Decrying Wal-Mart’s Dirty Tricks

For Immediate Release
Wednesday, May 18, 2005

Washington, D.C., May 18, 2005 – The retail giant today claims victory in Flagstaff, Arizona, where voters engaged in a heated battle over a referendum to control the size of “big box” retailers. Wal-Mart contributed over $280,000 to the local campaign – including funding an ad featuring Nazi imagery, which sparked national outrage.

In response to the local campaign tactics spearheaded by Wal-Mart, Wal-Mart Watch Executive Director Andrew Grossman issues the following statement:

“The retail giant’s self-interest sunk to a new low in the Flagstaff campaign. We certainly commend the citizens of Flagstaff for standing up to Wal-Mart’s vicious tactics, resulting in the narrowest vote margin of just one percent. But Wal-Mart’s efforts in Flagstaff serve as a warning to communities nationwide that the world’s largest corporation will stop at nothing in its attempts to force-feed local communities its own brand of greed. And let there be no mistake: the ‘Nazi ad’ that Wal-Mart approved and funded will be remembered for a long time coming.”

Read about Wal-Mart’s tactics in the Flagstaff campaign at WalmartWatch.com/blog