Parker, AZ. Indians Want Casinos and Wal-Mart
Any place in America that has any character or ethnicity left is endangered terrain when it comes to Wal-Mart superstores. Case in point: The Colorado River Indian Tribe’s (CRIT) Reservation outside of Parker, Arizona.
The reservation, located about 189 miles from Phoenix, was created in 1865, and for the past 143 years has somehow managed to survive without a Wal-Mart. The CRIT says its economy is centered around agriculture, recreation, as well as government and light industry. “The fertile river bottom lands and available water allows the production of agricultural and produce such as cotton, alfalfa, wheat, feed grains, lettus and melons. Approximately 84,500 acres are now under cultivation and another 50,000 acres are available for development.”
But the Parker Pioneer newspaper reports this week that Wal-Mart is moving forward with plans to build a store on the Colorado River Indian Reservation just over a tenth of a mile east of Parker, Arizona, and bids on the project have been posted by the Colorado River Building Industry Association. The Association received the architectural plans on July 31st. The store is slated to be built on Route 95, across the road from the Moovalya Plaza Shopping Center. In April of 2006, the CRIT-owned Moovalya Plaza shopping center announced that a Safeway anchor store at the Plaza was being enhanced. The Safeway plaza was upgraded to add a Starbucks coffee shop, plus three new restaurants: Subway, Carvel and Cinnabon. The Moovalya Plaza is a tribally owned shopping center, and the revenue generated by lease payments from tenants and through sales taxes from stores at the site are used to fund Tribal programs. According to CRIT, “The more diversified our economic base becomes, and the more new economic development opportunities that come to the Parker area, the better off Tribal members will be. These opportunities mean more jobs for Tribal members and more tax revenues for critical Tribal services.” The two major economic development projects the Tribe has been engaged in are a casino and retailing. The BlueWater Resort and Casino opened in June, 1999. “The Casino offers a Las Vegas style atmosphere with slots, bingo, keno and poker. There are two restaurants, a snack bar and two cocktail lounges.
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Posted by Al Norman on Thursday, August 07 | 0 comments | Permalink
Wal-Mart Watch Weekly Update For Elected Officials
Check out this week’s issue of the Wal-Mart Watch Weekly Update for Elected Officials – a compilation of Wal-Mart news from across the country and beyond.
This week’s issue focuses on the big story of the week - Wal-Mart’s efforts to mobilize its managers across the country to warn of a Democratic win in November. The company has been holding mandatory meetings for its store managers and department supervisors (possibly in violation of state and federal election law), who are being warned that if Democrats win in November it could lead to potential store unionization. The meetings focus on a piece of proposed legislation called the Employee Free Choice Act, which could make it easier for stores to unionize if it’s the wish of a simple majority of store employees. Read all the major stories on Wal-Mart’s efforts, plus reaction from Wal-Mart Watch Executive Director David Nassar.
Beyond the possible election law violations, the Washington Post and Chicago Tribune report on new toy safety legislation making its way through Congress. In addition, more legal problems for Wal-Mart - the first Salmonella-related lawsuit has been filed, and Wal-Mart is the defendant. Also, a new story in the Arkansas Business Journal describes how Wal-Mart knew of the existence of labor violations prior to the filing of the recent wage/hour class actions.
And finally, check out our “Stateside” and “Wal-Mart International” sections to find out what’s going on with Wal-Mart around the country and across the globe.
Wal-Mart Watch Weekly Update for Elected Officials
Posted by Corey Himrod on Tuesday, August 05 | 0 comments | Permalink
First Salmonella Lawsuit Filed; Wal-Mart The Target
Well, first it was the tomato that was the culprit. Then tomatoes were deemed clean, and safe to eat again. Then, in a twist of culinary fate, a new villain in the salmonella outbreak showed its face - a spicy little number possibly originating at a farm down in Mexico. The jalepeno pepper. And now the tiny pepper has turned its capsaicin-spewing fury on Wal-Mart.
Actually, the complaint at issue was filed on behalf of Delores, Colorado resident Brian Grubbs against Wal-Mart and an unknown supplier, referred to in the complaint as “John Doe”. According to the lawsuit, the Grubbs family purchased jalapeño peppers from the Wal-Mart Supercenter in Cortez, Colorado in late June. Grubbs and his family proceeded to eat them over the next week. According to the Rocky Mountain News:
Samples showed he was positive for salmonella Saintpaul, and later the jalapeño peppers back at his house that he hadn’t yet eaten also tested positive for that strain of salmonella, the suit said.
“Consumers believe that retailers like Wal-Mart know the quality and safety of products they sell,” Marler said. “Retailers benefit from that trust, and must be held accountable for the products they sell.”
Salmonella is, of course, no fun at all - Salmonellosis illnesses from the Saintpaul strain began showing up in Texas and New Mexico in late April, and in early June the CDC linked those illnesses to raw tomatoes and issued consumer warnings. Those warnings were, of course, completely wrong - the list of possible culprits was first widened before eventually being narrowed to raw jalapeno and serrano peppers.
On July 30, the FDA confirmed the presence of salmonella Saintpaul at a farm in Mexico, both in irrigation water and on produce. The investigation is continuing.
Man sickened by jalapeños files first salmonella lawsuit [Rocky Mountain News]
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Posted by Corey Himrod on Friday, August 01 | 19 comments | Permalink
MORE ON LEGAL MATTERS IN CORPUS CHRISTI, TX
Lawyers: Legal impediment to Wal-Mart will be removed [Corpus Christi Caller Times (Texas)]
A lawsuit that delayed a proposed Wal-Mart Supercenter at Parkdale Plaza will be dropped, opposing attorneys said Thursday.
The Wal-Mart would be the centerpiece of a major renewal for Parkdale Plaza, once the city’s premier shopping destination but for years a deteriorating eyesore. Neighboring Sutherlands, a tenant of the Parkdale owners, filed suit claiming Wal-Mart would be too direct a competitor.
Attorneys for Parkdale Plaza and Sutherlands had been scheduled to meet Thursday in a non-jury trial in the 148th District Court about the issue, but both parties did not show up, telling court officials that a file order of non-suit would be filed on behalf of Sutherlands.
The non-suit filing means the lawsuit and all claims in it is stopped, according to Parkdale Plaza attorney Van Huseman.
“Final resolution of this dispute will be deferred until, and if, Wal-Mart buys the property from my client,” Huseman said.
He declined to comment further.
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Posted by Joel Nezianya on Friday, August 01 | 0 comments | Permalink
City Considers Welfare For Wal-Mart Developer in Corpus Christi, TX
On February 19, 2008, Sprawl- Busters reported that Wal-Mart had been hit with a double whammy in Corpus Christi, Texas. One planned supercenter was dead, and a second was mired in a landlord-tenant lawsuit.
The dead project was on the southside of the city, in the Timbergate neighborhood. According to the Caller-Times newspaper, Wal-Mart got a waiver approved by the city’s Planning Commission in November 2007, after resubmitting their plans for a rezoning. In March, 2007, Wal-Mart squeaked by the Planning Commission on a 5-3 vote in favor of the project. But in June, Wal-Mart withdrew their rezoning application for South Staples Street just one day before it was scheduled to come before the City Council.
Normally, if an application is pulled, the proponent has to wait a full year before resubmitting. But in this case, Wal-Mart asked that their cooling off period be cut in half. Wal-Mart wanted the city to change the land from its current designation of R-1B, or single family, to B-1, a neighborhood business district. To apply for the B-1 zone, Wal-Mart had to eliminate a tire and lube center from the mix. City staff admitted that granting a waiver was a “rare occurrence.” But when the Planning Commission met, they voted unanimously to approve a “rare” waiver for Wal-Mart, allowing the company to proceed with their rezoning application.
Corpus Christi planning staff said at the time that the retailer had not given them enough information to make a decision. “We need time to review and recommend and we’re frankly not convinced (the latest information from Wal-Mart is) adequate, but it’s at least a step in the right direction,” the city’s planning director told the Caller Times. But by February, 2008,
plans for the Southside Supercenter had fallen apart, because the landowners announced that they were selling the property to the H.E.B. grocery chain.
In the meantime, the second Wal-Mart project at the Parkdale Plaza, a 203,000 s.f. supercenter, ran into a landlord-tenant dispute. Dueling lawsuits were filed by the Parkdale Plaza owners and their tenants, the Sutherlands, a home improvement chain store in 13 states in the south, Midwest and Gulf Coast. The Sutherlands were sued for allowing their parking lot to deteriorate and become pitted. The Parkdale Plaza owners were sued by Sutherlands for violating an agreement not to allow a direct competitor to the home improvement store into the Plaza.
Sutherlands said their lease prevents the landlord from allowing another prospective tenant to be “permitted to sell building materials and/or home improvement supplies and services.” Sutherlands wanted Wal-Mart to show that its product mix would not affect Sutherlands’ business and current lease. The Parkdale Plaza owners said the Sutherlands lawsuit is freezing progress on the Wal-Mart Supercenter and that Sutherlands needs to maintain its parking lot, or the company could face a termination of their lease.
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Posted by Al Norman on Friday, August 01 | 1 comments | Permalink
New Map Details Wal-Mart’s Land Use Practices
With more than 4,000 units (stores and distribution centers) in the United States alone, Wal-Mart controls an enormous amount of real estate. A new map, compiled by researchers at Wal-Mart Watch, profiles most of the existing and planned Wal-Mart stores and Supercenters across the United States. Included in the profiles is information on store size, proximity to nearest distribution center, and type of development property.
Wal-Mart is constantly expanding, and we need your help to keep the map up to date and accurate. Use the submission form to add information about Wal-Mart projects and proposals in your area. Working together, we can build the most accurate and up-to-date information possible. Click here to view the map.
INSTRUCTIONS FOR UPDATING THE MAP: Click on the map. Search for and click on your local Wal-Mart to see more information about it. Have something to add? Click “Update Information” and fill in the appropriate form fields. Can¹t find your local Wal-Mart? Click here to add it to the map!
For further background reading, download the companion report “Perpetuating Sprawl: Understanding Wal-Mart’s Development in Pennsylvania, New York, California, and Ohio” (PDF)
Posted by Alex Goldschmidt on Tuesday, July 29 | 15 comments | Permalink
Wal-Mart Watch Weekly Update For Elected Officials
Check out this week’s issue of the Wal-Mart Watch Weekly Update for Elected Officials – a compilation of Wal-Mart news from across the country and beyond.
This week’s issue focuses on the shortfalls facing state budgets across the country, and how Wal-Mart’s schemes to avoid state taxes have exacerbated those budget problems. You’ll be able to download our most recent tax report entitled: One Company’s Plan to – Save Money, Live Better: Wal-Mart’s Tax Avoidance Schemes. In addition, you’ll be able to download our most recent edition of the Wal-Mart Watch: In Depth newsletter, entitled Wal-Mart’s Great Tax Dodge.
Beyond the tax reports, you’ll: learn how one likely New York mayoral candidate plans to keep Wal-Mart out of New York City; read more about Wal-Mart’s lawsuit involving Adidas plus the lawsuit concerning the company’s 401(k) plan; and, find out how Wal-Mart’s seaports in Los Angeles and Long Beach are in fact the largest polluters in Southern California.
And finally, check out our “Stateside” and “Wal-Mart International” sections to find out what’s going on with Wal-Mart around the country and across the globe.
Wal-Mart Watch Weekly Update for Elected Officials
Posted by Corey Himrod on Monday, July 28 | 3 comments | Permalink
ACTIVISTS DELAY WAL-MART DECISION IN PARK CITY, UT
Decision on Walmart Supercenter is delayed [Park Record (Utah)]
Some Snyderville Basin residents don’t like Walmart.
Their criticism at a public hearing Wednesday helped convince the Summit County Commission to delay a decision about whether to allow the world’s largest retailer to expand its store at 6545 N. Landmark Drive to sell groceries.
The unanimous vote forces Walmart back to the drawing board to further address traffic impacts from the project. The roughly 60 percent expansion would make the store about the size of Home Depot in Silver Summit, which is nearly twice as large as most other grocery stores in western Summit County, where big-box stores are discouraged.
“I’m now saying to Walmart, ‘You guys have got some work to do,’” said Summit County Commissioner Bob Richer, who suggested delaying the vote at a meeting at the Sheldon Richins Building. “Perhaps we should take a week, take two weeks, take two months [and] have our staff review it.”
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Posted by Joel Nezianya on Monday, July 28 | 0 comments | Permalink
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