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In 2008, we had another Walmart open here in the Eastern Panhandle. This one appears from a distance to be a super-humongous version with everything from turnips to tables to tractors. (I haven't set foot inside, so I don't know for sure.)
Over at OpenLeft, Eating Liberally Food For Thought writer Kerry Trueman asks a question worth periodically revisiting, "Should We Shop At Wal-Mart?"
Here's an extended version of the question:
I used to shop at Wal-Mart, until I figured out that low prices based on lousy labor practices and shoddy made-in-China schlock are not such a bargain. But now that Wal-Mart--America's largest food retailer--has jumped on the organic bandwagon, it's making organic products available to folks who lack the access or means to shop at farmers' markets or, say, Whole Foods. Wal-Mart has also made a great show of going green, and just shelled out more than $352 million in what may be the "largest settlement ever for lawsuits over wage violations. ... Is it OK to advocate shopping there if it's the only way you can get your hands on organic stuff (even if it's industrial organic)?
The entire post is well worth a read. You'll learn a lot about the organic foods and why what you get at Walmart is not quite the same as what you get elsewhere.
Some considerations:
Wal-Mart is so huge that it's easy to make the argument that any "good" thing Wal-Mart does - from stocking organic food to changing to energy-saving lightbulbs - makes a huge impact. And in a sense, that is absolutely true. But its potential to make a huge positive impact in one arena can't be viewed in isolation from its potential to hugely screw things up in other arenas. Looking at the sum total seems to be the only way to answer that question fairly.
Fair enough. And what does that sum total look like? On organic... Walmart's relentless pursuit of low prices is inconsistent with the spirit of organic. In the process of offering organic products, they are undermining the standards for organic production and giving consumers a lower quality product than many assume they are purchasing. In other arenas... Walmart's labor and supplier practices are largely unchanged.
For me, I'm still boycotting the Walmart in 2009.
What do you think? Is shopping at Walmart consistent with progressive values?
As many of you know, there is a lot of buzz about a possible statewide boycott on members of the West Virginia Chamber of Commerce.
This could be a very difficult undertaking. Many of us have friends and relatives who are small business owners. They might have joined the Chamber for no other reason than to improve their chance of success for their share of the American dream.
Many of these members may be oblivious to the underhanded tactics of the Chamber and its push to own the government of West Virginia and trample on the democratic rights of its citizens.
But here is the bottom line. Every dollar we spend with these businesses goes toward paying the dues of Chamber members, and that money in turn, goes to the Chamber's attempts to undermine democracy in our state.
Its simple, in order to stop the boycott, all a business has to do is resign from the Chamber.
It is our right to choose the final desitnation of the money that we put into the economy. It is our obligation to see that it's used for constructive and progressive purposes.
AP doesn't welcome blog links. Until they agree to play fair, it's time to boycott all AP stories no matter what paper they appear at.
Fair use is still the law of the land and there are plenty of news sources that readily welcome the extra traffic and google page rank boost that comes from inbound links.
(Sorry, Lawrence Messina... maybe as a blogger, you can help, um, educate your corporate offices on how short-sighted their latest intimidation tactics are.)
This week corporate America reached a new low. Circuit City openly announced a plan that most companies would be too embarrassed to admit even thinking of.
Circuit City, has a relatively small presence in West Virginia, with stores in Clarksburg, Charleston and Vienna. By the time you finish reading this diary, you'll be eager to find somewhere else to shop.
The electronics retailer said Wednesday that it plans to cut costs by laying off about 3,400 retail workers, or 8.5 percent of its in-store staff, and hiring lower-paid employees to replace them.
Yes, let that message sink in:
The electronics retailer plans to cut costs by laying off 8.5 percent of its in-store staff and hiring lower-paid employees to replace them.
If ever there was an argument for a mandatory unions, this would be it. Circuit City didn't talk to workers about how to could improve efficiency. Circuit City didn't ask workers for wage concessions. Circuit City didn't tell workers they were freezing wages. Circuit City didn't cut benefits. Circuit City didn't offer workers alternative, lower paying jobs.
Circuit City arbitrarily told the highest paying in-store staff you're out of work. Sorry, folks, you've been here too long. We've given you too many raises. The extended warranty has run out. We're exchanging you for a new, lower cost appliance. It may not work as well, but it'll be cheap!
The only silver lining, if there's one at all, is Circuit City's action is getting some small notice. [Not nearly enough yet... there's been no mention by WVa press that I can find.]
I suggest we all follow technology writer Russell Shaw's lead and take our business elsewhere:
Updated: See end of extended text for bonus embarrassing Shelley Moore Capito fact.
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