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Originally posted on Huffington Post

Illegal Aliens Deliver Fear & Loathing To Wal-Mart Pharmacies
By Al Norman

One of the world’s largest drug store chains is employing a very unusual---and provocative---method for sourcing its drugs.

This week mighty Wal-Mart found itself at the center of a street-level drug deal that raised larger questions about where and how the retailer gets its cheap drugs.

In June of 2008, I wrote in this space about Wal-Mart’s global sourcing empire for prescription drugs, quoting one pharmaceutical industry analyst as saying, Wal-Mart drugs “come from all over the world. They’re U.S. manufacturers, Israeli and Indian manufacturers. They have a choice of where to buy these drugs.”

But this week, Wal-Mart’s choice of drug vendors made some small town news. The corporation was tight-lipped about a narcotics source that raised lingering questions about where the giant retailer is really getting its cheap drugs, and what product safety and procurement protections are in place at the retailer’s pharmacies. In fact, the whole incident was described by the ABC news affiliate that broke the story as “strange.”

Strange, but also unsettling. ABC 4 News in Cedar City, Utah---a town of roughly 28,000 people---reported that a routine traffic stop of three men led to a bizarre tale of prescription narcotics, illegal couriers, a Las Vegas drug supplier, and the world’s largest retailer.

Diego Jimenez, Maricio Jimenez, and Kyle Gutierrez are being held in a jail in Iron County while local authorities sift through their odd story. Police pulled over their car as it was traveling north on Route 15 just south of 100 miles per hour. The men claim they were hired to deliver prescription drugs to at least three Wal-Mart stores, including the superstore on South Providence Drive in Cedar City, Utah, which has an in-store pharmacy. The three men reportedly had already been to the Wal-Mart supercenter in St. George, Utah, which is south of Cedar City on Route 15, and the Wal-Mart superstore on Route 15 further south in Mesquite, Nevada, on the border with Arizona.

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Plan to replace Kmart with Wal-Mart causing controversy [KSL News Radio (Utah)]

It could be the hottest issue before the Salt Lake City Council this fall: whether to approve Wal-Mart’s plans for a superstore near Parley’s Way and Foothill Drive.

The city council must approve a zoning change so Wal-Mart can replace the Kmart at 2705 E. Parleys Way with a 140,000-square-foot superstore.

“We want to make the right decisions, not only for the city, but for Wal-Mart and for the citizens who live there,” said city councilman J.T. Martin.

Martin says residents don’t want Wal-Mart as their new neighbor. “More traffic; I don’t particularly care for Wal-Mart,” one woman said.

Another woman says Wal-Mart is not the issue. She doesn’t want a superstore. “I’ve been to everything that has been held, yes, and I have voiced my opposition,” she said.

You can expect more council meetings before the showdown vote.

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Wal-Mart seeking east-side support [Deseret News (Utah)]

About 36,000 households in east-side Salt Lake City neighborhoods have received mailers from Wal-Mart that seek support for turning a Kmart on Parleys Way into a Wal-Mart Supercenter.

The mailer has a return postcard that residents can send to The Summit Group, a local public-relations firm, voicing support for the supercenter proposed for 2705 E. Parleys Way. The postcard allows residents to request to receive more information about the store and to grant permission to use their names as supporters of the project. The mailers were sent out Friday and are the third wave of mailers in the past year from Wal-Mart.

Wal-Mart has owned the Kmart property since February 2005 and wants to raze the 40-year-old building for what Wal-Mart describes as a larger, more modern and attractive space. But Wal-Mart first must persuade the Salt Lake City Planning Commission to change the area’s master plan and zoning to allow for a supercenter.

The commission last month listened to a presentation from developers and comments from the public but made no decisions.

Wal-Mart’s plans have angered some residents in the area, many of whom would prefer small businesses in the neighborhood and worry about traffic to the store, which is near the intersections of I-80, I-215, Foothill Boulevard, Parleys Way and Wilshire Drive.

The Sugar House, East Bench, Greater Avenues, Bonneville Hills, Wasatch Hollow, Sunnyside East and Yalecrest community councils have passed motions or resolutions opposing the rezone because it is not supported by the East Bench master plan. They also contend that the big-box store would increase traffic and harm local businesses.

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Summit County postpones decision on Wal-Mart expansion [The Salt Lake Tribune (Utah)]

Wal-Mart officials have been waiting two and a half years for approval of their plan to expand their west Summit County store to include grocery. And they’re going to have to wait a little longer.

After a spirited public hearing Wednesday evening, Summit County Commissioner Sally Elliot made a motion to deny the mega-retailer’s plan to expand its 72,000-square-foot outlet to 115,000 square feet.

“We haven’t taken fully into account the additional traffic that might be caused by an increase in size by Wal-Mart,” she said.

But her motion died for lack of a second.

Commissioner Bob Richer, however, citing concerns of residents about traffic at the already clogged Kimball Junction shopping area, moved to hold off on making a decision until the commission could re-examine traffic studies.

“Perhaps we should take a week, two weeks, or two months to digest it,” he said of input from concerned residents. His motion passed.

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Wal-Mart hearing is today [Park Record (Utah)]

Today, the Summit County Commission will consider if Wal-Mart at 6545 N. Landmark Drive should expand to sell groceries.

Building the new Wal-Mart Supercenter would increase the size of the store by about 60 percent to 115,758 square feet.

A Wal-Mart public hearing before the Summit County Commission is scheduled July 23 at 4 p.m. at the Sheldon Richins Building at Kimball Junction.

Snyderville Basin Planning Commissioners Flint Decker, Claudia McMullin, Jeff Smith and Julie Baker recommended the County Commission approve a conditional use permit for the expansion. New Basin Planning Commissioner Bassam Salem abstained from voting July 8.

Hooker said the expansion and remodel would improve the appearance of the store.

“We are proposing a modern, updated façade that has been developed in coordination with county staff,” Wal-Mart spokesman Kevin Loscotoff said in a prepared statement. “We will also enhance the interior to include a wider selection of the quality items that our customers have come to expect from us and new customer friendly features.”

Big-box stores were not strictly regulated by codes when Wal-Mart was approved at Kimball Junction in 1991. If the impacts are dealt with, the county cannot prevent store officials from increasing the building’s size, according to McMullin.

The final decision rests with the Summit County Commissio

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Residents criticize Wal-Mart proposal

If Salt Lake City’s latest community fight against big-box heavyweight Wal-Mart had a theme song, it would sound more like “If I Could Turn Back Time” than “Gonna Fly Now” from the “Rocky” series.

Addressing the Salt Lake City Planning Commission Wednesday night, 50-year east-side resident Elaine Brown suggested the Cher hit as a way to describe the bitter feelings of some longtime residents surrounding the property Wal-Mart Stores Inc. plans to develop at 2705 E. Parleys Way.

Residents felt excluded from the public process when Kmart was built at the site about 40 years ago, Brown said, and many believe they haven’t had a voice in Wal-Mart’s plans to raze the Kmart structure and build a new supercenter in its place.

That said, Brown encouraged the Planning Commission to approve Wal-Mart’s request for a zoning to allow for a new store at the site rather than a renovation of the existing Kmart building.

Either way, Wal-Mart is coming to town, she said, and a new, more attractive and environmentally friendly store “is in the best interest of the community.”

Brown’s opinion wasn’t shared by the majority of the 20 people who spoke during the public hearing. About 70 percent of those who expressed an opinion on the requested zoning change did so against allowing it.

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Wal-Mart unspooled its best pitch, and the Planning Commission remained passive, but a majority of east-side residents pooh-poohed the retailer’s request to plop a supercenter near the mouth of Parleys Canyon in Sugar House.

Some 65 residents took turns today debating Wal-Mart’s plea for a zoning change to bulldoze Kmart and replace it with a 120,000-square-foot “hypermarket” at 2705 E. Parleys Way. They pointed to Wal-Mart’s familiar foibles: truck traffic, clogged roads, late-night noise and light pollution. But several residents also argued Wal-Mart’s promise to build green if allowed to build anew is disingenuous since a rebuild is cheaper than a remodel.

“Do they want to build green for the community or do they want the green for their pockets?” asked Sarah Carlson.

Others blasted big-box ethics, warning Wal-Mart will cannibalize nearby grocers.

“The neighborhood does not need inferior products served at cut rates,” said Camron Carpenter.

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New Wal-Mart [Salt Lake Tribune (Utah)]

Two important points should be considered concerning Wal-Mart’s proposed redevelopment of the K-Mart site on Parleys Way:

1. While the store has rightly been called a “supercenter,” the proposed building is nearly identical in size to the existing K-Mart (125,000 square feet). “Supercenter” refers to a merchandise strategy that offers a broader array of products than normal Wal-Mart discount department stores and not necessarily to a minimum store size.

2. Wal-Mart does not need the requested rezoning to operate in the existing facility. The company owns the K-Mart building and can invest at least 30 percent of the existing building’s assessed value to remodel the building. Wal-Mart believes the community and its customers would be better served with a new modern store, improved parking and landscaping where none now exists.

If Salt Lake City denies Wal-Mart the right to build a new store, our neighborhood will still get a Wal-Mart store, only a repainted version of the tired old concrete-and-block warehouse that has detracted from the area for 30 years.

Fred Fairclough Jr.
Salt Lake City

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Mixed reaction to Sugar House Wal-Mart [Deseret News (Utah)]

Sugar House residents are dealing in different ways with the reality that Wal-Mart is moving into their neighborhood.

About 150 people joined Salt Lake City Councilmen Soren Simonsen and JT Martin on Tuesday night at Dilworth Elementary to weigh in on Wal-Mart’s plans for a supercenter at 2075 E. Parleys Way.

The hourlong discussion revealed that many residents are dreading the arrival of their future neighbor, fearing that the big-box store will harm local businesses, increase traffic and worsen air quality.

Others are resigned to the fact that Wal-Mart is coming to town, and they’re trying to make the best of it.

And some can’t wait for the supercenter to open its doors, bringing its bargains and shopping convenience closer to their homes.

“There are more than two sides to this,” Simonsen said.

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Salt Lake City Councilmen to Hold Meeting about Wal-Mart [KCPW (Utah)]

Tonight, two Salt Lake City councilmen will meet with residents and business owners in Sugar House to hear what they have to say about Wal-Mart’s petition to re-zone the K-Mart site at the mouth of Parley’s Way.

“We’re providing this forum to listen to what our constituents have to say, and they’ll actually have an opportunity to talk to some of the experts within the planning department on the realities of the petition,” said Sixth District Councilman J.T. Martin.

Martin represents the northeastern part of Sugar House and owns the Emigration Market at 17th East and 13th South. He’ll be joined at the meeting by Soren Simonsen, who represents District Seven, where the Wal-Mart will be built.

If approved, the re-zoning would allow Wal-Mart to add a grocery store in the center. But Martin says he is not concerned about how the decision will affect his own business one way or the other.

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Wal-Mart ploy [Salt Lake Tribune]

Another Wal-Mart Supercenter? Yikes! Rather than building within the current master plan and zoning ordinances, Wal-Mart has submitted a rezoning application to build yet another out-of-scale Supercenter in the residential neighborhoods of Parley’s Way and Foothill Drive because a Supercenter “meets the needs of the modern shopper.”

Alarmingly, before the rezone application has been fully reviewed by the Salt Lake City government, Wal-Mart representatives are already seeking a special development agreement that would allow a rezone and “lock” them into a land-use agreement for the site.

Current zoning allows for appropriately sized “community business” stores that would be in scale with the surrounding neighborhoods. Instead, Wal-Mart is negotiating behind closed doors to “meet the needs of their business model.”

The point is about following the rules, no matter who you are and who you represent. If Wal-Mart can skirt around the laws, then why do we have master plans and zoning ordinances to begin with?

Local citizens, stand up and demand that our elected officials uphold our zoning laws and preserve the quality of life for our families.

Jill Burke
Salt Lake City

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Wal-Mart Meets With Community Regarding Sugarhouse Store [KCPW News (Utah)]

Wal-Mart continues to face difficulty as it tries to gain community support for a new store in Sugarhouse.

Tonight, Wal-Mart representatives are meeting with the East Bench Community Councils to pitch their idea to tear down the existing K-Mart building at the top of Parley’s Way and replace it with a remodeled building when K-Mart’s lease expires at the end of this year. Wal-Mart purchased the lot in 2005 and is planning a new store there, but they’ll have to use the existing building if the city council doesn’t re-zone the lot.

A representative says the new Wal-Mart would not take up more than the 120,000 square feet K-Mart now uses, and it would also be more environmentally friendly.

On Tuesday, Wal-Mart met with the Sugarhouse Community Council. Council Chair Grace Sperry said the meeting was well attended, although only seven people spoke up. Two people supported the Wal-Mart, while the rest were opposed. The council decided to remain opposed to rezoning the property.

Tonight’s meeting is at 7:00 at the Dilworth School on 2100 East.

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Wal-Mart zone change opposed in Sugar House [Deseret Morning News (Utah)]

Representatives for Wal-Mart Stores Inc. maintain that a zone change is needed for a supercenter planned on Parleys Way, but residents aren’t buying it.

At a meeting Wednesday night with about 80 residents and members of the Sugar House Community Council, an attorney, transportation engineer and a developer working for Wal-Mart tried to make a case for changing the zoning at the 10-acre property at 2705 E. Parleys Way from “community business” to “community shopping.”

Community business zoning prohibits the type of retail the city calls “hypermarket,” or in Wal-Mart parlance, supercenters.

Kmart had occupied the property for four decades but closed because of low sales. Wal-Mart purchased the property in 2005. Eleven months later, the city decided to prohibit hypermarkets from community business areas, a move Troy Herold of Wal-Mart developer CLC Associates calls ironic.

If Wal-Mart can get the zoning change — which will require Planning Commission and City Council approval — it will raze the Kmart building and build a modern store. Herold promised the new store will not be larger than the 120,000-square-foot Kmart building and will include more landscaping.

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Kimball growth near? [Salt Lake Tribune]

The expansion of the 40,000-square-foot Wal-Mart at Kimball Junction into one of the retailer’s Supercenters with a grocery will have to wait until the traffic gets unsnarled at the busy commercial hub.

Fortunately for Wal-Mart, Summit County is about to embark on a multifaceted 30-year plan to ease congestion around the area where Interstate 80 intersects with State Route 224.

The megaretailer probably won’t have to wait long. The first phase of the traffic-management strategy could be completed by October.
Unlike nearby Heber City - where heated debate broke out over a proposed Wal-Mart Supercenter - there was barely a peep when the retail giant sought to expand its Kimball Junction store, built in 1991.

In 2006, Wal-Mart officials presented plans to the Snyderville Basin Planning Commission that proposed the facility grow to 115,000 square feet. But it was just weeks ago that Wal-Mart informed the commission the upgrade would include 25,000 square feet devoted to grocery sales.

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What do Wal-Mart and Home Depot have in common? 

In addition to their sprawling size, both retailers wanted to buy banks in Utah and have submitted applications to the FDIC for industrial loan charters (ILCs). This week, Home Depot followed Wal-Mart’s lead and made the decision to pull their application to purchase a bank in Utah. 

Wal-Mart has been attempting to make their move into the banking industry for years. If granted, the ILC would have allowed the retailers to make profits from credit cards and loans, a move that would be devastating to our economy.

Home Depot has withdrawn application to buy a Utah bank [The Wall Street Journal]

Home Depot Inc. has decided to withdraw its application to buy a Utah bank, ending its plan of venturing into the home remodeling loan business.

The Atlanta-based retailer had applied in May 2006 to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp for approval to purchase EnerBank USA, a Salt Lake City industrial loan corporation. But the application was one of several sidelined by a Congressional brouhaha over whether commercial enterprises such as retailers should be allowed to enter the banking business.

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Many communities are eager to see a new Wal-Mart come to town, but few think of the effect the retailer will have if and when it leaves. This article from Minnesota’s St. Cloud Times gives a local perspective to the retailer’s global prospects. Visit Battle-Mart for more information about fighting Wal-Mart in your local community.

Wal-Mart’s exit is boon, bane for communities [St. Cloud Times (Minn.)]

An empty Wal-Mart building sits along a stretch of road in Little Falls and shoppers have been rerouted to a newer, bigger Wal-Mart down the street.

Its owners have taken care of the old building after the Wal-Mart Supercenter was built in August. It’s been repainted a shade of light green, masking signs of what once thrived there.

At any given time, about 300 to 400 former Wal-Mart stores sit empty around the nation, in some cases for as long as five to seven years, said Ken Stone, a retired professor from Iowa State University who has studied Wal-Mart for about 20 years. Those empty buildings can be a blight to a community and area businesses if they sit untouched for too long.

“It’s a real problem, there’s no question about it,” Stone said.

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According to the Dow Jones Wire, Senator Christopher Dodd, Chair of the Senate Banking Committee and 2008 Democratic Presidential hopeful, has circulated a draft of legislation that would narrowly limit the types of commercial companies that could own federally insured banks.

Wal-Mart’s banking application, along with Home Depot’s, created so much controversy when filed that the FDIC instituted an ongoing moratorium, freezing all pending applications until it received further guidance from Congress.

Dodd’s plan comes just two months before the moratorium is scheduled to expire. Wal-Mart, under heavy pressure from several sides, withdrew its application earlier this year, though Home Depot’s is still pending. After the filing, Ohio Congressman Paul Gillmor called for investigations into Wal-Mart’s attempt to enter the industry, concerned with the combining of commerce and banking:

Wal-Mart has previously attempted to enter the banking industry three times and in each instance, was rejected due to concerns regarding the mixing of banking and commerce.  I would urge Chairman Powell to hold public hearings and proceed with caution when evaluating the merits of Wal-Mart’s application”, Gillmor said.

US Sen Dodd’s Plan Would Limit Commercial Ownership Of Banks [Dow Jones NewsWires, via SmartMoney]

WASHINGTON -(Dow Jones)- U.S. Senate Banking Committee Chairman Christopher Dodd, D-Conn., Thursday circulated a draft of legislation that would narrowly limit the types of commercial companies that could own federally insured banks.

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Despite grass-roots effort, Wal-Mart is building in Heber [Deseret News]

Heber: Say hello to Wal-Mart.

Despite a large grass-roots effort to stop the big-box giant from building in the small mountain town, residents Tuesday night voted 1,433 to 1,327 for a new zone that will allow retail outlets up to 150,000 square feet in Heber.

The margin was narrow: 52 percent for, 48 percent against.

Now, developer Boyer Company will work on site plans and permits for a 70-acre mixed-use development project off Main Street. It will be the largest commercial development of its kind in Heber, and opponents were understandably crushed Wednesday.

“If it was a wide margin, it wouldn’t be so painful. But we’re stuck with Wal-Mart,” said Ken McConnell, a 27-year Heber resident and member of the group Put Heber Valley First.

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Wal-Mart rushes in to Heber [Salt Lake Tribune]

Now that Heber City voters have narrowly approved a zone change to allow big-box retail, a Salt Lake City developer is wasting no time bringing Wal-Mart to the town.

The Boyer Co. expects to break ground in the spring on a mixed-use retail and residential project near the intersection of U.S. Highway 40 and State Route 189 on Heber City’s south end.

The project, dubbed Heber City Crossing, is expected to eventually include as many as 30 retailers, with a mix of single-family, townhome and condominium units, Boyer Co. spokesman Wade Williams said Wednesday.

The planned Wal-Mart Supercenter, which will include a grocery, could kick open its doors by winter 2009.

The final concept still awaits approval by the Planning Commission and City Council, said Heber City Planning Director Allen Fawcett. That is expected by year’s end.

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Heber Votes on Big Box Zoning Today [KCPW News (Utah)]

Wal-Mart is on the ballot in Heber City today. Actually, the zoning change would apply to all big-box stores larger than 60-thousand square feet in Heber. But opponent Mike Tyler says Wal-Mart’s the worst:

“Please be careful about how you vote,” warns Tyler. “If you want a big box, that’s fine. But make sure you have an addendum in that contract with the city that does not allow them to put a Wal-Mart in here. Because any other big box would be ten times better than having a Wal-Mart come into town.”

Tyler is a South Jordan resident and can’t even vote on the issue in Heber today. But he got involved in Heber campaign activities because he says Wal-Mart hurt his small hometown in California. Plenty of Heber residents say they would welcome more shopping options. Melissa Toy is among them:

“Right now I spend tons of money in Park City, or down in Orem and Provo or Salt Lake, and I would much rather it come back to the community,” says Toy. “I’m okay because I know what it’s gonna do to our property values, too.”

Toy moved to Heber from Park City where she saw her property values jump when the nearby Redstone Development expanded.

A “yes” vote on today’s zoning referendum will allow big box stores larger than 60-thousand square-feet in Heber. The Boyer Company wants to build a 149-thousand square-foot Wal-Mart as one anchor in a development of shops and restaurants on Heber’s Main Street.