Vallejo, CA. Op-Ed: Council Not To Blame for Wal-Mart Pull Out

Wal-Mart: Council not at fault [Times Herald (Calif.)]

I would like to thank Michael Wilson for his questions of the treasury report at a recent city council meeting. While I may disagree with Councilmember Wilson on certain issues facing the city, I wholeheartedly agree with his position on city investments in Wal-Mart.

Many uninformed citizens think that Wal-Mart has not opened in the city of Vallejo because of council actions. On the contrary, Wal-Mart has had ap-proval of the council to proceed with their project since November of 2006. They have had a negotiated agreement for an EIR consultant since last June. They have not gone forward with their project for reasons that are unknown to the residents of Vallejo.

Councilmember Wilson asked staff at the meeting if it was wise to invest in a company that has abandoned Vallejo and hurt our already precarious finances. I would add to the council member’s concerns and ask if it is wise that we invest in a company that is trying to strangle our growth and hold us hostage. Wal-Mart’s delays have hurt our chances with other retailers. If you add in the costs of Wal-Mart’s delaying tactics with the subsidies they require for their employees, then I would think it extremely unwise to invest in this company.

I ask other council members to join Councilmember Wilson and draft rules that withdraw city funds from companies that damage our local economy. Let us put our investments in companies that help Vallejo, pay living wages and benefits, hire locally and improve our community. We will all be richer for this.

Posted by Alex Goldschmidt on Friday, May 02, 2008

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