School Wrong on Wal-Mart 

Editor:

Well the day has come. Wal-Mart is here (Blog Jammin', June 14). Are we better for it? Hell no. We have heard the arguments about what they do to Main Street and our communities. They are true. We have heard that their labor practices are abominable. And that is also true. What more can they do to be offensive?  Have a Christian Church bless it. Don't they make enough millions of dollars on the backs of their workers? They have to call on a church to bless it? But wait! There's more. The Eureka High School Honor Guard will be present to offer its colors as well. I'm not sure who pays for the flags they carry. And I don't know who paid to transport the kids to this "grand" opening. And I'm not even sure if these kids missed school to help welcome mighty, mighty Wal-Mart to our community. While the church might be none of my business, I'm wondering if my tax dollars helped support any of this Honor Guard hoopla. 

So I called Leanne Lanning, superintendent of Eureka City Schools. She wasn't sure about who paid for what either but said, "It is a public event." Well, is it? It takes place on private property (the Bayshore Mall). It supports private enterprise. Don't get me wrong. I have nothing against private enterprise. Except when it works to screw over working people. Ms. Lanning just wasn't sure and might or might not look into it. Well, someone should.

And by the way: I expect you will be flooded with letters from people who are sure that I along with others opposed to Wal-Mart's practices will be first in line. That may just be their way of assuaging their guilt for indulging in hurting hardworking people and filling their pockets. Trust me. It's Wal-Mart who benefits from Wal-Mart. Not the workers. Not the shoppers. Not the community. And hell no, I won't go.

Eda Bachrach, Eureka

Pay to Say

Editor:

Good for Marcy Burstiner (Media Maven, June 7). Once again she gets it right: "Free Speech" is simply another commodity -- (which of course is why it's valuable).
Let's all just stop whining and allow the invisible hand of the "Free Market" to regulate the prices of our political liberties without any further governmental interference.

Nicholas Marlowe, Salmon Creek