Blogging Blue » Wal-Mart

Congratulations to Wal-Mart

Jeff Simpson — Tue, 21 Jun 2011 13:20:05 +0000

The Corporatist Supreme Court has now given you carte blanche to continue treating women as second class citizens. Despite lower courts ruling that the \"Dukes\" case should proceed as a class action, even Wal-Marts own lawyers urged settling of the case. In the new gilded age those who have the gold make the rules, and few people have more of the gold than the Walton’s. They took it right to Justice Scalia and friends because they knew whose side they were on. Instances like this:

Women who were given such astounding explanations for the inequality right before their eyes: Kathleen Macdonald, a clerk in Aiken, South Carolina, found out that her male co-workers were paid better — it was no secret, she says, “They bragged about it!” — and when she asked why, was told by her supervisor that “God made Adam first.” He did feel that some men take this prerogative to “an extreme — when they beat their women.”

Mean nothing when there is profit to be made. Now it is time for the women to dress sexy, put on more make up and get back to work!

“When I go back to work tomorrow, I’m going to let them know we are still fighting,” said Christine Kwapnoski, an assistant manager at a Sam’s Club in Concord, California. She had accused a male manager of yelling at female employees and telling her to “doll up” by wearing more makeup and dressing better while working on a loading dock.

It should not be surprising since the “tea party” election wave of 2010, there has been a war on women! Whatever it takes to save a buck on a blender!

Follow Walker’s money

Zach W — Wed, 23 Feb 2011 12:42:51 +0000

If you’ve ever wondered exactly which corporate interests contributed to Gov. Scott Walker’s gubernatorial campaign in 2010, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel has a useful database that allows folks to “follow the money” and see exactly which corporate interests donated to Gov. Walker’s campaign.

Here’s just a few highlights:

$28,000 from the Koch brothers (I wonder how that no-bid power plant provision in the budget “repair” bill will work out for the Koch brothers)
$15,000 from Wal-Mart
$14,930 from Journal Broadcast Group (No wonder they’re so in love with Walker)
$43,125 from the Concerned Realtors Committee (I’m betting they’re loving the choice of Cathy “developer’s best friend” Stepp as DNR Secretary)

Senator Bernie Sanders – Fiscally Responsible!

Jeff Simpson — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 16:16:13 +0000

While Wisconsin has always been a very political state with some of the most well known(good and bad) political figures on the national scene, a few of our current representatives(Ryan, Sensenbrenner, Kind, etc..) could take lessons from the Honorable Senator Sanders in how to represent their constiuents.

Here Senator Sanders explains how, while the Republicans are screaming about we need to pay for helping the unemployed(IE middle and lower class), to make it deficit neutral. Then they offer up completely eliminating the estate tax(it is not the death tax, sorry frank luntz). As Senator Sanders points out “This huge tax break for the wealthy, if passed, would increase the national debt by more than $1 trillion over a ten-year period.” Yet there does not seem to be anywhere they have offered to offset the deficit with this. Curiouser and curiouser….

This estate tax(which the founders would of loved by the way), affects only 3/1oths of 1 percent of families in the country. It only kicks in on estates that total MORE than $3.5 million dollars.

Lets let Senator Sanders again talk about this tax in real terms:

“Well, if we completely repealed the estate tax, it would provide an estimated $32 billion tax break for the Walton family — the founders of Wal-Mart. ”

So just to be clear, Paul ryan, Sensenbrenner, et all… think ist unacceptable to give your unemployed neighbor $200 a week to survive on and that it is also unacceptable to not give the Walton family $32 Billion dollars worth of welfare…..

And they think they they are in position to win both houses???

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rep-bernie-sanders/why-do-republicans-want-t_b_653214.html

Big Box Mart

Zach W — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 23:02:32 +0000

Try JibJab Sendables® eCards today!

Instead of a Wal-Mart, why not strive for something better?

Zach W — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 23:56:49 +0000

It’s safe to say Randy Hollenbeck loves him some Wal-Mart. It seems every chance he gets, he’s blogging about how great Wal-Mart would be for Cudahy, as if Wal-Mart is the end all, be all when it comes to spurring business growth in Cudahy. Randy thinks Wal-Mart would be a catalyst for new business development in Cudahy, but I’m wondering
if the folks in Hastings, Minnesota felt the same way until Wal-Mart abandoned its store in that town, leaving an empty shell (and a big one at that):

In Hastings, Wal-Mart moved on to a newer part of town four years ago, turning its old strip mall hub into a “ghost village,” according to mayoral candidate Anthony Price, who lives nearby.

I’ve always believed Cudahy could do better than a Wal-Mart for the abandoned IcePort site, and I’ve never been a believer that the only way to promote business development in the “downtown” part of Cudahy was to bring a Wal-Mart to the IcePort site. In fact, good businesses are already starting to come to Cudahy, as the owners of the Rosebud Cinema have announced plans to convert the vacant Kohl’s food store to a four-screen cinema with sit-down dining.

I know it’s hard to be patient, but I’ve always been a believer in the notion that good things come to those who wait, and perhaps a little patience is in order when it comes to the IcePort site. Don’t settle for the first proposal that comes your way; instead wait for the right proposal. Wait for something Cudahy can be proud of.

The Wal-Mart cure-all?

Zach W — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 00:43:36 +0000

CudahyNOW blogger Randy Hollenbeck is a big fan of Wal-Mart. He’s made it clear he wants to see a Wal-Mart come to the failed IcePort site in Cudahy, and in a recent blog entry, he asserted Cudahy doesn’t have a business-friendly reputation because of the unwillingness of elected officials in Cudahy to allow Wal-Mart to build a store on the IcePort site.

Hollenbeck goes on to say, “Walmart, like them or not, gave the city the best chance of building a retail complex with maybe an applebees, best buy, or other stores who gravitate to a major retail hub such as them.” Now I don’t know about Randy Hollenbeck, but I haven’t seen many Best Buys or Applebee’s “gravitating” to Wal-Mart. In fact, I can’t think of a single instance where there’s a Best Buy in close proximity to a Wal-Mart, and I’m assuming that’s due in large part to the fact that Wal-Mart and Best Buy are competitors when it comes to the sales of electronics, movies, music, etc.

So here’s what I’d like to know:

How is a Wal-Mart going to solve all the problems plaguing the City of Cudahy?
How is a Wal-Mart in Cudahy going to solve the drug problems plaguing Cudahy?
How is a Wal-Mart in Cudahy going to prevent businesses like IQ Buffet and Breakwater Records from going out of business?
How is a Wal-Mart in Cudahy going to cut the rash of garage robberies?

I’d love to hear someone answer these questions.

More on Cudahy’s Wal-Mart

Zach W — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 23:38:09 +0000

There’s been a lot of controversy recently about the possibility of a Wal-Mart being placed on the site of the failed IcePort development in Cudahy’s downtown area. The Mayor of Cudahy, Ryan McCue, is the subject of a recall effort after voting against allowing the Wal-Mart in Cudahy, despite his previously stated opposition to putting a taxpayer-subsidized Wal-Mart in Cudahy:

I do not think that the City of Cudahy should provide a $12 million tax subsidy to the world’s biggest retailer. Residents may not even see the tax benefits from the development for 20 years.

Throughout the controversy, websites have popped up both in support of the Wal-Mart and and in opposition to it, and there have been a lot of myths, half-truths and outright lies that have been told. Putting aside the issue of whether or not a Wal-Mart in Cudahy would be subsidized by Cudahy’s taxpayers – which I believe it would – there’s still the issue of Wal-Mart’s proven track record of trying to avoid paying its fair share of property taxes:

The Cudahy taxpayers have also been told that Cudahy can rely on Wal-Mart re-paying for this taxpayer subsidy of over $1000 per Cudahy family with the “new taxes” that will be paid by Wal-Mart in the future. First, at the present tax rates it will take Wal-Mart over 30 years before they would even pay off the existing Municipal Bond debt, let alone pay for the fire, police and other services provided by the City. Remember, their Menomonee Falls store did not even last that long, and closed after only 15 years. Second, the citizens of Tomah, Wisconsin also got similar promises from Wal-Mart just a few years ago when they subsidized a new Wal-Mart Distribution Center for multi-millions of tax dollars in their city. The ink on that agreement between Wal-Mart and the City of Tomah had barely dried when, after just a few years, Wal-Mart sued and won a $949,000 property tax refund from the City and a 25% reduction in future tax bills. Wal-Mart did not care that Tomah taxpayers would have an additional 20+ years of payments due on those Municipal Bonds issued for just that Wal Mart development.

For more information on the lengths Wal-Mart has gone to in order to dodge paying its fair share of taxes, click this link.

Wal-Mart as a “Top-Notch Development”

Zach W — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 00:38:25 +0000

So says Lisa B. Nelson, Senior Manager of Public Affairs for Wal-Mart, via Randy Hollenbeck’s blog (emphasis mine):

We’d like to set the record straight with regards to claims that Wal-Mart is asking for a taxpayer subsidy to build in Cudahy. Those making this claim are wrong, and are attempting to scare taxpayers and city officials.

Let us be clear: Wal-Mart will not receive, and is not asking for, any financial subsidy for its development.

It’s important to know however, that the City of Cudahy created a tax-increment finance district (TIF) years ago to develop the Iceport site, which failed. The City of Cudahy borrowed over $5 million to invest in this site. The city has spent this money, development has not occurred and because of that, a tax base at the Iceport site does not exist to repay this debt.

We want to be part of the solution. Wal-Mart will indeed pay taxes, and will create the property value necessary in the TIF to generate the revenue needed to finally make the Iceport site a success for Cudahy.

Continental Properties has put together a top-notch development that will create the tax base the city needs to repay its debt. At the same time, this plan brings a national discount retailer to the community and includes a state-of-the-art destination sports facility, retail shops and a hotel. All put together by a local, well-respected developer. It doesn’t get much better than that.

Close to a month ago, the plan for Cudahy Station appeared to be dead. But following some careful, creative planning, and the persistent, positive support of Cudahy residents, the plan for Cudahy Station has been given new life.

On June 10th a new plan will be presented to the Cudahy Plan Commission that addresses the concerns that have been raised. A great deal of time and thought has gone into its development, and we are appreciative for the opportunity to present again and answer questions.

The success we’ve had at Wal-Mart is very real – and it’s not only because we save people money, but because we help them live better. We do this in many ways, through jobs, opportunities, community involvement and of course, low prices that help stretch hard-earned dollars in today’s economy. We want to do that in Cudahy.

Please join us for the meeting on June 10th at 6:50pm at the Cudahy Municipal Building to see the new elements in the plan, and help us bring them to life in Cudahy.

Lisa B. Nelson
Senior Manager, Public Affairs
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc

Now maybe I’m just nitpicking, but do the phrases “top-notch development” and “national discount retailer” go together? Perhaps the folks in Cudahy will buy into the notion that a discount retailer is “top-notch” development for a site in Cudahy’s downtown area, but to me, the two don’t seem congruent. Now granted, I don’t have a background in urban planning or development, but when I think of “top-notch development,” my first thought isn’t of Wal-Mart.

Wal-Mart Should Run Our Health Care System!?!?!?!

Zach W — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 17:52:55 +0000

While she doesn’t come out and say it directly, that’s the impression I get from reading a recent blog entry by State Senator Mary Lazich. Now while one can’t be completely sure if Senator Lazich wrote that blog entry – or if it was written by Kevin Fischer, her loyal aide – it’s curious that Senator Lazich would opine that Wal-Mart should run our health care system, considering the problems Wal-Mart has in running its own health care plan. Here’s just a few points about how well Wal-Mart has administered health care coverage for its employees:

Wal-Mart reported in January 2006 that its health insurance only covers 43% of their 1.39 million employees, leaving over 775,000 employees without health insurance coverage.
Wal-Mart doesn’t even cover as high a percentage of its employees as other large companies. On average for 2005, large companies (200 or more workers) cover approximately 66% of their employees, while Wal-Mart only covers 43%.
Since the average full-time Wal-Mart employee earned $17,114 in 2005, he or she would have to spend between 7 and 25 percent of his or her income just to cover the premiums and medical deductibles, if electing for single coverage.
Between 2000-2005, the cost of premiums rose 169 percent for single coverage and 117 percent for family coverage.

Now maybe I’m crazy, but that doesn’t sound like a health care plan I’d want to be a part of, nor does it sound like a health care plan that’s well administered. Then again, considering the generosity Wal-Mart has shown to Senator Lazich, I suppose I shouldn’t be all that surprised that she thinks Wal-Mart has done a great job of insuring its employees. If I were her, I wouldn’t want to anger my corporate benefactors either.

H/T to Greg over at Metro Milwaukee Today.

More on the Cudahy Recall

Zach W — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 04:06:57 +0000

I’ve spent a little time talking about the effort to recall Cudahy Mayor Ryan McCue, and some folks within the Cheddarsphere have been very vocal in their support of the effort to recall McCue, but I can’t stop wondering about something:

Are these same folks who are so intent on recalling Ryan McCue perfectly okay with spending taxpayer dollars to fund a special election, should the recall prove successful? In these times when local municipalities are finding their budgets stretched thin, do Cudahy’s taxpayers really want to see their money being spent on a special election because a group of citizens engaged in a recall effort that strikes me as being an incredibly petty and spiteful response to one of their elected officials casting a vote they don’t agree with?

After all, that’s really what this recall election is all about; a vote cast by Ryan McCue. This recall isn’t about inappropriate or objectionable behavior, nor is it about illegal or corrupt behavior by an elected official; it’s about a group of folks getting their collective undies in a bunch because they want a Wal-Mart in Cudahy, and they think everyone should agree with them. I only hope this vocal minority – and that’s exactly what they seem to be – get put in their place, and I hope Ryan McCue remains as Cudahy’s Mayor for the remainder of his original term.