Meet a Wal-Mart Lobbyist: Breana Teubner

Nice Clothes!

Yeah… I’m thinking Breana gets all her clothes off the rack at Wal-Mart.

Screwedby: According to the Washingtonian article,Breanna can afford designer clothes on her budget sized WalMart salary,because her designer duds are VINTAGE,which is a nice way of saying USED clothing sold at RESALE shops. Gee,I wonder what would qualify as WalMart vintage apparel?

She looks a litte heavy, a couple of hours pushing shopping carts will help a lot.

i’d like matthew’s thoughts on this

There is an economic lesson here, it has to do with monopsony power. A monopsony is where there is only one buyer for something, contrasted with a monopoly where there is only one seller.

Walmart has both monopoly power, when it dominates the retail sector in a small community, and monopsony power when it buys enough from a supplier to be able to set the conditions of the sale. Walmart says it wants detergent bottles smaller and P&G;says, “by how much?” P&G;is a big company, but it can’t risk losing a customer like Walmart.

The situation is different when Walmart comes to buying services like legal advice, PR services and lobbying. These are relatively small firms, compared to most industries, but the best are treated as superstars. They usually have a relatively large number of clients, in different industries. They can’t take on more than one in a given sector because of conflict of interest concerns.

Now Walmart is a big firm, but its spending on legal or lobbying services isn’t that much different than any other large company. Losing this account is not the same kind of blow that P&G;would suffer. In other words, Walmart has no monopsony power.

The bottom line is that Walmart has to pay the going rate for these services or do with second best. I wonder how it feels to be on the other side of the gouging process?

I think she looks beautiful. And she must work really hard at her job to be able to dress so professional. She deserves to dress as she pleases.

Barbara: I suppose beauty is in the eye of the beholder.Perhaps you and Breanna share the same vision of what is considered beautiful,since she like you, is from Orange County,also,at least that’s what the Washingtonian article stated.

Why are you calling someone out for the way they dress?  In the Washingtonian article it said that she shops on ebay and vintage clothing stores.  It’s not like she’s shopping at a designer stores and even if she was that’s her business.  Don’t you have anything better to do that pick on this woman?

I didn’t see any of the kids in Mexico that are working as sacker’s for tips only wearing an outfit like that.

Dan; I think the kids would look kind of silly wearing that type of dress to work, especially the boys.  Besides, don’t they wear second hand [vintage] clothes in Mexico?

Hardly an average Wal-Mart shopper*, Breana looks like the kind of lobbyist that could get a polictician in trouble.

*The average Wal-Mart shopper lives in the suburbs, is roughly 5-foot-2 and wears a size 14.... ~ New York Times

This is in no relation to Ms. Teubner, per se,but with the mention of children,and Orange County, here is a recent news article that may be of interest:  Stanton father sues Wal-Mart in molestation
By DEEPA BHARATH, The OC Register
February 7th, 2008
WESTMINSTER – A Stanton father is suing Wal-Mart alleging that store managers in the Westminster outlet failed to protect or help his then 3-year-old daughter when she was being inappropriately touched by another man.

Tom Flood said in his civil complaint that he had to follow John Anderson, whom police later arrested on suspicion of a lewd act with a minor in connection with the incident.

Anderson reportedly touched and rubbed the girl’s lower back and caressed her hair even as her father was standing a few feet away picking out Cinderella towels for her bathroom, Flood said in the suit.

Wal-Mart spokesman John Simley said Thursday that he could not comment about pending litigation.

“But we try very hard to ensure a safe and secure environment for our customers and associates,’’ he said.

Flood filed the complaint in Orange County Superior Court last month. Wal-Mart has not yet been served with the lawsuit.

Flood claims in the suit that during the May 19 incident he asked the store’s manager to call the police, but the manager refused. The manager also told Flood that Anderson was the brother of an employee, the lawsuit states. Flood was forced to follow Anderson around the store with his daughter seated in the shopping cart, crying, until police arrived and arrested Anderson, according to the complaint.

The lawsuit alleges that Wal-Mart among other things, failed to: contact authorities; help a distraught customer; supervise Anderson despite knowledge of his conduct with Flood’s daughter; and maintain a safe environment for its customers.

Anderson is awaiting trial and has also been named as a defendant in Flood’s lawsuit, which seeks unspecified damages in excess of $25,000.

Flood, a single father, said that his daughter has suffered emotionally because of this incident.

“She is scared every time we drive by Wal-Mart or go in there,” he said. “She is afraid to hug other kids in pre-school. I just feel like she’s lost her innocence because of what happened to her.”

When his daughter gets scared, he tries to assure her that he would be there to protect her.

“But she tells me, ‘But you didn’t, daddy,’” he said. “And that’s been really hard for me.”

Flood’s attorney, Philip Putman, said he has seen an increase in civil molestation cases over the last 20 years.

“There just seem to be more and more predators and it happens way too often,” he said. “Parents and guardians must completely avoid contact with strangers and be very careful when they are in a public place.”

P.S. Is that a can of Pringles on the bar? Not one of your classier ‘hospitality’ suites.

Wonder what Ken’s comment would have been, if they were eating ‘Prime Rib’ and ‘Caviar’ and drinking ‘Dom P’ champagne?  Would he claim that they were abandoning Sam’s principle of being thrifty?  Hasn’t Ken always claimed that Wal-Mart should NOT even try to be ‘classy’?

ken v is just jealous,the only women’s head he can turn is ddrb’s

As a bright young woman who is working for a controversial American company Breana is undoubtedly aware that she can be called upon to justify her professional choices and subsequent actions. If asked to do so I assume she would answer all relevant questions. I’m sure that she will go far in the business world because of this strength of character.

It is rather unfortunate, however, that she must also steel herself against unfounded personal attacks from small minded people who are not familiar with her accomplishments to date.

Are you aware of her community service, her strong work ethics,her academic achievements, her generous and kind nature? Obviously not. Shame on you for being so mean spirited.

Beautiful women are always easy to put down by shallow individuals.

Breana, ignore the rantings of these people. Remember the concept of schadenfruede and stay strong within yourself.

mii: Kinda Sounds like sour grapes on your part,mmi.Perhaps because YOU wouldn’t turn Ken’s head.

mii;

Ken might be able to get it on with that velvetsrose person, if he gets her in “that thar congeecal visiten room”, she sounds like his kind of woman.

...she sounds like his kind of woman.

All women are my kind, Charles. As my dear ol’ grandpappy used to say, when it comes to women:

There is no such thing as a cull!

“The dogs bark but the caravan moves on.” ~ Arabian proverb

E Huber: As Ms. Teubner has been politically active since college, first as a member of the Young Republicans,and then on to three years as a congressional aide to Arizona’s Jeff Flake(just prior to being hired by WalMart),I seriously doubt she is offended by the attention being afforded her. That’s a big part of her job. But a high heeled lobbyist for a high profile,low class company is an irresistible combination for many to lampoon.It goes with the territory,and I would venture Ms. Teubner knows that BETTER than anyone of us here.

Hard to look completely inside-the-beltway sophisticated when you’re in a picture with a can of Pringles and a tennis shoe.

As Ms. Teubner has been politically active since college, first as a member of the Young Republicans...

Which obviously, was more-than-enough reason for WMW and its’ ink to pounce on her.

As for ddrb’s statements—she is a lot like an empty schoolhouse...no class!

bbrd: They say that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery-since you’ve been using a play on my initials for some time now,what does that say about your intelligence and class?

Last time I heard, you didn’t own a patent on my initials.

However, all you need to do is read between the lines, and you’ll know…

bbrd:  “ However, all you need to do is read between the lines, and you’ll know...” Assuming that I would WANT to know....WRONG assumption...REALLY WRONG assumption.

Well, for someone who claims they have no “interest” in what I have to say, you certainly prove that statement wrong every time I say something!

While I am flattered, let’s face facts, ‘dd—old gals like yourself who sit around and play all day on the computer while grinding your little axe against Wal-Mart just aren’t my type!

Or anyone else’s, for that matter…

I’ll even wager a bet you’re one of those annoying people who forwards 20 joke e-mails to a hundred people, every day…