Change is Coming Wal-Mart

Lest anyone think all the lobbying $$$ in DC were for naught, a few parting gifts from BUSHCO. To wit~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~: Last Push To Deregulate
White House to Ease Many Rules

By R. Jeffrey Smith
Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, October 31, 2008

The White House is working to enact a wide array of federal regulations, many of which would weaken government rules aimed at protecting consumers and the environment, before President Bush leaves office in January.

The new rules would be among the most controversial deregulatory steps of the Bush era and could be difficult for his successor to undo. Some would ease or lift constraints on private industry, including power plants, mines and farms.

Those and other regulations would help clear obstacles to some commercial ocean-fishing activities, ease controls on emissions of pollutants that contribute to global warming, relax drinking-water standards and lift a key restriction on mountaintop coal mining.

Once such rules take effect, they typically can be undone only through a laborious new regulatory proceeding, including lengthy periods of public comment, drafting and mandated reanalysis.

“They want these rules to continue to have an impact long after they leave office,” said Matthew Madia, a regulatory expert at OMB Watch, a nonprofit group critical of what it calls the Bush administration’s penchant for deregulating in areas where industry wants more freedom. He called the coming deluge “a last-minute assault on the public . . . happening on multiple fronts.”

White House spokesman Tony Fratto said:..” Yes, we’d prefer our regulations stand for a very long time—they’re well reasoned and are being considered with the best interests of the nation in mind.”

As many as 90 new regulations are in the works, and at least nine of them are considered “economically significant” because they impose costs or promote societal benefits that exceed $100 million annually. They include new rules governing employees who take family- and medical-related leaves, new standards for preventing or containing oil spills, and a simplified process for settling real estate transactions.

In some cases, Bush’s regulations reflect new interpretations of language in federal laws. In other cases, such as several new counterterrorism initiatives, they reflect new executive branch decisions in areas where Congress—now out of session and focused on the elections—left the president CONSIDERABLE discretion.

The burst of activity has made this a busy period for lobbyists who fear that industry views will hold less sway after the elections. The doors at the New Executive Office Building have been WHIRLING with corporate officials and advisers pleading for relief or, in many cases, for hastened decision making.[cont.]

According to the Office of Management and Budget’s regulatory calendar, the commercial scallop-fishing industry came in two weeks ago to urge that proposed catch limits be eased, nearly bumping into National Mining Association officials making the case for easing rules meant to keep coal slurry waste out of Appalachian streams. A few days earlier, lawyers for kidney dialysis and biotechnology companies registered their complaints at the OMB about new Medicare reimbursement rules.

A rule put forward by the National Marine Fisheries Service and now under final review by the OMB would lift a requirement that environmental impact statements be prepared for certain fisheries-management decisions .An Alaska commercial fishing source, granted anonymity so he could speak candidly about private conversations, said that senior administration officials promised to “get the rule done by the end of this month” and that the outcome would be a BIG improvement.[You betcha!]

Lee Crockett of the Pew Charitable Trusts’ Environment Group said the administration has received 194,000 public comments on the rule and protests from 80 members of Congress as well as 160 conservation groups. “This thing is fatally flawed” as well as “wildly unpopular,” Crockett said.

Two other rules nearing completion would ease limits on pollution from power plants, a major energy industry goal for the past eight years that is STRENUOUSLY opposed by Democratic lawmakers and environmental groups.

One rule, being pursued over OPPOSITION WITHIN the Environmental Protection Agency, would allow millions of tons of additional carbon dioxide into the atmosphere annually, worsening global warming.

A related regulation would ease limits on emissions from coal-fired power plants near national parks.

A third rule would allow increased emissions from oil refineries, chemical factories and other industrial plants.
These rules “will force Americans to choke on dirtier air for years to come, unless Congress or the new administration reverses these eleventh-hour abuses,” said lawyer John Walke of the Natural Resources Defense Council.

But Scott H. Segal, a Washington lawyer and chief spokesman for the Electric Reliability Coordinating Council, said. he is optimistic that the new rule will help keep citizens’ lawsuits from obstructing new technologies.~~~~~NOTE: WalMart has been fined millions for violation of Clean Air Act with the idling of its fleet vehicles,in violation of anti-idling laws.

NOTE: The above article via Democratic Underground.

If I may, I’d like to add another resource I just recently found, to “keep on top” of legislation concerning issues impacting the backbone of the American economy-the middle class.To wit:~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ TheMiddleClass.org
Since 2003, the non-partisan Drum Major Institute for Public Policy (DMI) has issued annual scorecards analyzing the impact of domestic legislation on America’s current and aspiring middle class, and evaluating Members of Congress based on their votes on this legislation.

And so we’ve created themiddleclass.org, a dynamic site that will update throughout the year as members of Congress vote on legislation of significance to the current and aspiring middle class.

On TheMiddleClass.org, you will find DMI’s analyses of bills that would have a significant impact (positive or negative) on the squeezed middle class, as well as on the aspirations of low-income Americans who want to work their way into the middle class.  Notable bills that have not yet been voted on are briefly discussed in the “Pending Legislation” section~~~~TheMiddleClass.org

company sucks

randomly invasions of privacy through urine

Oh NO! http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/06/business/06shopping.html?hp

I’ve already pleaded to my friends and family not to shop there this Christmas… Will you all do the same?

I personally am a Wal-Mart boycotter, M, but there are lots of families that can’t afford to shop anywhere but Wal-Mart. To those of you that must shop there, keep this in mind:

Wal-Mart will cut prices every week until Christmas

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Wal-Mart Stores Inc will be introducing new rounds of price cuts every week until Christmas as the world’s largest retailer reaches out and appeals to cash-strapped shoppers looking to stretch their holiday budgets.

The moral of the story is wait until the last possible moment or you may pay too much. Be patient! Make Wal-Mart have the lowest price. Hold the Beast’s feet to the fire!

Live Better In Cheap (Lead Free) Underwear

Speaking of Christmas Shopping & Choices- My choice will be Sears at least for a few thing1 Check this out:

I know I needed this reminder since Sears isn’t always my first choice. Amazing when you think of how long the war has lasted and they haven’t withdrawn from their commitment. Could we each buy at least one thing at Sears this year?

How does Sears treat its employees who are called up for military duty? By law, they are required to hold their jobs open and available, but nothing more. Usually, people take a big pay cut and lose benefits as a result of being called up.

Sears is voluntarily paying the difference in salaries and maintaining all benefits, including medical insurance and bonus programs, for all called up reservist employees for up to two years.

I submit that Sears is an exemplary corporate citizen and should be recognized for its contribution. I suggest we all shop at Sears, and be sure to find a manager to tell them why we are there so the company gets the positive reinforcement it well deserves.

Pass it on.

I Decided to check this before I sent it forward. So I sent the following e-mail to the Sears Customer Service Department:

I received this e-mail and I would like to know if it is true. If it is, the Internet may have just become one very good source of advertisement for your company. I know I would go out of my way to buy products from Sears instead of another store for a like item, even if it’s cheaper at that store..

This is their answer to my e-mail:

Dear Customer:

Thank you for contacting Sears.The information is factual. We appreciate your positive feedback..

Sears regards service to our country as one of greatest sacrifices our young men and women can make. We are happy to do our part to lessen the burden they bear at this time.

Bill Thorn
Sears Customer Care
webcenter@sears.com
1-800-349-4358

Please pass this on to all your friends. Sears needs to be recognized for this outstanding contribution and we need to show them as Americans, we do appreciate what they are doing for our military!!!

It’s verified ! By Snopes.com at:

http://www.snopes.com/politics/military/sears.asp

68% of Middle Class Supports the Employee Free Choice Act
America’s middle class wants to grow.  That’s the message from a new nationwide poll that shows a clear majority of the middle class supports the Employee Free Choice Act.

Overall, 68% of middle-class adults would have liked their representative in the U.S. House to vote for the bill.  Specifically, 80% of Democrats, 60% of Republicans, and 59% of Independents polled were in favor of their representatives voting for the bill.

American Rights at Work Executive Director Mary Beth Maxwell put the poll in perspective:

“This new poll reinforces that a clear majority of Americans - be they Democrats, Independents, or Republicans - want policies like the Employee Free Choice Act that will help working families struggling in this economy. [...] Momentum for the Employee Free Choice Act is real and while anti-union corporations and their front groups are spending millions to mislead the public, Americans aren’t buying it.”

It shouldn’t be any mystery why the middle class supports the Employee Free Choice Act.  The bill would help level the playing field to give workers the freedom to choose to join a union, so they can earn better wages and benefits and have greater opportunity towards achieving the American Dream.

In its description of the poll results, the Drum Major Institute (DMI) includes this interesting tidbit:
And,60% of middle-class Republicans, and an even higher proportion of Democrats and independents, support the legislation. 

The middle class is ahead of even its own representatives in realizing how we can jump-start our economy.  Let’s make sure Congress gets the message in 2009.

For more information on DMI’s first annual survey on the Middle Class and Public Policy, visit http:// www.drummajorinstitute.org/2008middleclasspoll.

Michele: Thanks for the info! I “heart” Sears[and KMart.] Sears[and KMart] are ALWAYS at the top of my shopping list. An American institution and a family tradition that SHOULD be honored-just like those serving honorably in the military forces. Here’s a case of putting purpose before profitabilty. Let’s ALL pass it on!

P.S.:  I seem to recall ANOTHER policy adopted by KMart-they quit selling ammo several years back,after the Columbine incident. Of course that was before Sears and KMart joined forces, but it does exhibit a shared sense of corporate flexibilty, responsibility and respondABILTY to the events that shape and shift our country and our world.

ddrb,

“but it does exhibit a shared sense of corporate flexibilty, responsibility and respondABILTY to the events that shape and shift our country and our world.”

Under your theory, it would be great for a business, to stop selling anything that could HARM people, so, if you ran a store and sold ONLY things that couldn’t HARM people, your store would be EMPTY, because “everything” could be misused in a way that HARM could result!!

Examples:  A kitchen knife could be used to stab people, or a ‘belt’ could be used to strangle people, or a coconut could be used to bash someone in the head, or ‘peanut butter’ could be used to ‘choke’ someone who is alergic to peanuts!!

Tell me, has the government’s responsibility, by making ‘gambling’ and ‘drugs’ illegal, stopped people from ‘gambling’ and ‘using drugs’?  Did ‘prohibition’ stop people from drinking alcohol?  In fact, it made things worse and ‘crime’ flourished!!

K-Mart, stopping selling ammo, has had zero impact towards ‘shaping and shifting our country and our world’!!  Responsiblity has to come from PEOPLE, not business!!

RDS: Then explain to me WalMart’s position on selling the morning after pill in its pharmacies. Is it the government’s or WalMart’s responsibilty or place to invade a woman’s reproductive rights?

ddrb,

“Then explain to me WalMart’s position on selling the morning after pill in its pharmacies.”

I don’t know what their position is!!  If they sell the pill, then it is up to the customer to decide whether or not they will buy it!!  If they don’t sell it, as long as it is available elsewhere, I don’t see where there is a problem!!

“Is it the government’s or WalMart’s responsibilty or place to invade a woman’s reproductive rights?”

As far as I can say, it should NOT be either the government’s nor Wal-Mart’s responsiblilty or place, that should be purely the responsiblilty of the woman!!  As long as neither the government nor Wal-Mart totally restrict a woman’s ability to obtain those pills, what’s the problem?  If they can’t get them at Wal-Mart, but Can get them at Walgreen’s, Wal-Mart should be allowed to stock ONLY the products they choose!!

Tell me this, what would you say, if the government required K-Mart to stock and sell ammo?  Shouldn’t it be the right of any store to determine what they will and will not sell?

RDS: So WHY do the Rght-wing nut jobs run on platforms to repeal Roe v. Wade,and WHY do the pro-life folks ALWAYS seem to be FOR war? Isn’t life as sacred outside the womb.than inside the womb?

Isn’t life as sacred outside the womb.than inside the womb?

The distinction I hear the Right Wing make is innocent life. Once you’ve sinned, you can be killed for your own good.

“There is no perceived risk in attacking Wal-Mart anymore. They have gone from being a business success story to being a cultural villain.” ~ Eric Dezenhall

Ken V; Oh,yes. Original sin. ..just being born,you’re already a sinner.That’s what Baptism is supposed to be for,right?[Or as a politico once said,paraphrasing here-"Don’t kill ‘em in the womb, save ‘em for the battlefield”.]

“Isn’t life as sacred outside the womb than inside the womb?”

“Don’t kill ‘em in the womb, save ‘em for wage slaves at WalMart.”

WalMart- Slave More. Live Better?

ddrb,

“RDS: So WHY do the Rght-wing nut jobs run on platforms to repeal Roe v. Wade,and WHY do the pro-life folks ALWAYS seem to be FOR war? Isn’t life as sacred outside the womb.than inside the womb?”

Don’t ask me, I don’t think that way!!  All I can say, is that hypocricy is an ‘across the board’ thing, with confused people all over the place!!  Mostly, it comes from things like religion and politics and some people telling others ‘How to live’ their lives!!  My thinking is, ‘Don’t complain, work it out’, but, if you need help, ask for help, but, don’t expect to have it DONE for you!!  You can’t help people who don’t try to help themselves!!

ddrb,

Maybe, it’s this:

“Isn’t life as sacred outside the womb than inside the womb?”

Life inside the womb, has NO say on whether they live or not, that is up to others ‘outside’ of the womb (with abortion), but, with WAR and a ‘volunteer’ Military, Life gets to choose whether or not they are willing to put themselves in harm’s way!!  Notice: Almost everyone agrees on protecting “Life”, from birth to adulthood!!

Life inside the womb, has NO say on whether they live or not, that is up to others ‘outside’ of the womb (with abortion), but, with WAR.. RDS: ~~~~~~~~~The children still in the wombs of Iraqi women certainly have had NO choice ,have they? Nor did the Vietnamese children bayoneted while still in their mothers womb. Don’t they count? Where’s the right to life,there?

ddrb,

“The children still in the wombs of Iraqi women certainly have had NO choice ,have they? Nor did the Vietnamese children bayoneted while still in their mothers womb. Don’t they count? Where’s the right to life,there?”

In the cases you are making, there become tradeoffs, as for Iraq, what about the KURD children in the ‘womb’, whose mothers were poison gased by Saddom, and in Viet Nam, the pergnant women killed by the Viet Cong?  Then, there were all the Jewish pregnant women gased by Hitler, should we have stayed out of that?  And, how about what Saddam did in Kuwait to all those women there?

But, with your constant ‘pity’ for the ‘bad guys’, it’s no wonder you constantly criticize what America does!!

And it is no wonder you are a caricature, a monstrous cartoon, of the very worst in a human being.