Walmart fights to build store in minority neighborhood
Walmart or bust
Strange thing going on here in California. You have Walmart using the city initiative process to be allowed to build a store IN a minority neighborhood.
I remember in the 90's all the snide references about how retailers wouldn't bring their goods and services to minority neighborhoods. (And btw, for the most part they still haven't)
Now you have someone like Walmart wanting to build one of their huge stores in Inglewood. The place where they want to build it is basically empty asphalt. When you go to places like Inglewood it is basically boarded up older buildings with the occasional small business. There are of course tons of fastfood joints, and liquor stores. Even the supermarkets like Vons or so forth 20 brands of beer instead of any say... notebook paper.
Walmart wants to come in and give people a place to shop. They get called a plantation and racist for this. Of course if they didn't want to build they would get called..... well I think we see the point.
Two cents please...
Nick
Strange thing going on here in California. You have Walmart using the city initiative process to be allowed to build a store IN a minority neighborhood.
I remember in the 90's all the snide references about how retailers wouldn't bring their goods and services to minority neighborhoods. (And btw, for the most part they still haven't)
Now you have someone like Walmart wanting to build one of their huge stores in Inglewood. The place where they want to build it is basically empty asphalt. When you go to places like Inglewood it is basically boarded up older buildings with the occasional small business. There are of course tons of fastfood joints, and liquor stores. Even the supermarkets like Vons or so forth 20 brands of beer instead of any say... notebook paper.
Walmart wants to come in and give people a place to shop. They get called a plantation and racist for this. Of course if they didn't want to build they would get called..... well I think we see the point.
Two cents please...
Nick
Comments
Why should *any* corporation be allowed to bully into *any* neighborhood if the residents don't want them there?
The condition of the neighborhood is irrelevant. The color of the skin is irrelevant.
If it was Target would that make everyone feel better?
Originally posted by Kickaha
Sorry, no, I don't see your point.
Why should *any* corporation be allowed to bully into *any* neighborhood if the residents don't want them there?
The condition of the neighborhood is irrelevant. The color of the skin is irrelevant.
They are meeting and exceeding all building codes. They own the property. The residents will indicate whether they want them there via this initiative process. It is only the city council who have decided to hold the project hostage likely for corrupt and questionable purposes.
Nick
Originally posted by Scott
Because it's zoned for commercial and we live in a free country incase you forgot. Private property means something. I doubt the people that live there are against it.
If it was Target would that make everyone feel better?
I wouldn't be so sure that the community isnt against it. A west philly neighborhood fought for 5 years to prevent the building of a mcdonalds. Communities like these depend strongly on the maintenance of locally owned stores, since no one else is really funneling money back into the community. It is better for the community to provide a workforce for outside communities and keep outside owned stores away than to work for outside owned stores inside their community. The 90's were a period of change mostly because these communities realized they can be self-sufficient without a Kmart...
Originally posted by trumptman
Walmart wants to come in and give people a place to shop.
True, but Wal-Mart does have far more nefarious intentions- like taking over the world. The argument against Wal-Mart building in the community is that it will use its size to force out smaller business- legitimate concerns for local community leaders. Don't you think?
The community will vote on it- but it's already a bit unfair because Wal-Mart is using it's tremendous resources to influence the vote.
Originally posted by ShawnJ
True, but Wal-Mart does have far more nefarious intentions- like taking over the world. The argument against Wal-Mart building in the community is that it will use its size to force out smaller business- legitimate concerns for local community leaders. Don't you think?
The community will vote on it- but it's already a bit unfair because Wal-Mart is using it's tremendous resources to influence the vote.
Yes, WalMart is fscking up America. Bad. But they are not beyond the power of a devoted group of citizens. In my hometown, WalMart wanted to put in a gas station for Murphy Oil USA, which was less than 200 yards from our only local river and 300 yards from our drinking water intake. And they wanted to do it with no catch basin, based on technicalities. Over 5000 people in a town of 40,000 signed the petition. WalMart & Murphy backed down.
Here is an excellent article.
Originally posted by ShawnJ
True, but Wal-Mart does have far more nefarious intentions- like taking over the world. The argument against Wal-Mart building in the community is that it will use its size to force out smaller business- legitimate concerns for local community leaders. Don't you think?
The community will vote on it- but it's already a bit unfair because Wal-Mart is using it's tremendous resources to influence the vote.
This Walmart will employ more people than those local shops. Most of those local shops are predatory and overcharge to provide the services that no one else will bring to the community. I'm sure no one will miss the assortment of Pawn Shops, cell and beeper shops, liquor stores and small grocery stores charging $6 for a gallon of milk.
And no I'm not generalizing, I've lived and worked in these neighborhoods.
Nick
Originally posted by billybobsky
I wouldn't be so sure that the community isnt against it. A west philly neighborhood fought for 5 years to prevent the building of a mcdonalds. Communities like these depend strongly on the maintenance of locally owned stores, since no one else is really funneling money back into the community. It is better for the community to provide a workforce for outside communities and keep outside owned stores away than to work for outside owned stores inside their community. The 90's were a period of change mostly because these communities realized they can be self-sufficient without a Kmart...
Blah blah blah. I used to live on the south side of Chicago and drove through places like this all the time. I'm going to bet you know little to nothing about the local economics of places like this. WALMART is funneling money into the community. By hiring people and providing cheap goods.
People like you keep people poor and under severed while you push some pie in the sky solution that hasn't worked before and wont work now. Rather than to do that why not let Walmart build a huge store, hire lost of people and sell stuff at a cheap price to people that can't afford to pay too much.
i realize that people will be employed either way. i also realize that locally owned stores keep money locally. a walmart most likely won't increase employment.
i WORK in west philly. i WALK through the neighborhood daily.
i will LIVE there come this summer.
so go to hell.
Originally posted by Jubelum
Yes, WalMart is fscking up America. Bad. But they are not beyond the power of a devoted group of citizens. In my hometown, WalMart wanted to put in a gas station for Murphy Oil USA, which was less than 200 yards from our only local river and 300 yards from our drinking water intake. And they wanted to do it with no catch basin, based on technicalities. Over 5000 people in a town of 40,000 signed the petition. WalMart & Murphy backed down.
Here is an excellent article.
Wal-Mart, the biggest company in the world, is far beyond the power of a devoted group of citizens in many respects. But I do like what you're saying here. Citizens can still vote to ban Wal-Mart regardless of how many hundreds of thousands of dollars the company spends in opposition. They have power too. My only point is that Wal-Mart enters the debate with a significant advantage in resources.
Originally posted by trumptman
This Walmart will employ more people than those local shops. Most of those local shops are predatory and overcharge to provide the services that no one else will bring to the community. I'm sure no one will miss the assortment of Pawn Shops, cell and beeper shops, liquor stores and small grocery stores charging $6 for a gallon of milk.
And no I'm not generalizing, I've lived and worked in these neighborhoods.
Nick
Admittedly, I don't have your experience working and living in those neighborhoods. But I think it's doubtful the small business situation is as dire as you describe. Maybe I'm wrong?
Originally posted by billybobsky
so go to hell.
Here's a Public Service Announcement from the AO Transit Authority:
The chartered trolley to hell leaves from the sticky at the top of the forum every 30 minutes, from 8am-10pm. Stops are made in lockville, flametown, and modland. Please adjust your schedules accordingly. Thank you.
Originally posted by ShawnJ
Admittedly, I don't have your experience working and living in those neighborhoods. But I think it's doubtful the small business situation is as dire as you describe. Maybe I'm wrong?
It's worse than he described. People in the inner city pay $3.50 for a gallon of milk because they don't have a car to drive to the store with cheap milk and if they paid the bus fare, that would negate the savings.. What incentives does their local market have to offer milk for less? None. There is usually one or two place to get milk and that's it. They have a captive audience. This doesn't even mention pawn shops, check-and-go, and other ways to get the money from the uneducated and poor.
Originally posted by Jubelum
Here's a Public Service Announcement from the AO Transit Authority:
The chartered trolley to hell leaves from the sticky at the top of the forum every 30 minutes, from 8am-10pm. Stops are made in lockville, flametown, and modland. Please adjust your schedules accordingly. Thank you.
Continue on.... My comments were only directed at scott whose tone was unnecessarily condescending. Sorry to offend anyone else...
A park where there is asphalt would probably do more good than a walmart...
Originally posted by progmac
It's worse than he described. People in the inner city pay $3.50 for a gallon of milk because they don't have a car to drive to the store with cheap milk and if they paid the bus fare, that would negate the savings.. What incentives does their local market have to offer milk for less? None. There is usually one or two place to get milk and that's it. They have a captive audience. This doesn't even mention pawn shops, check-and-go, and other ways to get the money from the uneducated and poor.
That's terrible. I'm not sure what to think now.
walmart ghetto
walmart skank
walmart whore
walmart junkie
walmart apocalypse
...found nothing but random WalMart links...
WalMart OWNS Google...the end is near. Goodnight.
Originally posted by ShawnJ
That's terrible. I'm not sure what to think now.
I'll tell you what I think. People in these neighborhoods need place to shop exactly like Walmart. Walmart is famous for driving down the prices and if that puts a few predatory pawn shops, and liquor stores out of business, I don't consider it a loss at all.
The other thing is that these shopping centers often need a serious anchor store to bring in the smaller shops that are just as necessary, but won't show up without the guaranteed business. Magic Johnson was considered a hero for doing exactly this type of thing with his theaters. I know for a fact that he wasn't chastized to unionize his theaters. He is hailed as a hero while Walmart is called a plantation owner.
You get a Walmart, bring lots of business to a location. Then don't be surprised if soon there is a Lowes, a movie theater, a couple of chain restaurants, etc bring work to these communities and keeping dollars in these communities.
Nick
Originally posted by trumptman
I'll tell you what I think. People in these neighborhoods need place to shop exactly like Walmart. Walmart is famous for driving down the prices and if that puts a few predatory pawn shops, and liquor stores out of business, I don't consider it a loss at all.
Pay at an anti-union joint like Walmart is worse for the neighborhood.
Originally posted by bunge
Pay at an anti-union joint like Walmart is worse for the neighborhood.
That's because the pay is artificially inflated because of the lack of competition with the existing businesses and their ability to gouge the poor people.
Originally posted by bunge
Pay at an anti-union joint like Walmart is worse for the neighborhood.
Wow, I wish mentally I could be satisfied with just asserting something with no basis in reality.
Last time I checked, Walmart didn't have some sort of exclusion that would allow them to pay less than minimum wage. The lowest that they could pay their workers is the California minimum wage which is $6.75 an hour.
The point is that retail wages are not great no matter who pays them. Of course being able to work flexible hours, inside an air conditioned building for basically unskilled labor are the trade-offs. I'm sure that if no one wants to improve their lot, they can be a manager making $10-$14 an hour in 5-10 years. This would be true for any place else as well. You are not going to go to Rite-Aid, K-Mart, Target, heck even Best Buy, Circuit City or someplace like that and be making $20 an hour.
In life you have two things you can work that will bring in more money, your body or your brain. Retail does neither and and as a result, pays less compared to say oil refinery worker or say, engineer.
But because we can't guarantee that working retail will suck less in a poverty striken neighborhood, let's give everyone no place to shop, call the store a plantation, and of course let them continue to pay a couple bucks more for something as basic as milk.
Nick