States Face Massive Budget Shortfalls, Wal-Mart Still Avoids Taxes
An article this week in the Wall Street Journal reports that state legislatures across the country are facing painful budget shortfalls. Reporting from the National Conference of State Legislatures, the article’s author notes that budget deficits are growing as the economy weakens, and legislators don’t know what to do.
We’ve long documented Wal-Mart’s failure to pay its fair share of state taxes - whether it’s by elaborate schemes to avoid property taxes or by forcing a disproportionate number of its employees on to state-sponsored medical plans. Wal-Mart isn’t mentioned in this article from the WSJ, but it certainly deserves to be. The company makes promises to communities it wants to build in, and in exchange townships wind up footing the bill for store construction and forgiving Wal-Mart the tax money it owes. While this certainly isn’t a solution to nationwide community budget shortfalls, it’s one piece of the puzzle local officials need to bear in mind.
States Slammed by Tax Shortfalls [Wall Street Journal]
The stumbling U.S. economy is forcing states to slash spending and cut jobs in order to close a projected $40 billion shortfall in the current fiscal year.
That gap—identified Wednesday in a survey by the National Conference of State Legislatures—is more than triple the size of the previous year’s. It is the result of broad economic weakness at the state and local levels that could cause pain throughout this year and into 2010. Sales-tax collections, for example, have been hurt by the housing slump and high gasoline prices, which are prompting cutbacks in consumer spending. Personal income-tax collections have been hit by rising unemployment, while corporate income-tax collections have been eroded by falling profits.
“We expect it to get worse before it gets better,” said Corina Eckl, fiscal-program director of the National Conference of State Legislatures. The conference’s new report describes the shortfalls states face in their budgeting process for the current fiscal year, which began in July.
A separate survey of economic conditions by the Federal Reserve’s 12 regional banks—the “beige book”—said economic activity was sluggish across most of the U.S. Consumer spending was “mixed, weak, or slowing” in nearly all areas, despite the distribution of billions of dollars in economic-stimulus checks.
The beige-book survey also said companies are increasingly worried about growth prospects and inflation. Indeed, also on Wednesday, discount chain Costco Wholesale Corp. warned that its profits will fall “well below” Wall Street’s expectations for its fiscal fourth quarter ending Aug. 31. It blamed the speed of manufacturers’ price increases.
Unlike the federal government, most states are required to balance their budgets. Most have so far resisted tax increases, instead opting for raising prices on things like tolls and college tuition, and cutting back on services like education and health care. Some chose one-time measures such as tapping rainy-day funds that were built up in flusher times. That could lead to future cutbacks if the economy doesn’t bounce back in coming months.
The spreading economic weakness also is affecting localities, which are being ravaged by falling property-tax collections and a decline in state aid. In Minnesota, the city of Duluth plans to stop operating its Fun Wagon—a free trailer stuffed with games and cookout supplies for a neighborhood party. Other services, including a city pool and a fire hall, also are being eliminated.
Several state-university systems are being forced to raise tuition and tighten their belts. Regents at the University of California and California State University system have raised undergraduate fees 7.4% and 10% annually, respectively, to cope with rising enrollment and other costs. For a University of California student, it represents an increase of $490 to $7,126, excluding miscellaneous fees charged by individual campuses.
Virginia Tech is raising its tuition for in-state undergraduates by nearly 11%. “For us it was a matter of, ‘Are we going to take professors out of the classroom, or are we going to raise tuition?’” said Lawrence G. Hincker, associate vice president for university relations.
States are also reducing their payrolls and programs. Vermont is cutting about 400 jobs through attrition, while Tennessee is using buyouts and possibly layoffs to eliminate about 3,000 government jobs.
Social services have been hit hard. Ten states have made targeted cuts in Medicaid, while three have cut contributions to the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program.
Bonnie Laughlin, a 52-year-old resident of Hiram, Maine, who cares for four foster children, has seen her daily reimbursement from the state for caring for the children decline from $60 to $52.50 per child this year. The state has also eliminated money for “respite care”—when foster parents can get away from their kids—as well as reimbursement for recreation activities for the children.
For instance, Ms. Laughlin has been paying for dance lessons for her 10-year-old autistic foster daughter, but she’s not sure she’ll be able to keep it up. “It definitely puts hardships on families,” Ms. Laughlin said.
The Primary Culprit
The housing slump, now well into its second year, is the primary culprit. The decline in home sales has cut into real-estate transfer taxes. Construction spending and employment have declined. Fewer home sales have resulted in lower sales of home furnishings and washing machines, eating into sales taxes.
Of course, for many states, today’s budget woes stem at least partly from expanding their services during the good times and not planning enough for the inevitable downturn.
Meantime, states are dealing with shortfalls of many kinds. According to the report by the association of state legislatures, 22 states are reporting sales taxes that are below forecast. In nine of those states, the collections were below forecasts that had already been reduced downward. Seventeen states had a shortfall in corporate income tax, 11 states were behind on personal-income taxes, and 11 were also behind on miscellaneous taxes such as insurance-premium taxes.
At the same time, costs are rising. Over the past several years, many states have taken over more of their K-12 education funding from local governments, while many others have expanded Medicaid.
Many energy-producing states have been spared some of this pain, and have actually benefited from rising food and gasoline prices. Texas, Wyoming and Colorado have all seen job and income growth continue to rise, which has helped them avoid budget problems.
In Massachusetts, state officials are trying to close loopholes that let companies reduce their tax bills in part by shifting income out of state. “You couldn’t afford to simply waste $500 million a year by allowing tax avoidance,” says Noah Berger, executive director of Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center, a Boston think tank. The state says it expects to generate $291 million from its crackdown on corporate tax loopholes.
In Illinois, Gov. Rod Blagojevich unilaterally cut $1.4 billion from the $59 billion budget the legislature sent him in May. The state says it expects to save an additional $500 million through belt-tightening at state agencies.
Heavy Cuts
The governor’s changes include heavy cuts in spending for education and health care. The state plans about $600 million in health-care cuts, including making hospitals and nursing homes wait longer for Medicaid reimbursements.
Health services, among states’ fastest growing costs, are being cut across the country. Ohio is closing two mental-health facilities as state agencies look to shed $733 million. The state is also cutting a program that provides free nicotine patches to smokers.
Virginia’s funding for hospitals and nursing homes to care for the poor and elderly was reduced by $76 million over the next two fiscal years, according to an analysis by the Commonwealth Institute for Fiscal Analysis in Richmond, Va. Maine is cutting money for foster care, mental-health services and “flexible funding,” which social workers can spend on specific needs for clients.
“Our concern is the fact that the government has assumed responsibility for these things, and now they’re basically saying, ‘We can’t do it anymore,’” says Richard Farnsworth, executive director of Portland, Maine-based Woodford Family Services. “Now the question is, ‘Who’s going to do it?’”
It’s not just humans who are feeling the squeeze. Maine has already closed one fish hatchery, and the state isn’t expected to offset the rising price of fuel and fish food, said fishery biologist Forrest Bonney. “In recent years we expanded our stocking program, however all of a sudden we’re faced with the additional expense of feeding and transporting” fish, Mr. Bonney said.
Posted by Alex Goldschmidt on Friday, July 25, 2008
COMMENTS
big deal wqm avoids taxes.numerous other companies do it and why dont we hear wmw jumping down their throats too?
m att hew vantress in gresham,oregon
Saturday, July 26 at 07:05 AM
To much welfare & social service hand outs to those unwilling to work & pay their fair share of taxes, that and the burden of helping the ILLEGALS who have never paid any taxes have imploded the system. This was predicted years ago by financial experts who warned the U.S. economy would implode on itself unless something was done with the ILLEGALS who were DRAINING the system(s).
Now, all will have to pay for the stupidity of the few.
The States should round up all the ILLEGALS, seize their property and assets as back taxes and run them out on a rail. The Government needs to CLOSE & seal the borders to keep those blood sucking leaches out.
Marxist in
Saturday, July 26 at 11:22 AM
Here’s an idea > How’s about some new provisions in anti-trust law that limits the number of employees that ONE corporation can have on public assisstance? That could form the basis for paring down the size of companies .
ddrb in
Saturday, July 26 at 12:42 PM
Great idea ddrb. I say make it a provision of employment with Walmart or any other employer that if you are employed you may not apply for public assistance.
mary in
Saturday, July 26 at 01:30 PM
GROWING NUMBER OF STATES CONSIDERING
A KEY CORPORATE TAX REFORM
By Michael Mazerov
A growing number of states are giving serious consideration to a major reform in their corporate income taxes long advocated by state tax experts. The governors of six states — Iowa, Massachusetts, Michigan, New York, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania — all recommended in 2007 that their states implement this policy, which is known as “combined reporting.” New York enacted combined reporting legislation retroactive to the beginning of 2007 as part of the state’s budget bill for FY2007-08. Michigan included combined reporting in its newly-enacted “Michigan Business Tax,” which will take effect in 2008. And West Virginia enacted combined reporting as well, effective with the 2009 tax year.
Most large multistate corporations are composed of a “parent” corporation and a number of “subsidiary” corporations owned by the parent. Combined reporting essentially treats the parent and most subsidiaries as one corporation for state income tax purposes. Their nationwide profits are combined — that is, added together — and the state then taxes a share of that combined income. The share is calculated by a formula that takes into account the corporate group’s level of activity in the state as compared to its activity in other states.
By requiring corporate parents and subsidiaries to add their profits together, combined reporting states are able to nullify a variety of tax-avoidance strategies large multistate corporations have devised to artificially move profits out of the states in which they are earned and into states in which they will be taxed at lower rates — or not at all. These strategies cost the non-combined reporting states billions of dollars of lost corporate income tax revenue they need to finance essential public services, like education and health care. Households and small businesses, which do not have the opportunities or resources to engage in interstate income-shifting, end up paying higher taxes than necessary to make up for the taxes that large corporations are able to avoid. -(Center on Budget and Policy Priorities,updated September12,2007.)------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Note: There is a wonderful map of the U.S. on the aforementioned site which illustrates which states have combined reporting,have pending legislation,have no combined reporting,or have had it for many years. It also offers extensive info regarding the PICS and REITS that are rendered void by the combined reporting method .WalMart is used as a specific illustration re:PICS and REITS. .....Out of the 45 sites mentioned as having been cancelled,27 sites are in states that DO have,or have recently enacted, or are in process of adopting the combined reporting method.Only 10 of the states where the remaining 18 projects have been cancelled ,DON’T have combined reporting methods.According to my math, that means ,60% of the cancelled sites are, or would be, in combined tax reporting states.I have tried to be as conscientious as possible in compiling these stats. I certainly would welcome correction if I am in error.In NO way am I saying this is the reasoning behind WalMart’s choice to cancel ANY of these projects. I am merely making an observation.~~~~~~~~~~ (I origianlly posted this in Spring,2008)
ddrb in
Saturday, July 26 at 05:22 PM
Note: WalMart announced this spring(2008) a substantial decrease in the number of new stores to be built, far less than the projects total originally scheduled.
ddrb in
Saturday, July 26 at 05:28 PM
Their nationwide profits are combined — that is, added together — and the state then taxes a share of that combined income. The share is calculated by a formula that takes into account the corporate group’s level of activity in the state as compared to its activity in other states.
Can you imagine how much a law like that would cost Wal-Mart? The mind ((((boggles!)))
Our size causes us, when we do something inappropriate, which is usually done out of stupidity, to come across as being done out of arrogance. ~ H. Lee Scott
Ken V in Texas
Sunday, July 27 at 06:42 AM
I think Lee Scott slipped up. It should read…
‘Our stupidity causes us, when we do something inappropriate, which is usually done out of arrogance, to come across as being done out of size.’
SanDiegoView in WalMart: Your advanced payday loan dream job
Sunday, July 27 at 08:25 AM
Or perhaps another way of saying...."Our size is exceeded only by our arrogance.”
ddrb in
Sunday, July 27 at 12:13 PM
The reason I post that particular quote is because by my reading Mr. Scott gives moral superiority to stupidity over arrogance.
Not by my value system.
Burt Flickinger III, managing director of Strategic Resource Group, a retail consulting firm, said Wal-Mart initiated its ($4 drug) program as a “loss leader” to draw traffic to its stores and increase its business, but added it has not had as much of an impact as the giant retailer had hoped because of the quick response by competitors and because of the company’s broader marketing problems.
“Broader marketing problems”. You have to love the sound of that.
Ken V in Texas
Sunday, July 27 at 06:10 PM
“WALMART STOCKHOLDERS HAVE LOST MONEY OVER THE PAST 5 YEARS IN HOLDING ONTO WALMART STOCK”
WalMart (WMT) shares bought Aug. 1st 2003 at the best low 5 year price of $55.27
Dividends paid-
.18 (2003), .52 (2004), .60 (2005), .69? (2006), .88 (2007), .48(.96 projection) (2008)
Total dividends paid per share for cited 5 year time period $3.35
Best 52 week high to date in 2008 $59.95
Total price gain per share in cited 5 year time period $4.68 + $3.35 (Div) = $8.03
no splits for the cover time period
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Costco (COST) shares bought Aug 8th 2003 at the best low 5 year price of $29.22
Dividends paid-
.00 (2003), .30 (2004), .46 (2005), .51 (2006), .55 (2007), .30 (.62 projection) (2008)
total dividends paid per share for cited 5 year time period $2.12
Best 52 week high to date in 2008 $75.23
Total price gain per share in cited 5 year time period $66.01 + $2.12 (Div) = $68.13
no splits for the covered time period
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Difference of 8.48 times or 848 percent benefit in owning Costco shares over WalMart shares
Aug. 2003 through best recent high of 2008
Based on the 5 year time period cited and the $7.34 gain per share in stock value for WalMart shares you would have lost money due to compounded inflation even at the official Bush government low ball inflation rate declarations for 2003 -2008 (2003 - 2.27%, 2004 - 2.68%, 2005 - 3.39%, 2006 - 3.24%, 2007 - 2.85%, 2008 - 4-5%)
55.27 inflation loss = 1.25 (2.27% full year rate)
56.52 inflation loss = 1.51
58.03 inflation loss = 1.96
59.99 inflation loss = 1.94
61.93 inflation loss = 1.76
63.69 inflation loss = 2.86 (4.5% full year rate)
By the end of 2008 your WalMart shares would need to be priced at $66.55 just to stay even with official inflation figures over the past 5 years of holding WalMart stock. So far, even with the dividend per share from WaMart stock, you have lost money ( -17.27% after inflation and at$57/share [7/28/2008] not including the 5 years of total $3.35 dividend)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Based on the 5 year time period cited and the $68.13 gain per share in stock value for Costco shares you would have made money even with compounded inflation even at the official Bush government low ball inflation rate declarations for 2003 -2008 (2003 - 2.27%, 2004 - 2.68%, 2005 - 3.39%, 2006 - 3.24%, 2007 - 2.85%, 2008 - 4-5%)
29.22 inflation loss = .66 (2.27% full year rate)
29.88 inflation loss = .80
30.68 inflation loss = 1.04
31.72 inflation loss = 1.02
32.74 inflation loss = .93
33.67 inflation loss = 1.52 (4.5% full year rate)
By the end of 2008 your Costco shares would need to be priced at $35.18 just to stay even with official inflation figures over the past 5 years of holding Costco stock. So far, with the dividend per share from Costco stock, you have made money (88.36% after inflation and at $61/share [7/28/2008] not including the 5 years of $2.12 total dividend)
===================================================================
SanDiegoView in WalMart is SIFE business theology cult
Monday, July 28 at 11:43 AM
Historical experience is written in blood & iron-
Mao Tse-tung
Commander (a real veteran) in
Monday, July 28 at 12:52 PM
And so and so and so;
knowing they think they leed; they lead;
perhaps anyonmous these tears remain;
Once upon a time;
I walked this earth.
I thought; poor as i was;
i knew; and learned; firsthand;
everything.
Surely that was enough.
So.
And so.
................
Never this dream.
anonymous in usa.com
Monday, July 28 at 07:04 PM
Do you know what you speak.
Of baby bump bell curves.
And does it matter;
6 billion.
anonymous in usa.com
Monday, July 28 at 07:05 PM
So i did; look down; so i do.
Crying.
Of fools gold.
Of coal (saturated stone oil);
............
Platinum 2250;
Euro.
Is that what you need presently.
The truth.
To pretend you do not walk upon this earth;
As an earthly being.
Take it ; if you need it.
Anonymous in usa.com
Monday, July 28 at 07:07 PM
SDV,
“Best 52 week high to date in 2008 $75.23”
That would be fine, if you sold when it was $75.23, but, the price as of 7/28/08, is $60.35 or $14.88 LESS then it’s 52 week HIGH!!
But, now that the price is down to $60.35 a share, how many shares are you going to buy today, before it skyrockets again? I’m thinking of selling my COSTCO shares, before I lose any more money on them!!
RDS in
Tuesday, July 29 at 12:55 AM
“By the end of 2008 your Costco shares would need to be priced at $35.18 just to stay even with official inflation figures over the past 5 years of holding Costco stock. So far, with the dividend per share from Costco stock, you have made money (88.36% after inflation and at $61/share [7/28/2008] not including the 5 years of $2.12 total dividend)”
Try and pay attention RDS and don’t allow your love of money psychopathy to get in the way of reading and understanding.
“...you have made money (88.36% after inflation and at $61/share [7/28/2008]”
“Everything has its limit - iron ore cannot be educated into gold.”
Mark Twain
SanDiegoView in WalMart makes Costco look very very good
Tuesday, July 29 at 07:02 AM
RDS, why do you insist on basing arguments on daily stock prices? How many months ago did you predict WMT would top $60 soon?
Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. ~ Albert Einstein
Ken V in Texas
Tuesday, July 29 at 08:57 AM
“Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. ~ Albert Einstein “
That’s a great line. It’s just like the anti-walmart crowd telling everyone how Walmart is continue to fail every day yet their sales keep increasing and millions of shoppers walk through their doors every day. But I guess if the anti-walmart crowd keeps chanting it enough they begin to believe Walmart is somehow a failure, but oh how wrong they continue to be.
mary in
Tuesday, July 29 at 12:14 PM
...but oh how wrong they continue to be.
Is it wrong that Wal-Mart is still trying to claw it’s way back to the stock price of 2000?
Is it wrong that Wal-Mart has cut back on expansion?
Is it wrong that Wal-Mart is constantly sued and fined for breaking the law?
Do tell, Mary, what are we wrong about?
What’s good for Wal-Mart is BAD for America!
Ken V in Texas
Tuesday, July 29 at 04:10 PM
SDV,
““...you have made money (88.36% after inflation and at $61/share [7/28/2008]””
The problem is, I don’t have a ‘time machine’ and can not go back in time 5 years, to make the money you talk about!! All I know, is that in the past 9 months, when I bought stock in both companies, I have MADE money with my Wal-Mart stock and LOST money on my Costco stock!! I tend to deal in the here and now, not the past!!
RDS in
Wednesday, July 30 at 12:37 AM
I’m glad to see you finally put your money* where your mouth is by buying WMT. Your views of Wal-Mart, as well as most contemporary issues, are strickly short term.
If I were you I would take my profit while I could. Maybe you’ve started a new trend: month-trading.
*My hunch is RDS didn’t actually buy anything, Wal-Mart or Costco. Probably used one of these ‘fantasy portfolios’.
Ken V in Texas
Wednesday, July 30 at 07:46 AM
I’ll make this easy for you Ken even though somehow you completely missed it in the post.
“It’s just like the anti-walmart crowd telling everyone how Walmart is continue to fail every day yet their sales keep increasing and millions of shoppers walk through their doors every day.”
mary in
Wednesday, July 30 at 08:02 AM
...sales keep increasing...
There’s no denying, Mary, Wal-Mart is experiencing an ‘uptick’ but that only proves my point....
What’s good for Wal-Mart is BAD for America!
But like I pointed out to RDS, your views are strickly short-term. A year or two ago, before the onset of the Bush Recession, Wal-Mart’s sales were decreasing. In fact, if memory serves me, they posted the worst numbers in 27 years not so long ago.
Growth has slowed and more and more Wal-Mart depends on the razor thin margin of it’s grocery sales. Not to mention that a larger and larger portion of their revenues are coming from outside the US. (Not Germany or South Korea, however!:o)
Ken V in Texas
Wednesday, July 30 at 01:10 PM
Operating Revenue figures - Q1/year.
2005 - 218b
2006 - 308b
2007 - 344b
2008 - 374b
Yep, they’re DECREASING alright!
mary in
Wednesday, July 30 at 02:28 PM
btw, it boggles the brain how everyone keeps complaining about “Walmart riches” when they run some of SMALLEST margins in the industry. It seems to me they are keeping the prices low and making less profit thus passing on those savings to consumers. What margins do stores like Safeway work off of since I know first hand how much higher their prices are than Walmart.
mary in
Wednesday, July 30 at 02:31 PM
...everyone keeps complaining about “Walmart riches” when they run some of SMALLEST margins in the industry.
As usual, Mary, you’re not listening. I never complain about “Wamart riches”. I complain about Wal-Mart being a money-grubbing bottom feeder that is destructive to the US economy.
Operating revenue, smoperating revenue. Talk profit, specifically percentage of profit. Basically Wal-Mart is a retail strip mining operation that ‘processes’ huge amounts of low-grade ore to produce a tiny profit (all of which goes to Bentonville, btw.)
Sorry, Mary, I’m just one of those people unwilling to trade my standard of living for access to cheap underwear and toilet paper.
I don’t think you, or you friends in Bentonville have, the sightest idea what “Live Better"means.
Ken V in Texas
Wednesday, July 30 at 04:42 PM
mary,
“I’m just one of those people unwilling to trade my standard of living.” ~ Ken V.
Yep, that is what it is all about, what’s good for Ken’s ‘standard of living’, and to hell with everybody else!!
He still has a hard time understanding that a low profit margin + volume, is what took Wal-Mart to the top of the heap!! He still stands by the ‘old’ high profit margin model that was used by those that are now ‘out of business’ or at the bottom!! He would prefer a 10% margin on $100 million sales, ($10 million), then a 3.5% margin on a $1 billion sales, ($35 million)!! That is the same mentality, that can’t understand how ‘tax cuts’, can produce a higher revenue for the government!!
RDS in
Wednesday, July 30 at 11:46 PM
hey ken v you are too stupid and dumb to realize that the same cheap toilet paper you bitch at wm for selling is sold at your favorite high cost ufcw union grocery stores you continue to shop at and you dont piss and moan at the ufcw union grocers for selling the same toilet paper wm sells.ufcw union grocers sell the same toilet paper ken just for higher prices.costco ken also sells the same cheap toilet paper made in china with cheap labor from those same china slaveshops just at higher prices and its funny ken we dont hear you bitching about costco and ufcw union grocers selling the same toilet paper.explain that one.
m att hew vantress in gresham,oregon
Thursday, July 31 at 04:40 AM
Growth has slowed and more and more Wal-Mart depends on the razor thin margin of it’s grocery sales.
Agreed—profit margins at any of the “big three” are very thin; even more so for groceries.
As for “growth”, take a look away from your computer monitor, and you’ll find growth isn’t happening, anywhere (whether or not the current administration cares to admit it, we are in a recession, or something pretty damn close to it).
The trick (taken from Retail 101) is to get the customer in the store to buy a few consumables, and most of the time, they’ll end-up buying something else.
Yep, that is what it is all about, what’s good for Ken’s ‘standard of living’, and to hell with everybody else!!
Ken will get really far in life with an attitude like that, RDS—small wonder he spends all his spare time on the computer ragging on Wal-Mart when a man of his talents could be doing something more productive with his lifestyle…
Might I suggest an additional hobby—perhaps pottery?
...cheap underwear and toilet paper.
It was amusing the first time you said it, Kenbo—now you’re just sounding like a broken record.*
Speaking of toilet paper/underwear, that reminds me…
...you seemed to dodge Mary’s recent question with success (again)—since you’re so hung-up on TP, tell us, big fella, what brand are you loyal to?
Myself? I’m a Charmin kind of guy.
*I could care less if you rag on WM, since that’s the status quo, around here—at least try every once in a while to be original!
bbrd in
Thursday, July 31 at 08:32 AM
Before anyone in the “anti” crowd decides to start piling on me, I offer up this critque of Mr. Vantress’ recent post:
...you are too stupid and dumb to realize that the same cheap toilet paper you bitch at wm for selling is sold at your favorite high cost ufcw union grocery stores…
Stores? What stores? If I’m not mistaken, Ken lives in Austin—in that part of the country, his only choices are WM and H-E-B* (for those not familiar with Texas, H-E-B has something like a 60 percent market share in that state).
If Ken’s lucky, there may be a SuperTarget, nearby (who, like WM, has zero UFCW represenation)…
<i>...ufcw union grocers sell the same toilet paper ken just for higher prices
Agreed.
costco ken also sells the same cheap toilet paper made in china with cheap labor from those same china slaveshops just at higher prices
Ahem—I spoke of Charmin, earlier. Charmin, a longtime P&G;brand, is made at one of P&G;’s paper plants scattered around the U.S., not China.
As for the store/house brands, much of the time, they are made in those same plants.
*That is, unless he’s willing to spring 50-100 bucks for a membership at Costco.
bbrd in
Thursday, July 31 at 08:53 AM
To clarify…
Before anyone in the “anti” crowd decides to start piling on me, I offer up this critque of Mr. Vantress’ recent post:
...you are too stupid and dumb to realize that the same cheap toilet paper you bitch at wm for selling is sold at your favorite high cost ufcw union grocery stores…
Stores? What stores? If I’m not mistaken, Ken lives in Austin—in that part of the country, his only choices are WM and H-E-B* (for those not familiar with Texas, H-E-B has something like a 60 percent market share in that state).
If Ken’s lucky, there may be a SuperTarget, nearby (who, like WM, has zero UFCW represenation)…
...ufcw union grocers sell the same toilet paper ken just for higher prices
Agreed.
costco ken also sells the same cheap toilet paper made in china with cheap labor from those same china slaveshops just at higher prices
Ahem—I spoke of Charmin, earlier. Charmin, a longtime P&G;brand, is made at one of P&G;’s paper plants scattered around the U.S., not China.
As for the store/house brands, much of the time, they are made in those same plants.
*That is, unless he’s willing to spring 50-100 bucks for a membership at Costco.
bbrd in
Thursday, July 31 at 08:54 AM
If I’m not mistaken...
As usual, bb, you are mistaken.
...could be doing something more productive...
What could be more productive that fighting the Beast of Bentonville?
Your obsession with getting personal... ~ me
</i>My obsession?? Ha—that’s rich!</i> ~ bbrd
Ken V in Texas
Thursday, July 31 at 04:04 PM
“What could be more productive that fighting the Beast of Bentonville?”
How can fighting a LOSING battle, be considered productive? Most would contend it to be a ‘waste of time’!! At the rate your groups are going, you might be able to put a dent in Wal-Mart, in about 50 years or so!! In the past 2 years, exactly what have you accomplished?
RDS in
Thursday, July 31 at 11:32 PM
figures that ken cant honestly answer my questions huh?proving my point about him being a selfish hypocrite its ok for the costco and ufcw union grocers he is in cahoots with to sell the same toilet paper but i will only bitch when walmart sells it.
m att hew vantress in gresham,oregon
Friday, August 01 at 02:52 AM
As usual, bb, you are mistaken.
And you, my friend, are little more than some bitter man who lost a battle with WM and is out to get his revenge, 21st century-style…
What could be more productive that fighting the Beast of Bentonville?
Even if I had as much contempt for Wal-Mart as you, I could still think of a few dozen better things to do—for many, time is a precious commodity which can never be reclaimed.
At the rate your groups are going, you might be able to put a dent in Wal-Mart, in about 50 years or so!!
Isn’t that the truth, RDS?
bbrd in
Friday, August 01 at 08:24 AM
figures that ken cant honestly answer my questions huh?
Can Ken honestly answer anyone’s questions?
proving my point about him being a selfish hypocrite its ok...
Guys like him actually get a kick out of paying more for their TP, as it gives them a feeling of self-satisfaction in doing what they think is “the right thing”.
To each his own…
bbrd in
Friday, August 01 at 02:02 PM
“I can live with losing the good fight, but I can’t live with not fighting it.” ~ Leslie Bair
Ken V in Texas
Thursday, August 07 at 07:58 PM
Comment Policy
WalmartWatch.com reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to remove or refuse to post blog comments.