Dude it's been proven time and time and time again that communities benefit greatly from having a Wal-Mart move in.  The "small business" people are so fond of encouraging do not utilyze as many employees.  Sure they get paid more, but then there's more people out there not getting paid.  This means that more people have to leave town to find work.  That means that their profit is down because they have to invest more money in fuel.  That also removes income from other communities.

The way that you put it makes it sound like a closed circle...the money doesn't make "circles".  It doesn't go community to wal-mart to employees to community to wal-mart to eployees to communityand so forth.  The community does not pay Wal-Mart employees' wages.  The corporation does.  The benefit of having a branch of a HUGE multi-nation corporatoin move in is every store in the corpotration pays the employee's wages.  That promotes substantial growth within smaller communities at very little sacrafice to larger ones.  It allows a Supercenter in a small town to pump $2500 into it's employees every hour whether enough money to compensate is coming in or not...this is something else that's been proven time and time again: Wal-Mart automatically makes a community richer.  The Wal-Mart in Cleveland, TX, operated at a substantial loss for nearly 15 years, and the community boomed because of it.

Quote from: brett on November 02, 2006, 05:57:38 PM

at super low wage rates.

They pay $9 an hour here starting. Which is above minimum wage which I believe is like $7.50 an hour. I know, it still isn't much. But it's more than all the other big companies pay. Look at fred meyer/kroger, they only pay minimum wage. So I'd say walmart is better than them.

Seconded.  I never worked for minimum wage at Wal-Mart.  When I started min/wage was $5~something and I started at $6.50.  Within 30 days I was making $8.25.

Sorry Guys and Gals but Wally world is Evil.I will not shop there anymore.I've said this for the past 5-6 Years and I have stuck to my guns.I'm not going to Lower Myself to Roam thru the Crowds of Mindless Zombies to find a Good deal.I'm going to stick with the Smaller stores and Actually Spend my Money were it's needed at Stores Run by People that Need the Business.People trying to make an Honest living like you and Me.If I need some Rubbermaid Boxes (Walmart Actually almost Put Rubbermaid out of business) I'll buy it at the Dollar Store likewise with any cleaning Supplies such as Laundry Detergent,Dish Detergent ETC.More than Likely I get a better Deal There Anyway.Yes I have Even Bought Clothes from the Dollar Store.Most of the Clothes that the DS Sells is made in Africa ETC. and not China.The last Pillow I bought I got it at the Dollar store.Guess what it was made in the USA. If I need Nails or Screws for Work Even though they costa Little More I give my business to my Local Hardware Stores.Sure it costs more but for the Extra I'm Paying it's still Cheaper than Buying gas to get to Wally World.Wallly World Good for the Community? Hell no most of the Cities Give them a break on Land taxes for so many years to get them to set up in the Community.What does this do? Where does these Lost Tax dollars come from? Our pockets.Sure they may be bringing in Sales Tax to the Community those Taxes thaat I spend at the Smaller places is doing the Same thing that they would do if they were being spent at Wally World.
Please People wake up and Smell the Coffee Wally World isn't what you think it is.Just do me one Favor go to our local Video Store and Rent "Wal-mart the High Cost of Low Price" and "Is Walmart Good For America?".If you rent thru Netflix they Also have them.Or Go to Wally World and see if they have them on the Shelf.I haven't been there to see but something tells me that they don't. I actually went to the Walmart Website and Typed in "Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Price" in the Video Section and Guess What " We did not find any matches for "Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Price" in the department you searched,"

I have Known too many People that have worked for The Local Wally world and they were Treated Like shaZam!.They Brought Home shaZam! pay.I know of one Woman that had worked there for going on 15 years.She was Bringing Home $7.50 an Hour before Taxes.Did She have Insurance? No. Does She need it? Yes she had worked there long enough to wear out the joints in Her Knees and had to have Knee Replacement Surgery.The Money from this Came out of Her Family's own Pocket.When she Got well enough to Hobble Back in the Door to do Her job Again they told her to get lost.My Aunt worked there for 5 years.If someone didn't show up to take Over for the Next Shift my Aunt had to say and take there place without any Overtime Pay.Would you work a 12-16 hour Shift for $5.50 a Hour?One Day my uncle Had a heart Attack on the Farm and Someone Called her at work to come home.When she had a Chance to go back to work when he got well enough to take Care of himself She didn't Have a Job.If it had't been for me and most of the Neighborhood he would have probably Lost his Farm Because a) He Couldn't Work.B)They Didn't Have enough Money to Run the Farm on because she didn't have a Job.People you could Probably see it my way if you woke up every Morning during the winter Months to Go Pull Calves in 0 Degree Weather,Shovel Silage to the Cattle twice a day standing in Snow Up to your Ass and trying to get A brand new Tractor Started because its so Cold that the Diesel is gelling in the Tank.Did Walmart Send some one out from the Business to Deliver Firewood to them in their time of need? Did Walmart Send Someone out to help Pull that Stuck Calf?Or Help Grade Tobacco Before the Market Closed?No but some of the Local Small Businesses Did.

I'm no calling you a liar...but I have no problem saying that your family failed to read the employee handbooks and policies:

QuoteI know of one Woman that had worked there for going on 15 years.She was Bringing Home $7.50 an Hour before Taxes

Full time employees get 1~3% raise every quarter, depending on their performance, if they're passing their eval's. If she were only making netting $7.50 an hour, with no deductions, after 15 years, she should have been complaining, if not to the store or district managers, then to the home office.

QuoteWould you work a 12-16 hour Shift for $5.50 a Hour?

Not only is it against Wal-Mart policy to work an employee for over 8 hours (including a 1-hr lunch break) without paying overtime, it's illegal.  the only "out" is if she were a salary employee, and she would have had to been management to do that.  Also, she would have had to been a full time employee to work longer thana 7 hour shift in one day, or more thn 28 hours in seven days.  Anything over 28 hours in a week or 7 hours in a day is considered full time and they lose money and would have sent her packing before that magic number arose.  Having been a full time employee, $5.50/hr after 5 years isn't appropriate, and this, as well as the hours issue, should have been brought up to the disctrict manager or the home office.

Wal-Mart employees are also not responsible for one another.  It is against Wal-Mart's policy to force an employee to cover another employee's shifts.  The schedules are like gold at the dstrict and home offices and they would have had someone's head on a pike in the parking lot for screwing with them.  The absent employee, unless missing in action due to health related issues, and the store's manager at time would be the most immediate targets.

I'm not sure what wal-mart's policy on family illness, but I know that we let one lady off, on two occasions, for over a month each time, with no problem getting her back in.

QuotePeople you could Probably see it my way if you woke up every Morning during the winter Months to Go Pull Calves in 0 Degree Weather,Shovel Silage to the Cattle twice a day standing in Snow Up to your Ass and trying to get A brand new Tractor Started because its so Cold that the Diesel is gelling in the Tank.Did Walmart Send some one out from the Business to Deliver Firewood to them in their time of need?

Of course Wal-Mart didn't come out and help us...but you know what?  Neither did the local "small business".  We did the shaZam! on our own, what we could, and when someone DID come help it sure as shaZam! wasn't free.  No one fights your battles for you.

I've watched both of those movies and saw nothing but propaganda...looked like bowling for columbine and political flicks and shaZam!.

Quote from: makenzie71 on November 03, 2006, 12:18:58 AM
I'm no calling you a liar...but I have no problem saying that your family failed to read the employee handbooks and policies:

QuoteI know of one Woman that had worked there for going on 15 years.She was Bringing Home $7.50 an Hour before Taxes

Full time employees get 1~3% raise every quarter, depending on their performance, if they're passing their eval's. If she were only making netting $7.50 an hour, with no deductions, after 15 years, she should have been complaining, if not to the store or district managers, then to the home office.

QuoteWould you work a 12-16 hour Shift for $5.50 a Hour?

Not only is it against Wal-Mart policy to work an employee for over 8 hours (including a 1-hr lunch break) without paying overtime, it's illegal.  the only "out" is if she were a salary employee, and she would have had to been management to do that.  Also, she would have had to been a full time employee to work longer thana 7 hour shift in one day, or more thn 28 hours in seven days.  Anything over 28 hours in a week or 7 hours in a day is considered full time and they lose money and would have sent her packing before that magic number arose.  Having been a full time employee, $5.50/hr after 5 years isn't appropriate, and this, as well as the hours issue, should have been brought up to the disctrict manager or the home office.

Wal-Mart employees are also not responsible for one another.  It is against Wal-Mart's policy to force an employee to cover another employee's shifts.  The schedules are like gold at the dstrict and home offices and they would have had someone's head on a pike in the parking lot for screwing with them.  The absent employee, unless missing in action due to health related issues, and the store's manager at time would be the most immediate targets.

I'm not sure what wal-mart's policy on family illness, but I know that we let one lady off, on two occasions, for over a month each time, with no problem getting her back in.

QuotePeople you could Probably see it my way if you woke up every Morning during the winter Months to Go Pull Calves in 0 Degree Weather,Shovel Silage to the Cattle twice a day standing in Snow Up to your Ass and trying to get A brand new Tractor Started because its so Cold that the Diesel is gelling in the Tank.Did Walmart Send some one out from the Business to Deliver Firewood to them in their time of need?

Of course Wal-Mart didn't come out and help us...but you know what?  Neither did the local "small business".  We did the shaZam! on our own, what we could, and when someone DID come help it sure as shaZam! wasn't free.  No one fights your battles for you.

I've watched both of those movies and saw nothing but propaganda...looked like bowling for columbine and political flicks and shaZam!.

Well said.

It also sounds like a store management problem to me if they are that stuck up. Plus you can't make somebody work overtime without pay, like mak said, it is against the law.

and guess what, I work for a small business......

When I go shopping for something...I usually end up getting it off the internet. But, if I need to go buy lets say a GPS unit and I go to the store and learn about it, if a place spends time with me and actually helping me, I will buy it from them, and if something doesn't require me to talk to anybody I will shop around.

I think the whole Wal-mart is evil bit is way over played.
You wanna job?  You can work at Wal-mart.  They don't let you pee ever 5 minutes?  They don't let you smoke every 15 minutes?  It is too hard?  Too many hours?  You don't make enough money?
Cry me a river, Timberlake.  You can always. . . gasp. . . work somewhere else.  Or not at all.  I guarantee you the nerds that work at Starbucks don't make any more money than the Wal-mart workers.  But nobody says, Starbucks is evil.  I chose that example because it is as corporate as Wal-mart.  I think people Buddha Loves You about Wal-mart just to hear their head rattle.  Get pissed about some real issue in your world, not where someone CHOOSES to work.  You're not entitled to shaZam!.  If you can't make a living at Wal-mart, then quit and get a job at QT. 

nah...people Buddha Loves You because a wal-mart put their family's general store or grocer out of business...so it's evil.

welcome to AMERICA

if you don't like a policy or "way of life" then jump off the bandwagon and work some where else....

Walmart was a mom-pops store...why did it get so big....because it offered service and products...<That's the straight up fact>....some of that goes away when you expand to international levels and operate of a gigantic store chain.

ANOTHER THING
If walmart dosn't put mom-pops out of business E-commerance will some day. Even walmart will have to conform to internet consumers

one more final thing

Work for your pay, you want more than minimual wage act like it


I work in retail managment and I love the job. However I just can't take it when an employee complains about their pay, yet this employee is late consistantly, does not show performance or motivation gains in his/her work. Think of yourself as a company investment, OOOO BELIVE ME they will pay you more if you can demonstrate the ability that you are "worth" that pay increase. Retail stores have to make sales, to make sales they need employees to deliver service. I know at my store each and every hourly employee is given a raise every year, and every quarter there is a boat load of paperwork I have to fill out for my department as a review of progress, those who are exceptional in their work get a raise. So you could theoriticaly get 5 raises a year. And that's just for a "normal employee," a new employee receives a raise after 30days then another one after 90days. And the openings for promotions are eminent in retail.

Some Americans should read up on John Calvert's work ethics

Quote from: makenzie71 on November 03, 2006, 10:51:39 AM
nah...people Buddha Loves You because a wal-mart put their family's general store or grocer out of business...so it's evil.

Well, when they started selling cars it almost wrecked ma and pa's business.  Didn't sell feed anymore.  Had to sell tires.  Well, when the highway came through it nearly wrecked ma and pa's business.  They had to move up there by the interstate.  Well, when they put a median strip in and it almost wrecked ma and pa's store.  Access was right-in/right-out.  Well, when they re-zoned the land it almost wrecked ma and pa's business. . .

Ma and Pa just have to trust and adjust.  Adapt or die.  That is true and yes, Wal-mart may put some small businesses under.  But never feel sorry for someone because they work at Wal-mart.  There are plenty of jobs out there for people that want to work.

Quote from: Jake D on November 03, 2006, 10:18:22 AM
But nobody says, Starbucks is evil. 

Starbucks is sickening. Where I live, I can drive 1 mile and go by 4 starbucks. You can stand in one starbucks, and see another starbucks. It's stupid!

Quote from: Jace009gs on November 03, 2006, 12:37:45 PM
Walmart was a mom-pops store...

He's right. I believe Walmart is the biggest private company in American....isn't it...?

Ahem. . .  Stan Kronke.  Bill Laurie.  Both graduates of my alma mater (the University of Missouri).  They went on the best ski trip ever and met these two girls, the daughters of Bill Walton.  Now, they are both worth 2.3 billion dollars.  Well played, sirs.  I can see you've got a little Captain in you.

Something else to consider when looking at Walmart, is that they're starting to rely on "eminent domain" to get their land.  I don't have the #'s in front of me, but I recall Walmart (and Target/Best Buy/name your big box store) is working with politicians to sieze land so they can build more supercenters.  The rationale is that they'll bring more tax $ in than the local businesses or private home owners they replace.  Of course the government tends to condemn the land and pay pennies on the dollar for the property, but hey, that's big business.

I go back and forth on WalMart.  It put lots of companies out of business in Gettysburg while supplying year-round jobs to the migrant workers who came from Mexico to pick apples.  But they're also the only ones who carry this kick-ass wrench Srinath showed me and they're probably really going to help bring drug prices down across the board.

They're my last resort.

Quote from: MrDan on November 03, 2006, 02:59:59 PM
I recall Walmart (and Target/Best Buy/name your big box store) is working with politicians to sieze land so they can build more supercenters.

this would never go thru....

in beaverton oregon walmart is trying to put a store in, (the closest one is like 30-45 min away) which i have no problem with since we don't really have one, but the people in beaverton are fighting against it like mad.

Quote from: porsche4786 on November 03, 2006, 03:35:32 PM

Quote from: MrDan on November 03, 2006, 02:59:59 PM
I recall Walmart (and Target/Best Buy/name your big box store) is working with politicians to sieze land so they can build more supercenters.

this would never go thru....

in beaverton oregon walmart is trying to put a store in, (the closest one is like 30-45 min away) which i have no problem with since we don't really have one, but the people in beaverton are fighting against it like mad.

Unfortuantely it is happening in some places.  I'll see if I can dig up the articles.  One was in Wired.