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Walmart - High Cost of Low Prices - 4/6/2007 8:56:56 PM   
juliaoceania


Posts: 21383
Joined: 4/19/2006
From: Somewhere Over the Rainbow
Status: offline 		Riveting documentary about Walmart
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-3836296181471292925&q=genre%3Adocumentary&hl=en


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RE: Walmart - High Cost of Low Prices - 4/6/2007 9:39:05 PM   
Griswold


Posts: 2739
Joined: 2/12/2007
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: juliaoceania

Riveting documentary about Walmart
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-3836296181471292925&q=genre%3Adocumentary&hl=en



We all buy there.

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RE: Walmart - High Cost of Low Prices - 4/6/2007 9:44:05 PM   
juliaoceania


Posts: 21383
Joined: 4/19/2006
From: Somewhere Over the Rainbow
Status: offline 		who is "we all"?

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RE: Walmart - High Cost of Low Prices - 4/6/2007 9:56:16 PM   
wfsubseeking1


Posts: 88
Joined: 4/1/2007
Status: offline 		i apologize that is a long documentary.  Is that about Wal-mart and the neglect of healthcare for their employees?

seeking

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RE: Walmart - High Cost of Low Prices - 4/6/2007 10:01:17 PM   
juliaoceania


Posts: 21383
Joined: 4/19/2006
From: Somewhere Over the Rainbow
Status: offline 		1) neglect for healthcare for employees
2)driving mom and pops small town america out of business
3) crime in Walmart parking lots
4)factory worker abuse in china and india
5) sexism and racism at their stores
6) union busting
7)subsidies that walmart gets from all levels of government
8) citizens fighting to keep walmart out and winning.

_____________________________

Once you label me, you negate me ~ Soren Kierkegaard

Reality has a well known Liberal Bias ~ Stephen Colbert

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RE: Walmart - High Cost of Low Prices - 4/6/2007 10:13:34 PM   
Nosathro


Posts: 3319
Joined: 9/25/2005
From: Orange County, California
Status: offline 		greetings
 
I think this is a news item that is available for sale.  The issue of Walmart and it employees healthcare has been well publized.  Why Walmart I do not know, there are many many companies that do not have healthcare for their employees, most claim they can't afford it.  The one I am working for now does not have healthinsureance for the over 100 employees, giving the "can afford it" excuse.  The fact is there is no law that requires healthcare coverage for employees why Walmart is single out I do not know.
 
Yes I do shop at Walmart.  I bought a portable fire place there that normally sells for over $100.00, I paid about $30.00. 

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RE: Walmart - High Cost of Low Prices - 4/6/2007 10:15:10 PM   
hisannabelle


Posts: 1992
Joined: 12/3/2006
From: Tallahassee, FL, USA
Status: offline 		greetings,

unfortunately, in many cities, there aren't many other options. i rarely shop at wal-mart anymore because i can get tp and paper towels and such at the grocery store, which is closer to where i live, and i buy bath products from the mall where i work, and that's all i really shopped for there. but really, what i'm basically doing is transferring my business (with the exception of one or two places where i shop) to other companies that do the exact same stuff, maybe on a smaller grade. we have no mom-and-pop general stores here. wal-mart is the place to go to buy cleaning supplies, appliances, etc. if you don't buy them there, you get them at the grocery store, the housewares store, or whatever, but they're all still evil chain stores with the same problems of bad worker treatment, factory worker abuse, etc.

we have one health food store here, two indian food stores, and one worldmarket. i go to these places sometimes but a lot of the time they don't sell the stuff i need, and sometimes when they do, i can't afford it.

we had a really similar topic on wal-mart on another board i post on, and a few wal-mart employees who posted there also denied a lot of the stuff about wal-mart's treatment of their employees (and these are people whose word i trust and who i know were not just saying it because they were told to). i'm wondering how much of that is simply the common belief that chain stores, fast food restaurants, etc. must treat their employees badly and how much is something that is really widespread in their stores.

just a few thoughts. if someone has a good alternative for those of us for whom wal-mart and other chain stores with similar problems are our only options, i would love to hear it.

annabelle.

edited to add: i don't know for sure, but i am pretty sure the company i work for does not provide health insurance (it's a fast food company). a lot of companies don't. some companies that do would surprise you (mcdonald's does - they also start out at a much higher paygrade than most other places, at least in florida).


< Message edited by hisannabelle -- 4/6/2007 10:17:15 PM >

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RE: Walmart - High Cost of Low Prices - 4/7/2007 12:27:37 AM   
seeksfemslave


Posts: 4011
Joined: 6/16/2006
Status: offline 		With regard to Wal-Mart bashing surely the way the firm is operated is free enterprise in the raw.
Isn't that the American way ?
Until it starts to "work" of course !

In the UK the same attitude exists with regard to Tesco a supermarket operating world wide. Success of that kind can be almost guaranteed to upset the intellectuals, especially those paid by the BBC ! Why is that ?

Why should a firm finance health provision for its employees ? Only arskin'
You will be wanting mandatory ethnic employee quotas next.
Then Mothers having 5 years paid maternity leave and Fathers 2 years leave. Paid.

< Message edited by seeksfemslave -- 4/7/2007 12:34:42 AM >

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RE: Walmart - High Cost of Low Prices - 4/7/2007 12:52:35 AM   
Totalmaster4you


Posts: 1359
Joined: 6/19/2006
Status: offline 		I've seen a number of programs that refute the majority if not all the charge against Wal-Mart. This campaign against the company is being done by a union that wants to enroll the employees, not because they are needy but for their dues. Follow the money. Several hundred thousand employees @ $50 a head and you get the idea. I'm no supporter of Wal-Mart. A client of mine made several style of shoes for them and when the contract was to be renewed Wal-Mart went to China had them copy the design and make them under Wal-Mart's name(so their cost was less but sold at the same price). That's business. I just want all the facts to be on the table and make up your own mind.

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RE: Walmart - High Cost of Low Prices - 4/7/2007 6:12:31 AM   
juliaoceania


Posts: 21383
Joined: 4/19/2006
From: Somewhere Over the Rainbow
Status: offline
quote:

I've seen a number of programs that refute the majority if not all the charge against Wal-Mart.

 
Please feel free to post evidence of that...You obviously did not watch the documentary. much of their evidence came from court documents


quote:

The one I am working for now does not have healthinsureance for the over 100 employees, giving the "can afford it" excuse.  The fact is there is no law that requires healthcare coverage for employees why Walmart is single out I do not know.

 
Because Walmart costs all of us billions of dollars by having us support their workers, and this has been documented in a Berkeley study. Walmart actually gives their employees information on how to exploit state medical insurance




_____________________________

Once you label me, you negate me ~ Soren Kierkegaard

Reality has a well known Liberal Bias ~ Stephen Colbert

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RE: Walmart - High Cost of Low Prices - 4/7/2007 6:46:00 AM   
Mercnbeth


Posts: 11766
Status: offline 		What is your proposed solution?

Government take over?
Regulated out of existence?

I guess, since this isn't "news" trying to get people not to shop there hasn't worked. Is it time for calling upon the "nanny" to do "what is best" for the citizens even if millions of people use the service and tens of thousands decide to work there? When a WalMart opens I guess the guns forcing people to apply for the jobs are kept hidden. The ads must carry some subliminal message forcing people to shop there against their will. It isn't Berkeley, you, or me that determines whether a store is opened or closed the customers make that determination. I know one thing for sure - I don't want the government to make that decision for me in the case of WalMart or any other place operation legally.

Providing information for their employees to take advantage of legal methods to get health coverage is a bad thing? Every company should do that. They pay taxes as do the employees, to fund the programs in the first place. 

Should WalMart fund an armed militia and take over China and their other sources of goods and install USA working conditions? What about the sovereignty of those countries?

Their parking lots are dangerous, more so than any other? There are incidences occurring regularly at more visible places than WalMart, check out any of the casinos in LA for instance. Maybe in the case of WalMart they are going into areas that other companies and the city itself viewed as 'bad neighborhoods'. If the "citizens" keep them out they are out. If they don't the store opens.

But again - what would you suggest to solve the problem and end WalMart and with it, access to low cost goods for a large segment of the USA population?

Tell you what though, I see the death soon of Circuit City. Their latest public move of firing anyone with enough years to be "knowledgeable" having the misfortune of making more than minimum wage is just wrong. I've bought plenty of goods there throughout the years, but it's over to Best-Buy for the next big box purchase. When you portray an image that you don't really want to provide service you lose customers and eventually you are out of business. Similar to Home Depot, the elimination of good people eventually is self destructive. Never shopping at WalMart I can't say what the case is regarding their staff, but listening to some of the interviews it seems they have a core of dedicated and customer oriented staff. That and the fact that, I believe, they promote from within may be viewed as one of the last national companies that put more credibility in effort and experience versus a non relevant college degree.

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RE: Walmart - High Cost of Low Prices - 4/7/2007 6:54:11 AM   
FangsNfeet


Posts: 3758
Joined: 12/3/2004
Status: offline 		If you don't like the store, then don't  shop or work there.
I've seen many rally's and protest against Wall Mart. If the people do not like Wall Mart, all they have to do is boycott the place and watch it go down in flames.


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RE: Walmart - High Cost of Low Prices - 4/7/2007 7:04:25 AM   
juliaoceania


Posts: 21383
Joined: 4/19/2006
From: Somewhere Over the Rainbow
Status: offline 		http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/3138188.stm

quote:

A US judge is currently pondering an application to bundle together claims from up to 1.6 million present and former Wal-Mart employees, who say women were routinely underpaid and overlooked for promotion. Lawyers want to upgrade the initial lawsuit - launched by six women working for Wal-Mart in California - into a class action, meaning all equivalent cases will be treated in one blanket judgement.

http://publici.ucimc.org/aug2001/082001_5.htm
quote:

But many people in Connecticut, Washington, and Pennsylvania are angry with the retail giant for violating state water quality standards. Environmental officials in those states have complained of a host of similar problems regarding Wal-Mart construction sites. The Wal-Marts in question did not use the proper methods for clearing the site for construction. When heavy rains pelted the sites, water carried tons of silt to the nearby rivers and streams, threatening not only the life within the waterways but also the drinking water of thousands of people. In 1998 Pennsylvania's Department of Environmental Protection issued a work stop order at one site, but most of the work had already been completed.

http://www.epa.gov/region1/pr/2001/jun/010607.html
quote:

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Justice Department and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency today reached an environmental agreement with Wal-Mart Stores Inc. to resolve claims the retailer violated the Clean Water Act at 17 locations in Texas, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Massachusetts. This is the first federal enforcement action against a company for multi-state violations of the Act's storm water provisions.

http://www.tompaine.com/articles/2005/11/09/walmarts_tax_on_us.php

quote:

Wal-Mart, the Alpha Dog of discount stores, has also become the Alpha Hog at the public trough.
The phenomenal growth of the world's largest corporation has been supported by taxpayers in many states through economic development subsidies. A Wal-Mart official once stated that the company seeks subsidies in about a third of its stores, suggesting that more than 1,100 of its U.S. stores are subsidized. A national survey by Good Jobs First in 2004 looked at 160 stores and all of the company's distribution centers—and found that more than 90 percent of them have been subsidized. Altogether, 244 subsidized facilities in 35 states received taxpayer deals of more than $1 billion.

 
It is difficult for some to connect the dots on how harmful one corporate monster can be, I know... and a lot of people have the attitude "if it does not hurt me I do not give a fuck", but it does hurt all of us..

People can take stabs at my "useless" education, it does not change the truth of what I have posted.



_____________________________

Once you label me, you negate me ~ Soren Kierkegaard

Reality has a well known Liberal Bias ~ Stephen Colbert

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RE: Walmart - High Cost of Low Prices - 4/7/2007 7:09:44 AM   
Lorgrom


Posts: 98
Joined: 1/1/2004
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: juliaoceania

Riveting documentary about Walmart
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-3836296181471292925&q=genre%3Adocumentary&hl=en


Now be honest, did anything in this video really suprise you? All they are doing is basic business practices.

Would you rather Wal-mart pay thier employees just enough that the employee no longer qualifies for outside aid (which if Wal-mart really wanted to be a dick about it they would)? Imagin how much worse people and famlies would be.

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RE: Walmart - High Cost of Low Prices - 4/7/2007 7:13:33 AM   
juliaoceania


Posts: 21383
Joined: 4/19/2006
From: Somewhere Over the Rainbow
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: FangsNfeet

If you don't like the store, then don't  shop or work there.
I've seen many rally's and protest against Wall Mart. If the people do not like Wall Mart, all they have to do is boycott the place and watch it go down in flames.



I agree with you, don't shop there... but are you saying that I cannot spread further information on this topic so that people will be educated about how their shopping choices impact everything around them...sooner or later you and I all pay for Walmart's low prices even if we do not shop there in our taxes... why should I give walmart my tax money? They can well afford to build their own streets, insure their own employees, build their own buildings, and pay their share of taxes

_____________________________

Once you label me, you negate me ~ Soren Kierkegaard

Reality has a well known Liberal Bias ~ Stephen Colbert

Great minds discuss ideas; Average minds discuss events; Small minds discuss people. Eleanor Roosevelt

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RE: Walmart - High Cost of Low Prices - 4/7/2007 7:21:00 AM   
juliaoceania


Posts: 21383
Joined: 4/19/2006
From: Somewhere Over the Rainbow
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: Lorgrom

quote:

ORIGINAL: juliaoceania

Riveting documentary about Walmart
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-3836296181471292925&q=genre%3Adocumentary&hl=en


Now be honest, did anything in this video really suprise you? All they are doing is basic business practices.

Would you rather Wal-mart pay thier employees just enough that the employee no longer qualifies for outside aid (which if Wal-mart really wanted to be a dick about it they would)? Imagin how much worse people and famlies would be.



I would rather they give their employees health insurance.

I would rather they pay a living wage.

In order to remain competitive other chains have had to implement the same practices as Walmart... a race to the bottom

Here is another gem about Walmart BREAKING LABOR LAW... and no, in my view that is not something all companies do

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16809248/


_____________________________

Once you label me, you negate me ~ Soren Kierkegaard

Reality has a well known Liberal Bias ~ Stephen Colbert

Great minds discuss ideas; Average minds discuss events; Small minds discuss people. Eleanor Roosevelt

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RE: Walmart - High Cost of Low Prices - 4/7/2007 7:28:59 AM   
Lorgrom


Posts: 98
Joined: 1/1/2004
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: juliaoceania

quote:

ORIGINAL: Lorgrom

quote:

ORIGINAL: juliaoceania

Riveting documentary about Walmart
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-3836296181471292925&q=genre%3Adocumentary&hl=en


Now be honest, did anything in this video really suprise you? All they are doing is basic business practices.

Would you rather Wal-mart pay thier employees just enough that the employee no longer qualifies for outside aid (which if Wal-mart really wanted to be a dick about it they would)? Imagin how much worse people and famlies would be.



I would rather they give their employees health insurance.

I would rather they pay a living wage.

In order to remain competitive other chains have had to implement the same practices as Walmart... a race to the bottom

Here is another gem about Walmart BREAKING LABOR LAW... and no, in my view that is not something all companies do

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16809248/


Hey here is a viable solution, why don't you and all your friends who just complain about how Wal-mart does thier business practices. Get together and form your own version of what they do. Then you can set the standards that you feel things should be, and if you are correct. You will eventualy force Wal-mart to raise thier standards or they will go out of business.

Going on web forums and trying to eduicate people will quite honestly never work. People as a norm - as you said yourself - have the mentality of "if it doesn't affect me, then I don't care". So trying to inform people become more about you trying to show your more enlightened then those who are not Intelicual.

This is a long standing issue I have with most people who just bitch about things. Sorry julia that you are taking the blunt of this. But if people only try to educate and/or bitch about something. Then things never really change. The only way to make changes is to go out and actually take your ideas and turn them into reality.

Edit: oh and what do you think will happen if wal-mart did start paying and providing as you belive they should? Since the bottom line will never change, that means all the prices will go up, and since labor is what is keeping the prices down. The costs will go up a lot. Now everyone has to pay more for things. The rest of the nation already has it tough meeting bills and living. Now you would force thier dollar to go even further. Which will lead to people buying fewer things. Which then leads to companies doing lay-offs or closing down.

Wal-mart and other companies like them are just one part of the system.

< Message edited by Lorgrom -- 4/7/2007 7:35:46 AM >

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RE: Walmart - High Cost of Low Prices - 4/7/2007 7:37:10 AM   
seeksfemslave


Posts: 4011
Joined: 6/16/2006
Status: offline 		With regard to state subsidies received by Wal Mart to open a store; doesn't that suggest that the legislators view a Wal Mart store as a providing +ve economic benefit overall.
Surely it is at the legislature you should direct your criticism.

I'll say this for you tho' MsJO, you really are a champion of the underdog.
I mean that most sincerely. lol.

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RE: Walmart - High Cost of Low Prices - 4/7/2007 7:41:16 AM   
sambamanslilgirl


Posts: 10926
Joined: 2/5/2007
From: Chicago, IL
Status: offline 		unfortunately, in the neighborhood where i live, a Wal-Mart would be a welcome site to have. here's why - in this Black community you have to drive and/or take public transportation out of your way to get to the nearest Target or Wal-Mart store; there's not that many mom-n-pop stores here in the community to begin unless you count the many Family Dollar Store business that keep popping up; and this community desperately need the economic revilitalization to boost jobs and development ...perhaps better services and more economic opportunities this way.

now the neighborhood i'm describing is called Englewood and if you live in Chicago, you will notice that Englewood has more vacant lots/buildings than anywhere in the city.  i wouldn't mind having a Wal-Mart where i reside in fact there are many open and unused lots large enough for a Super Wal-Mart because as i mentioned earlier, you have to drive and/or public trans just to get the nearest store around especially a grocery store in certain areas.  the little corner stores charge prices over 150% than what items normally would cost at a Jewel's or Food 4 Less store yet people who don't want to wait for a bus will gladly pay the overcharge without second thought.



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RE: Walmart - High Cost of Low Prices - 4/7/2007 8:37:16 AM   
juliaoceania


Posts: 21383
Joined: 4/19/2006
From: Somewhere Over the Rainbow
Status: offline 		I put some terms into google... see how many communities want to block Walmart from their neighborhoods

http://www.google.com/search?q=communities+blocking+walmart&hl=en&rls=HPIC,HPIC:2005-25,HPIC:en&start=10&sa=N

Inglewood in California is a poor community with a high percentage of Black Americans... they did not seem to agree with your estimation that Walmart would be a good thing to have around

http://money.cnn.com/2004/04/07/news/fortune500/walmart_inglewood/

For those who think that my posting about this is a waste of time educating people on the harm that walmart does to their lives directly and indirectly, the residents of Inglewood were told they were wasting their time too. I suppose there is something ironic about wasting your time telling me I am wasting mine. I do not mind wasting my time, each one teach one... if one person sees the documentary and learns from it and quits shopping at Walmart or passes the link to someone else that gets fired up and starts a petition to block walmart... that is very satisfying for me. I have gotten emails on this forum and others about information I have posted that people thanked me for... don't like what I post, don't reply... just like I do not have to shop at walmart.. you do not have to reply to me



_____________________________

Once you label me, you negate me ~ Soren Kierkegaard

Reality has a well known Liberal Bias ~ Stephen Colbert

Great minds discuss ideas; Average minds discuss events; Small minds discuss people. Eleanor Roosevelt

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