on Walmart

[ChinoCoug]

Originally Posted by BarbaraGordon

Right, this is exactly what I was wondering. I've noticed in the past that Wal-Mart is almost like a old-time company store. They set the standard for low wages in the area, then people go pick up their walmart paychecks, have no choice but to line up at wal-mart to buy all their stuff for the week, load it up on their Wal-mart credit card with their 5% employee discount, and support the very institution that's in part keeping them impoverished with substandard wages.

Oh here we go:

Neither paper estimated the impact of Wal-Mart on real wages. Presumably the workers
in the retail sector and more broadly also benefit from the lower prices that follow the entry of a
Wal-Mart. The nominal wage effects in both papers have to be compared to the 7 to 13 percent
retail price effect in the long run found by Basker or the reduction in the broader CPI found by
Global Insight. Taken together, the evidence appears to suggest that, even for retail workers, the
benefits of lower prices could outweigh any potential cost of lower wages – potentially leading
to higher real wages even in the retail sector.

The increased purchasing power the poor get from Walmart's low prices outweigh the alleged reduction in wages. The poor benefit disproportionately because they spend a higher % of their income on food.

And if you're a liberal like me, you shouldn't worry about "corporate welfare" and the government paying benefits for the poor instead of Walmart. This way the poor get cheap stuff and the government will compensate for their low wages through Medicare. Double bonus for the poor.

Hence Bayh and Richardson were wrong to protest, but at least they're not complete Walmart bashers. Biden and Edwards, go stick it (I know Edwards is gone but I wanna stick it to him one more time).

Obama-Walmart '08

[MikeWaters]

Originally Posted by BarbaraGordon

Since we keep going back to the same old toon in the other thread. I'll move this topic.

Okay, I've always heard both arguments about Wal-Mart, either
1. That it stimulates the economy by providing low-priced goods and gives people better quality of life than they could otherwise afford, and that it employs people that frankly might not be employable in other settings
or that
2. It keeps prices artificially low by paying substandard wages, by encouraging part-time employment to avoid providing benefits, and that it decreases competition by maintaining these prices that no one else can match. There are also allegations that workers are expected to work off the clock, etc etc.

so, really smart people, what's the story?

really, this is a veiled anti-Mormon post. Shame on you.

[jay santos]

Originally Posted by BarbaraGordon

Since we keep going back to the same old toon in the other thread. I'll move this topic.

Okay, I've always heard both arguments about Wal-Mart, either
1. That it stimulates the economy by providing low-priced goods and gives people better quality of life than they could otherwise afford, and that it employs people that frankly might not be employable in other settings
or that
2. It keeps prices artificially low by paying substandard wages, by encouraging part-time employment to avoid providing benefits, and that it decreases competition by maintaining these prices that no one else can match. There are also allegations that workers are expected to work off the clock, etc etc.

so, really smart people, what's the story?

#1

#2 sounds like Ayn Rand's looters complaining because another company is kicking their ass

[Solon]

People can and do argue both sides of this issue.

I read a pretty interesting book last year - The Wal-Mart Effect by Charles Fishman (Penguin, 2006) that tackles some of them.

[Someday, I promise to have an original thought instead of just listing someone else's book. But at least I'm still reading.]

Fishman makes no secret about his anti-Wal-mart agenda, but he does a decent job of giving their side of the story where Wal-Mart actually agreed to reveal information, and he admirably, but begrudgingly includes some of their counter-arguments towards the end. He is especially impressed with Wal-Mart's innovative and creative approaches to efficiency.

What impressed me most about Fishman's book was some of the statistics. For instance, Americans spend $36 million an hour, 24 hours a day at Wal-Mart (according to the back cover). 93% of Americans shop there at least once a year, and a Super-Center has about 120,000 items for sale.

[MikeWaters]

Originally Posted by Solon

People can and do argue both sides of this issue.

I read a pretty interesting book last year - The Wal-Mart Effect by Charles Fishman (Penguin, 2006) that tackles some of them.

[Someday, I promise to have an original thought instead of just listing someone else's book. But at least I'm still reading.]

Fishman makes no secret about his anti-Wal-mart agenda, but he does a decent job of giving their side of the story where Wal-Mart actually agreed to reveal information, and he admirably, but begrudgingly includes some of their counter-arguments towards the end. He is especially impressed with Wal-Mart's innovative and creative approaches to efficiency.

What impressed me most about Fishman's book was some of the statistics. For instance, Americans spend $36 million an hour, 24 hours a day at Wal-Mart (according to the back cover). 93% of Americans shop there at least once a year, and a Super-Center has about 120,000 items for sale.

I just got back from Wal-Mart to buy canning supplies. Did I miss anything?

[Solon]

Originally Posted by MikeWaters

I just got back from Wal-Mart to buy canning supplies. Did I miss anything?

Did you spend $36 million?

[MikeWaters]

Originally Posted by Solon

Did you spend $36 million?

No. And neither did the people in the store with me. After all, as a priest in my ward said when I suggested he work there, "it's the black and mexican wal-mart."

[Solon]

Originally Posted by MikeWaters

No. And neither did the people in the store with me. After all, as a priest in my ward said when I suggested he work there, "it's the black and mexican wal-mart."

Yikes. Did you lay the smack down?

[MikeWaters]

Originally Posted by Solon

Yikes. Did you lay the smack down?

politely, yes. after all, he is one of the only "full" whites among the YM.

[Solon]

Originally Posted by MikeWaters

politely, yes. after all, he is one of the only "full" whites among the YM.

Wow. You've got your work cut out for you, but I'm glad you're still trying. Maybe those kids will be grateful someday.