This ABC News story about Wal-Mart brought to you by… Wal-Mart!

Disappointing, but not surprising. They’ve bought off a load of politicians and minority groups, so a news network is the logical next step.

Your organization seems angry and jealous because of a company’s success!  I disagree with your opinions.  Wal-Mart provides affordable prices for all Americans.  Though I purchase my groceries elsewhere, because I’ve found lower grocery prices, I shop at Wal-Mart for a lot of other merchandise.  That’s what competition is all about.  If Wal-Mart closed, prices would increase at other stores, then you’d be angry about high prices elsewhere. 
My family has personally been positively affected by our local Wal-Mart.  Not only are we able to purchase merchandise at a price we can afford, but our oldest daughter received a scholarship from Wal-Mart toward her college education.  Then, after her freshman year in college, she was hired by Wal-Mart for a summer job.  Her starting pay was better than most entry-level positions in the area, and they were willing to hire her even though she would be leaving for college again in the fall.  A lot of employers are unwilling to do that!  Wal-Mart has played an important role in providing for her college education.  Most liberals claim to be concerned about the importance of a college education, but Wal-Mart is out there helping to provide the means for many students to make this a reality.

Amen Jill

There are many Wal-Mart haters on this site. They are generally divided into two loosely grouped categories. The first group is the Loony Liberals. This is the group that promotes socialism and protectionism and does not believe in the free market. This is also the group that advocates government control over everything-until a Republican is in the White House. Apparently, these folks think government can do it better than the private sector. They are politically and economically clueless.

The 2nd group is the union supporters. They are also protectionist but they are not really on the socialist side of the coin. There big issue is not with Wal-Mart’s pay, worker treatment or supplier base. Rather, they are angry with Wal-Mart because they have not been able to unionize Wal-Mart’s 1.5 million workers. The unions are losing membership left and right and they see Wal-Mart as a quick way to make up lost dues. That is really what this boils down to: union dues.

If you do the math on what the UFCW would earn from unionizing Wal-Mart, you will get some idea of why they are so desperate.

1.5 million workers would each pay a $50-$100 initiation fee. That is $75 million, minimum, cash, in the UFCW’s pocket upfront. Then, they will hit the employees up for another $40-$100 per month in dues. That comes to another $720 million per year, minimum, in dues. All the UFCW would have to do is negotiate with Wal-Mart every three years or so and lose. They would still have the dues money to pay themselves CEO level salaries and benefits, build country clubs for their personal, ride around in limos and donate to left-wing political causes, not to mention kickback to their real bosses.

In short, this battle is not about Wal-Mart’s workers. It’s about their paychecks and the union dues that are currently NOT being deducted for the benefit of the UFCW. That is it.

Jill: You’re correct. Wal-Mart does include inexpensive merchandise to many families living on tight budgets, and this saves them money in the short term. But Wal-Mart’s low wages and stingy benefits for their employees perpetuate a cycle of poverty—many Wal-Mart employees simply can’t afford to shop anywhere else. Your daughter may have been covered by a family insurance plan, but if she continues to work at Wal-Mart, she’ll have to buy into a plan with a $1,000 deductible. In the long-term, Wal-Mart’s a very bad deal for families with low to moderate incomes.

Dr. Ken Stone, an Economics professor at Iowa State Univ., has done a lot of good research about the impact of Wal-Mart in Iowa. You can check out his site here.

Ben,

A $1,000 deductible is bad? How is that? You can get a high deductible and a low monthly premium and you can open an HSA to cover your expenses up to your deductible. If I’m not mistaken, Wal-Mart offers 5 different levels of coverage. Wal-Mart is not required to offer anything so people should be grateful for what they have.

If you think a $1,000 deductible is bad, you work for a union.

Wal-Mart perpetuates a cycle of poverty? How? Do Target, K-Mart, Sears, JC Penney, Federated and other companies perpetuate a cycle of poverty as well? They all pay less and charge more. Surely they, too, should be included in your attack, no?

Let’s find Nick Campaign.

1.  Deep in the heart of Bentonville (hades aside).
2.  In a cabin in Montana
3.  Retired in Florida
4-10; you fill in the blanks.

Contest is for 10 days - winner gets a dollar.

Ben,
You know you’re winning when they resort to Anonymous personal attacks!

Sorry about the typo.  My last message was directed to Nick!

I’m shocked to find ABC News running puff pieces about Wal-Mart to keep the Wal-Mart ad revenue coming in. Okay, fine, Wal-Mart helped the victims of Katrina. Thanks, but time to move on ABC. Time to report about Wal-Mart paying workers poverty wages and shifting employee health care costs onto taxpayers. It’s time to report about Wal-Mart bullying it’s way into small towns and discriminating against women.

Amazing.

No one pays attention to this site.

Yet one posts one new post ...

Then multiple posts ...

I shall (not will) post another post.

Um, so I guess noone has a problem with corporate sponsorship and influence of the news anymore..too bad.

I guess that makes me a looney liberal and a union supporter...oh, wait. I am.

I’m not ashamed of it.

I am also from a working class background. I also have a college degree. Yay college. I learned a little bit about media literacy while I was there.

Jill, I’m glad your daughter is going to college. Everyone who wants to go and has the brainpower to do it should be able to go. I don’t begrudge your daughter her job or scholarship.
But let’s remember that there are still many ways onto that path.

My union offers scholarship opportunities as well, as do many groups and associations. Even our federal government still offers a little assistance here and there. My wages go to a 529 plan so I can help my son pay for collge should he get there (I hope he does!).

Many folks who deride liberals also deride so-called intellectual elitists and their college educations in the same breath.

The unabashed truth.

I started at Walmart in April of 2003.  I worked for myself for 13 years.  I took four years to recover from a hip surgery.  I have two college degrees, and a bunch of other stuff that deserves picture frames that should go on my living room wall.  I worked for everything - I own nothing.

Now I work for Walmart.

I hate Walmart.

I love Walmart.

For 2 reasons - what is is - and what it could/should be.

I call that - the no spin zone.

The unabashed truth - having lived it.

P.S.

10 day Nick Contest Continues.

$1.

The excuse that Wal-Mart is not ‘required’ to do a variety of things is getting very tired.  Not being compelled by law does not excuse an individual or a corporation from a moral obligation to behave decently.  I am not arguing that Wal-Mart is legally compelled to provide affordable health benefits or a living wage to its employees.  My argument is, that as a phenomenally large and profitable corporation, Wal-Mart has a moral obligation to do these things.

This story does seem to be quite late in coming.  Wal-Mart’s efforts during the devastation of Hurricane Katrina were widely covered at the time.  I don’t know why ABC News, an organization with vast resources, is so late to the party. It is certainly strange that this particular story happened to run on a page sponsored by Wal-Mart.

Nick this isn’t Kmart/Target/Sears Watch so quit saying the same thing over and over. We are here to talk about Wal-Mart. Wal-Mart does perpetuate a cycle of poverty. They could do so much with their money, power and influence but they choose to pay inferior wages.

But why do people keep applying to Wal-Mart? Maybe it’s for the cool squiggly cheer they do...ah don’t think so. Since our economy is troubled, people will grab for any job they can get and since Wal-Mart is practically in everyone’s living room, it is an act of survival and convenience. People end up being stuck at Wal-Mart where the wages suck.

Wal-Mart’s record on poverty also expends to other countries where they enslave people to make sure prices are kept down. However, Wal-Mart will continue to abandon American even as Lee Scott says….

“One of my concerns is that with the manufacturing out of this country, one day, we’ll all be selling hamburgers to each other.” Lee Scott

You know, back in the 80’s I was working at a “burger flipping” job.  What really irked me was when I’d hear people who didn’t have jobs complaining that “the only jobs available were burger-flipping jobs”, and they didn’t want to do that, so they remained on public assistance.  Well you know what?  While I was flipping burgers, part of my paycheck was paying for these people to stay at home and do nothing!  By the way, while I was at that job, I was able to put money in savings.  If you work hard at those jobs, you will end up in management, and will make some pretty decent money!  Same goes for Wal-Mart.  It all depends on your attitude!

Maria

Let me repeat it.  Walmart is not obligated to do anything.  The labor market is competitive just like their products are competitive.  Customers can choose to shop at Walmart or go somewhere else.  Workers can elect to work for Walmart or not work for Walmart.  When they elect to work for Walmart, they accept the terms of employment.  Apparently those who work at Walmart believe that for them, Walmart provides the job that best satisfies their needs. 

Walmart is not morally obligated to do anything.  Individuals within Walmart may be feel some obligations to society, but only within the frame work of how their coorporation operates.  That framework dictates that they provide products at low prices and still make a profit for their cooporation.

True Story,

I could sit here an insult you all day, but I won’t. What I want to know is why you refuse to address the issues. Are you cowardly or do you realize you have no hope of matching wits with me?  All I ask is a little logic and common sense but that appears to be in short supply here.

Yes, I work. No, I am not stealing from my employer. Since my ideas have saved my company a ton of money, I am given great latitude. I do have routine, mundane stuff to do. It is boring and without a challenge but I do it anyway. But I also come up with great ideas, be it for a new revenue stream or a cost savings or a HR experiment. My boss has told me he doesn’t care what I do as long as 1. I come to work on-time every day (which I do-never missed a day) 2. Get my routine work done-which I do. 3. Contribute to the bottom line with workable ideas-which I do. 4. Don’t give out information about the company-which I don’t.  That is pretty much it. My style of thinking is very different from most people’s. I am able to brainstorm, throw out 30 ideas and run with 1. It is great and I am very fortunate to work in this environment. If you are miserable at your job, perhaps you should change jobs. Of course, public assistance is not a job. It is a way of life.

Now, will you please address the ISSUES and not ME. Thank you.
Good day to you!

Nick in Wheeling
Friday, September 30 at 03:56 PM

Now YOU Nick are so important that your employer overlooks you speading hours posting on this and other forums on their dime!!  I guess if you are making the company TONS of money with new revenue streams and all, yeh right, have not heard that since my days in cost accounting.

If you believe Nick is SO IMPORTANT that his employer doesn’t care if he waste time on the internet, then I have a bridge to sell you.  Next time your boss gives you trouble for not working hard enough just tell him you are brainstorming 30 ideas and will run with 1, see what you get!

With the above paragraph Nick has shown that he has absolutely no idea what goes on in the real world!!!

True Story in Real World
Friday, September 30 at 07:43 PM

Maria,
You said “Not being compelled by law does not excuse an individual or a corporation from a moral obligation to behave decently”. Wal-Mart is not required to do the following, they choose to do these things:
$17 million donation to hurricane Katrina and $3 million in merchandise
$6.9 million in scholarships nationwide-2004
$61 million in community donations -2004
$4.2 million -Teacher of the year-local schools
$6 million -Literacy Programs-2004
$5 million -Volunteer Programs-local communities-2004
$3.9 million -Childrens Miracle Network-2004/$300 million in
in the last 18 years
$7 million-Disaster relief-2004
$1 million-VFW
$6 million-WWII Memorial
There’s many more, too many to list them all. Just go to Walmartfacts.com and you can view them all.
I’d say they don’t need any law to tell them how to behave decently, they seem to be doing a wonderful job on their own.

Ben in NC,
You said, “She’ll have to buy into a plan with a $1,000 deductible”.
Yes, there is a plan with a $1,000 deductible. You forgot to mention the other plans available with a $350, $500, or $750 deductible. There are many options to choose from depending on each persons needs. You can pick from coverage for a single person, you+spouse, single parent+ children or you+spouse+children.

The cost of premiums can vary anywhere from $18 -$150 per pay period depending on how many people and your level of deductible.

People on this site keep saying that WM doesn’t provide health insurance and WM employees are all on state funded healthcare.What a joke-state healthcare/medicaid.  I know people who own their own business, make lots of money, drive brand new cars, own a time-share in Vegas and travel there several times a year, wear all brand name clothes,etc
and they are on TITLE 19 - State funded healthcare in Iowa.
Please someone tell me how this works?  Anyway, my point is the whole state healthcare thing is just a joke as to who qualifies or not, so for them to say the government pays WM
employees healthcare is really not a valid arguement.

Why are you all so mad at Nick? Must be because he knows what he’s talking about and you don’t want to hear the truth.

Thanks for the your information, Sherri.  The cost Wal-Mart employees have to pay for their insurance is LESS than we are currently paying!  Even if we paid the $150/pay period (which I believe is every 2 weeks at Wal-Mart), that’s roughly $300/month.  My husband is currently having more than $500 deducted from his check monthly (after what his employer contributes) for a plan that has a $500 deductible per person or $1000 per family.  And they have more options than we do. Sign me up for Wal-Mart’s plan! 
As far as people being mad at Nick, you’re right.  When they can’t argue the facts, they use personal attacks.  That’s how you know when you’ve won the argument!

Jill,
Sherri forgot to mention the new option of Health Saving Accounts that wal-mart is offering now also. This isn’t for everyone, but if your a fairly healthy person and only got twice a year for checkups, and a couple perscriptions, this plan leaves you build up a nest egg for emergency medical bills down the road and fight the soaring cost of HMO’s. With what I was already paying for a HMO(80/every 2 weeks), I can instead deposit deposit it into a HSA tax free. For the first $500 I deposit, Wal-mart matches dollar for dollar each year. When I go to the doctors, I pay 100% of the bill from the HSA till I reach the deductible. The deductible is high(3000), but that’s my choice. I could also go for a lower deductible of 1250, but then I can’t save as much tax free, plus wal-mart will only match the first 250. I’m sick and tired of paying 80(the same insurance is going up to 93 next year) every two weeks when I go to the doctor twice a year. I feel it’s better to deposit this money, grow a little interest and pay the bills dollar for dollar when they come due. If by chance I come down with some major bills down the road, after I pay the first 3000,which can all come from the saving account if I have built up that much, the HSA pays 80%, I pay 20% till I reach just over 5000. After that, everything is covered 100%. If I continue only having to go to the doctor 2 times a year and don’t spend all my money in my account, it carries over to the next year and so on. This gives me a chance to save money by being healthy. After I reach 65, if I have money that has built up in this account, I can cash it out tax-free. If I need to cash it out for anything other then medical needs before hand, I will have to pay the taxes and a 10% penalty. But this is still better then paying all that money to the HMO every two weeks, and then at the end of the year have nothing to show for being healthy that year. This plan isn’t for everyone, and maybe down the road it might not be the best for me when I get older, but being with Wal-mart, I can switch from year to year from HMO to HSA to other plans during their open enrollement.

And by the way if you haven’t noticed, the people who complain most about wal-marts insurance are the ones who don’t pay anything for theirs. They expect their company,or goverment or whoever to pay for every cent and that they deserve it. I know in our area, one of the biggest complainers about insurance our the teachers. Don’t get me wrong, I respect the jobs that they do and know for certain that I couldn’t handle that many kids every day of the school year, but all you hear before each new school year when contracts are do is that they aren’t going to pay a cent for their insurance. If the school board threatens to charge them even a outrageously low amount(10-20/pay), they threaten to strike. First of all, teachers make way about the average salary in this area and only work 9 months of the year. They get every single holiday and weekends off and still complain about what amounts to chump change to them. This is what is bad about unions. They get to strong and then get outrageous. I have friends who teach at a catholic grade school in the area and get paid no where near what the public school teachers get paid, just because they are nonunion. The funny thing is, is that they seem to be happier people and the children coming out of that school seem to be much better mannered and do better in school when they continue on into the public high schools. Funny isn’t it…

Steve, sounds like a great deal!  Also, it just so happens that my husband is a public school teacher.  I have no complaints about his pay at his current school (even though it’s never going to make us rich....he chose the profession).  The union (which he does not belong to) does negotiate their contracts.  As long as we’ve been here (8 years), there has not been a strike.  I believe our board and the teachers have a fairly good relationship.  In fairness to teachers, though, yes, they get holidays, and summers off.  Keep in mind, though that most teachers spend a large part of their evenings and weekends doing “homework”.  They do also spend time many summers taking classes for their license renewal.  Like I said, I’m not complaining.  He chose the profession (just like Wal-Mart employees can choose where they apply to work).  As far as the union goes, he does not belong to it for many reasons.  The 2 major reasons are the cost (something like $500/year) and the NEA’s stance on political issues.  He does belong to an association (which is quickly growing) that gives him liability coverage without all the politics at 1/4 the cost.  Some might say he’s “free-loading” because the union negotiates his salary.  However, he has offered to give to only the local to cover the negotiation costs, but was told he could not do this...it’s all or nothing.  I do believe Nick is correct in saying that it’s the unions that are against Wal-Mart because they would stand to make big money if Wal-Mart’s employees joined the union.  Keep in mind, unions don’t always mean more money for the employee.  At my husband’s first teaching job in Iowa, there was no union, at his second job there was.  The pay at the 2nd job was actually less than the first!  If the union would be able to raise the wages of Wal-Mart employees, most (or all) of any increase would go to the union in the way of dues.

Re: healthcare,

I find it really interesting that we as a society really don’t seem to feel that we have a basic right to medical care. This saddens me to no end.

Also, want to throw out that lots of folks in “burger flipping jobs” (and Jill, I agree that sometimes the derision heard in this statement is insulting to those of us who have actually worked them) ALSO collect public assistance to make ends meet. And taxes are collected on public assistance.

Rather than comment on all the comments I’d like to go back to the original story here which is more or less that ABC’s newstime is available to those with enough wherewithal if the selfsame would like to make what amounts to infomercials. It’s another example of what I would call propaganda and also an example of corruption in the media. Of course it also speaks to a certain corporation’s willingness to subvert what should be a sacred trust between the media and the public.

Larry said - “It’s another example of what I would call propaganda”

What is it exactly that you call “propaganda”? It appears so far that it is merely a word you use for anything someone says that you do not like.

Larry - “to subvert what should be a sacred trust between the media and the public. “

There is no “sacred trust”. The media are free to say anything they damn want to. We are free to ignore them. If they actually are irresponsible, viewership plummets.

I think you need a lesson in the “Bill of Rights”.

Personally I’d rather talk to the real deal than the disciple.
A disciple has already traded away his objectivity to someone else.

By propaganda in this particular case Mr. Disciple we see what amounts to a fluff piece doing an impersonation (kind of what you’re doing being a follower--or a joiner however you would prefer) of a real news story. Put it another way it’s a planted story--so as to get the right kind of reaction more or less advertising a point of view to some at least that might not suspect the same--who might be sitting in front of their tv sets with their mouths slightly ajar credulously taking it all in like it’s gospel--in between belching and scratching their heads. Have you ever considered by the way how a particular story such as the katrina disaster or even the Tsunami can knock other stories just as pertinent such as what is going on in Iraq right now out of the box--like it didn’t even exist? Anyway I doubt that you do. I imagine you to have a ‘favorite’ news source and at least a pundit or two and every day you try to catch the ‘words of wisdom’ that come dripping out of their mouths. That is the proper work for a disciple.

Why bother to “consider” that, Larry? It is all just information. As for “fluff pieces”, one person’s fluff piece is another person’s “hard-hitting news story” and vice-versa.

I used to have a favorite news source, and favorite pundits. That was a long time ago.

As for the ABC story, the real question is, is the information in the story true or not? This is the only part that matters.

Also, Larry, you are referring to an imaginary situation. I heard/saw/etc Iraq updates EVERY SINGLE DAY during Katrina and Rita.

You know, after reading through these posts I have a growing suspicion that these pro-Wal-Mart people (Nick in Wheling, Jill in Iowa and others) are actually employed by the Wal-Mart PR department.  Hey, it might sound conspiratorial, but how else to explain the time, energy, and passion they put to the task?

If you want the real scoop on Wal-Mart, read a great book by John Dicker:  The United States of Wal-Mart.

Rick

I posted something like this some time ago.  It is interesting that people who post with a little intelligence must be paid by Walmart.

I have also noticed that a large number of the anti-Walmart crowd are very lacking in any kind of evidence.  It is just I hate Walmart.  I also have noticed that they very frequently resort to profanity.

I can’t speak for the rest, but I don’t work for Walmrt, I just hate the misinformation of walmart watch.

Larry

A disciple is simply someone that has a belief who follows a particular master.  It may be based on faith or on evidence.  I have seen enough of walmart watch to oppose it.  It is not based on faith.  It is based on evidence.  The evidence is that walmart watch presents a lot of half truths and lies.

I do not consider myself a disciple because I am not following a particular person.  However, Nick is very convincing.  In spite of the many people who criticize him, he has his facts together.

Rick: My only “passion” is against those who want government to abuse its power by crushing business that they do not like. This kind of view is bad and evil-minded. For heaven’s sake, if you don’t like a store, don’t go there. If you don’t like Wal-Mart’s new bank then DON’T PUT YOUR MONEY IN IT. Then drop it. Stop with the crusades to get the government to crush a business you just happen to dislike. Exercise your own choice, but don’t force your choice on others.

The Dicker book is another hatchet job. His main problem with the company is that it does not force workers to join unions against their will. This fuels his “rage”, and on this he builds slopppy evidence and false assumptions.

I wonder who funded Dicker. Was it either the unions, who are frustrated because Wal-Mart workers do not like them, or was it the competition, who sometimes would rather do anything other than try to satisfy customers?

Rick,
like I said before, the reason that so many people that work for wal-mart in the stores and distribution centers are so defensive when it comes to the remarks made by anti-walmart people is that they acturally enjoy working there and are proud of the company. We don’t have to be paid by a PR department. We may not enjoy are jobs everyday, but that’s life. On the whole, I enjoy my job and the people I work with and the people I work for. I’m sorry if you can’t say the same about your own job…

Here is a list of things all of you should be concerned about:

all of you defined as;
a) WalMart (read: capitalist, free economy; successful; competitive; first to think of it; ‘that’s not fair-ist’) Bashers

b) Everyone else in society. 

Most of these things REALLY have nothing to do with ANY successful company - Domestic or International… look to your self and your GOVERNMENT to affect change in your circle of influence - ASK YOURSELF - What REALLY matters? And WHAT does that REALLY have to do with _________ ?!- (insert any public or private company here)

WHAT ARE YOU DOING about any of these (ASIDE
from BLAMING it on a corporation)?

1) violent crime
2) illiteracy
3) increase in medical costs due to ineffective TORT reforms
4) increase in medical costs due to overvalued TORT judgements
5) increase in medical costs due to profiteering in the medical, legal, insurance and pharmaceutical industries
6) increase in medical costs due to failure of government to do anything that REALLY makes a difference
7) teen pregnancy
8) decrease in the number of nuclear families with strong mentorship and leadership
9) increase in obesity
10) increase diseases such as cancer; diabetes; heart disease; that are a result of improper diet, exercise, health habits, etc…
IN OTHER WORDS: GET A LIFE

AND

- TAKE CARE OF YOUR OWN ISSUES (SEE 1 - 10 above)
- STOP TRYING TO FORCE YOUR WILL ON OTHERS
- STOP TRYING TO CONVINCE THE WORLD THAT THE ONLY SOCIAL EVIL THAT MERITS A “jihad” IS A SUCCESSFUL RETAIL BUSINESS
- STOP ‘hiding’ BEHIND A PLETHORA OF WEBSITES AND “front” ORGANIZATIONS SIMPLY TO FURTHER YOUR OWN SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC AGENDA.

BEN IN RALIEGH.....

take a trip to Gulfport, New Orleans, and any other site along the Gulf Coast and ask any of the residents if they share your sentiments (thinly veiled as they are) if it REALLY MATTERS what ANYONE says about WALMART vs. FEMA… or IF they CARE (even if it were true) THAT WALMART “bought off politicians, minority groups, AND THE MEDIA??!!”

How many of YOUR ancestors and descendants; neighbors, in-laws, friends, and members of every union local should I include in a “CLASS ACTION SUIT” for cancer simply because some of them MUST be involved in the production and commerce of TOBACCO somewhere along the line simply because both you and they are from NC?

ridiculous isn’t it?  yeah - it is.

Now Nick is losing his objectivity and resorting to name calling.

Socialist if we don’t agree with your assessment of Wal-Mart?  Politically and economically clueless?  You’ve think way too much of yourself.  I suppose you have all the doctorates and research papers to support your claims?  It seems that since we’re clueless, we must lack the education that has been bestowed upon someone such as yourself.

Wal-Mart is creating the working poor.  Ask those people who had to go to court over WM’s suppliers dumping product on the market at under cost.  Thankfully ONE manufacturer won; who had the money and time available to keep their U.S. production plant up and running while WM went to court for their Chinese dumping partner.

How many more production facilities do we need to lose to dumping practices by Wal-Mart’s suppliers?  And each and every time, I’m sure WM will not side with American manufacturers, but their in-bed Red Chinese counterparts.

As for the story at hand.  Overall I’d have to say it’s WM shto at a free infomercial (to steal Larry’s term, because I tend to agree with him).  Nice way to spin the events to their favor.

“Socialist if we don’t agree with your assessment of Wal-Mart? “

No. Socialist because most of the “bashers” advocate the government controlling people’s economic lives.

Nice blog.I like this.
Nick
http://www.yahoo.com

There is no need to “find” me. I have been very outspoken about my location and local politics. I live in Pennsylvania. I work in West Virginia. If you look at a map, you will see that neither place is anywhere near Bentonville.

All of Wal-Mart’s top people live in Bentonville and fly out to their districts on Monday mornings so you know I am not with Wal-Mart, as I reside in PA.

I work different hours and I sometimes post at work-during a break. I don’t leave for lunch. I stay so that everyone else can go to lunch. I am not required to do so but it gives me time to blog and such. If I can’t do it at lunchtime due to work activity, then I blog whenever I get a few minutes of quiet. I post after work. You will notice that I’ve posted on Saturdays-when I was off. I do not work bankers hours and so how do you know I am posting at work? I cheat myself out of at least 1/2 hour per day in lunch breaks but I make up for it in blog breaks so nobody loses. My boss would prefer to have me at the office and it makes it easier on everyone else, since I don’t each lunch anyway.

You know you’ve failed when you resort to tactics such as “Find Nick Contests”! Really, I should be worth more than $10! All I do is provide a logical response to the filth spewed on this UNION website. And it angers people so much that they resort to threats and such. Oh, well. People don’t like to hear the truth because the truth is usually at odds with their opinions. I use logic to ascertain the facts. If logic dictated that Wal-Mart was evil and dangerous and corrupt, then I would believe it. But logic says Wal-Mart is good for the economy-jobs, taxes, purchases, low prices, wealth. Logic says unions are bad for the economy-work rules, labor costs, violence, high prices, poor service, etc.

Please look at things with LOGIC not EMOTION. If you don’t have the ability to do so, work on it.

If you go back into the archives you will find that I have stated an opinion that WM has first and foremost an obligation to their own employees. This was in answer to WMwatch’s attempt to use this forum to browbeat WM into giving more and more money to the victims of Katrina. Whereas that is welcome I will reiterate that WM has an obligation to its employees first and that this obligation at least IMO includes paying them a living wage allowing them to afford some reasonable health care enough at least that they won’t be just dumped onto local, state or federal like many are being at the moment.

Apparently WM would rather continue to neglect their employees--give more money towards the disaster (meaning less in the long term in bringing wages and benefits
up to snuff) and try to score points in the public arena.
ABC is apparently willing to lend a hand. It’s a feel good story. Why this one instead of another? We should ask ABC I suppose.  One should point out however that apart from whatever personal or corporate donations that have been made or are going to be made that the only thing that is going to save the region in the long run is federal tax money.

In any case my opinion here at least to me has been consistent. Not illogical nor emotional. Different from Nick’s but so what. It usually works out that way but not always.

Jill, David in AR, Sherrie, Steve, Todd and Disciple,

Thank you for the support and for the logic. Many people are offended by the truth. Thankfully, you are intelligent souls who are helping to fight the good fight. Those of us who defend Wal-Mart’s right to compete in a free market are always attacked and accused of working for Wal-Mart. I will tell you, again, since you have all been so supportive, that I have no connection to Wal-Mart, other than as a customer. I am not a professional blogger, either.

It makes you wonder, though, if the people who accuse us of Wal-Mart employment (not an insult by the way) are actually stooges working on behalf of unions and trial lawyers, two groups with a vested interest in hurting Wal-Mart.

I stand to gain nothing personally through this defense of Wal-Mart. I feel, however, that one should not necessarily confine oneself to those issues that benefit them personally. A major problem in this country is people worried about their own self-interests. As Americans, we need to focus on the big picture and realize that our interests are intertwined.

Less government, more free market enterprise. That is what we need.

Thanks again for the support. Let’s keep defending the free market from the Marxists of the world.

Message to Todd in Florida,

The recent Darmouth University study examining the connection between tort judgements and medical malpractice premiums over a 12 year period found almost no connection whatsoever.

It appears that the insurance companies are gouging doctors and blaming it on the public. And everyone who is calling for tort reform will ultimately harm their own interests and not see medical costs drop one iota.

This doesn’t even begin to address the 5% of doctors who are responsible for 50% of malpractice suits. Todd, let’s hope you don’t have surgery with one of them, or you might end up with your foot in your mouth. Literally.

A group hug from Nick? How sweet. I had no idea you were so personable. And it seems from your speech it all breaks down to being exponents of free market capitalism (entirely in the hands by the way of the multi-nationalists) or its detractors who couldn’t be anything else but Marxists. And this is logical? Okay. If you say so. Pretty simplistic if you ask me.

Larry

I hereby include you in my group hug. Let’s hug it out! Seriously, there is a major problem in this country with gray areas. You either are or you aren’t. There is no in between in most cases. Bill Clinton led the nation down the road to the land of gray. Now, there is no moral right or wrong, only one’s perception.

Yes, detractors of free market capitalism are Marxists. Thanks.

If you don’t want to shop at Wal-Mart, don’t.  If you don’t want to work at Wal-Mart, don’t.  If you don’t like your benefits/pay at Wal-Mart, quit.  Go somewhere else; this is the good ol’ freedom-loving USA, where everyone has rights for anything they want to do, such as form a company-busting union that breeds incompetency, criminal behavior, and gimme attitudes (see GM about to go under, airlines going under multiple times, steel mills closed and moved elsewhere, etc.).  How many of the businesses supposedly harmed by Wal-Mart paid higher wages and benefits than Wal-Mart?  No urban myths here; I doubt one could find many.

Nick
by the way, I guess the state motto is true. “You got a Friend in Pennsylvania”.

Larry - “And it seems from your speech it all breaks down to being exponents of free market capitalism (entirely in the hands by the way of the multi-nationalists)”

No, free market capitalism is entirely in the hands of the people. The multi-nationalists are nothing unless they serve the people. That is how the free market works.

Larry - “or its detractors who couldn’t be anything else but Marxists. And this is logical?”

It is logical that those who oppose people having the freedom to make economic decisions tend to be those who want the government to make all the decisions....Marxists.

Magnus - “And everyone who is calling for tort reform will ultimately harm their own interests”

The only people who lose out under tort reform are lawyers and others who tell falsehoods in court and get rich from it. There are way too many baseless lawsuits right now.

Steve

The motto is very true. I have nothing but the utmost respect for those of you I’ve included in what Larry referred to as my “group hug”. Thanks for the support. 

I must confess that I enjoy coming to this site. I get so little intellectual challenge in my day to day existence. I can do logic puzzles and read all night but it is not the same as arguing and debating and knowing that I am in the right. I enjoy debate. Not the structured, timed type but rather a free for all. There is nothing more satisfying to me than to convert non-believers to the church of Capitalism. I am a moral person and I believe in goodness and charity and being a good neighbor. That does not mean I believe the government can take my money and give it away. The latest outrage (there are many) is giving money to people in New Orleans to rebuild. I look at it this way. If you did not have the foresight to buy insurance, you must rely on yourself, family, friends and charity. Tax dollars should not be wasted rebuilding a city that will continue to sink and will eventually be swallowed up by the ocean. We have spent tens of billions of dollars and massive manpower assets to try to divert the Mississippi river into a more manageable channel, with slight success. Given the effort a stretch of river takes, and the failure to completely solve the problem, what makes the government think we can shift the Gulf Of Mexico?

I am getting off topic here. Thank you all for the support. I hope that we can continue to keep the debate going, convert the non-believers and make America a better place. Thanks.

Although the U.S. is considered a republic, we are still, in fact, a capitalist nation. That means, $$$$$$ run this nation. I work for Walmart in an hourly position (9 years).  They (Walmart) have been good to me, not because I sucked up to managers, but because I WORKED HARD, because I CARED ABOUT THE CUSTOMERS! They do,(the customers) in fact, and in theory and in principle, PAY my salary.  Believe me when I tell you that in 9 years, I have seen alot. At the present time, we (Walmart) have MANY associates WHO DO NOT DO THEIR JOBS!  They DON’T CARE about the customers!  But I DO!  As far a a union goes, I WOULD NEVER JOIN!  Unions provoke mediocrity and the situation would get worse (as far as customer service).  I WOULD SCAB.  I would cross picket lines EVERY DAY. Yes, it’s true since sam died, some benefits went away.  But that is Walmart trying to pay dividends to it’s stockholders. (i.e.payroll is the biggest expense to a business) Actually, Walmart is doing a SERVICE to EVERYONE WHO PAYS TAXES.  They hire the burned out,stressed out people who can’t get a job ANYWHERE else.  They hire people who can’t get jobs ANYWHERE ELSE.  In other words, they KEEP PEOPLE WHO ARE BURNED OUT AND STRESSED OUT, OFF OF WELFARE.  Believe me, I know.  They save the state and federal government TONS of money.  I know this because I am one of those burned out stressed out people who APPLIED AT WALMART. 9 years later, I am satisfied with where I work.  The complainers and moaners are LAZY. I work with them EVERYDAY.  Trust me.  Lazy liberals.  Hell, I don’t even think they vote.  Pretty lazy, when one doesn’t even register to vote, don’t you think?

Debra,

You are absolutely correct. Even in strict economic terms, Wal-Mart gives us billions more per year than it costs. And they do hire many people who would not be able to work anywhere else. It is not my intention to insult hard workers like yourself. There are MANY hardworking, caring, committed Wal-Mart associates. And there is a reason why the union has not been able to unionize ONE STORE. It is because of hardworking people like you, Debra. People who care and people who know that there is no point in paying money to a group of people who do not work in your store, for the sole purpose of driving a wedge between management and employees and creating conflict and a hostile environment. Sorry for the run-on sentence.

Indeed, not one person on this board has been able to provide us with facts as to whether or not mom and pop stores paid better, had better benefits, hired a more diverse workforce, had lower prices, better service or more convenient hours. Do you know why? Because such numbers would prove to everyone here that Wal-Mart wins in every category. Multiply the payroll of 1.5 million people by an avg. wage of $16,000 per year. That comes to about $24 billion in gross wages. Figure in about $2,000 per employee for health insurance (this is why people say that Wal-Mart spends less per employee-they count total health care costs and divide them by total employment when in fact many Wal-Mart employees choose not to purchase insurance). Health Insurance costs them another $3 billion + per year. Now figure in the sales taxes, payroll taxes and property taxes. Figure in charitable donations. Figure in the money saved by keeping 1.5 million people at work. And figure the billions of dollars American consumers save each year by shopping at Wal-Mart. Tell me mom and pop can EVER compare!

Thanks for your reply, Debra. Keep up the good work!