go wrong with the choice…and save a bunch. Why to pay double price for a Barbie doll or a video game at another store? I have found another job and was ashamed to put WalMart in my resume. I still shop there and I will always but I also go to Publix, Kroger and Target…We all need to be aware…keep competition alive and WalMart will be good.

By Markus

August 1, 2006 12:49 PM | Link to this

@Mark the Lib:

“By Mark the Lib

August 1, 2006 09:16 AM | Link to this

Dorae, that’s your 8 cents.”

As opposed to what, your liberal socialist neomarxist ZERO sense?

By Grayson

August 1, 2006 12:52 PM | Link to this

Living intown, some of us have yet to experience the “liberal,” anti Wal-Mart bias that Wooten says infuses our yuppie hearts and minds. Likely, this is because we haven’t ever lived with the Wal-Mart experience.

Things are getting ready to change, though, when the Howell Mill Road/I-75 Wal-Mart opens this fall. And liberal or otherwise, we seem to be of a very open-mindset about our new neighbor.

We in the booming NW Atlanta corridor have found Wal-Mart execs and managers to be very cordial, courteous and highly solicitous of our local input.

A local developer even flew to Bentonville last week to implement our neighborhoods’ many design and merchandising suggestions. We want an urban-minded Wal-Mart, not a load of crap. And so far, the Wal-Mart people are listening very carefully.

Wal-Mart knows this is a very vocal, very focused, well-connected, organized, educated and monied demographic (Buckhead/Midtown) it is moving into. Believe me, they don’t want to screw-up this up, because if they do, Wal-Mart suits know we’ll be yelling and screaming to the skies, and the powers that be, if the intown venture doesn’t go the way we want it to.

So we proceed cautiously and hopefully with our new Wal-Mart neighbor. No one has raised a huge poltical stink, and most on either side are being extremely open-minded and flexible.

There’s even an Intown Wal-Mart blog we’ve started where people can post their Wal-Mart thoughts and feelings. You can tell from the latest entry just some of the very hard work and effort put in by either side to welcome Wal-Mart, but on our own, locally-define terms.

http://intownwal-mart.blogspot.com/

As for “hatred” about Wal-Mart here in town… well, that’s just total BS… an uniformed, cheap emotional shot from an uniformed columnist.

If Wooten was a genuine journalist, he’d have been at some of our many, extensive meetings and negotiations with Wal-Mart in the NW corridor by now, and he would have been able to give you, the reader, the real “flavor” of Wal-Mart moving on up here in the City of Atlanta.

By Play that funky music whiteboy

August 1, 2006 04:58 PM | Link to this

Jim Wooten, Thanks for the post you replied to mine yesterday. You presented the evidence, albeit in a slanted way, but hey I did the same in mirror image. Now, your further points about the health coverage they are now offering - don’t you think the study and the bad press WalMart received had something to do with that? “Woops, we got caught boys, okay where else can we cut costs?” I know, illegal immigrants to restock and clean the stores… WalMart is in an ever escalating race to the bottom - when that happens, you see things like taking advantage of public assistance, forced overtime for no overtime wages (that is well documented among WalMart stores), turning to undocumented workers, turning over suppliers to lower cost providers, etc. One of the earlier posters hit it on the head, if you don’t like Walmart’s practices don’t shop there. I live in suburbia and haven’t darkened the door of a WalMart for 5 years.

By Jim Wooten

August 1, 2006 05:36 PM | Link to this

Funky, there’s no doubt that bad press prompted by the union campaign, and by union/liberal pressure on the Democrats to use government to bring Wal-Mart to its knees, has influenced the company on health care benefits. I think it has influenced the company to do a number of things, including courting environmentalists and prominent liberals like Andy Young, to quiet the left. They’re no fools. They spend money as the market dictates and right now the left’s campaign against them is a business impediment.

I would note that on the web site you cited yesterday the state legislator being quoted, Nan Orrock, was the House sponsor in Georgia of the Maryland legislation to force Wal-Mart to spend 8 percent of payroll on health benefits or pay a tax to the state. The bill never got out of committee here.