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
This article appears in What’s Organic?.
If you don’t like it, then move! Or better yet don’t go shopping at Wal-mart like you say, but stop bitching about it!
If you don’t like it, then move! Or better yet don’t go shopping at Wal-mart like you say, but stop bitching about it!
You seem to be the only one bitching here William
I consider it amusing how many people are anti Walmart. They complain about their personnel policies and completion with local merchants, etc.
Yet they will shop at Target, Kmart, Sears and all the other corporate businesses which basically have the same employee policies as Walmart and compete with the locals.
Many of these complainers drive large, gas guzzlers, have boats, go on expensive holidays, buy homes they really cannot afford and are deep in debt as they support many other large corporations who don’t treat their employees any better than Walmart does.
I stated it’s amusing but not really, they are hypocritical, boring individuals.
There are as many reasons for hating Walmart as there are different types of people who won’t shop there, but the Walmart defenders like Harmon look pretty similar to me.
Funny how an article about tax payers dollars being used to usher in an “age or WAL-MART prosperity” by having the Eureka High School Band turn into a debate for/against a Wal-Mart in Humboldt. Interesting that William or Harmon don’t have a comment about that. And William Barnhart – are you suggesting that if I/WE don’t like something in MY/OUR community that I/WE SHOULD just pick up and MOVE?!? WOW, I guess everything IS Perfect in your world? Nothing wrong as you see it? Don’t complain about any of OUR community ills – just move?! Did I really read your comment correctly? And Harmon, more tea please?
The prescient point about Walmart, aside from it’s well-documented bad-neighbor practices, is always lost because media never covers it.
All the national research, including the ONLY local professional economic research, confirm that rural communities cannot sustain unlimited numbers of poverty-wage jobs.
Eureka surpassed its sustainable limits back in 1999, according to Bay Area Economics.
If citizens were better informed, the other majority might finally register to vote and stop electing, and reelecting the same old developer-backed candidates.
Thank you, Ms. Bachrach, for your excellent letter. It was my understanding that it was the EHS Junior ROTC that stood guard at the Wal-Mart opening. Why did EHS think that teaching these kids that it was their civic duty to stand guard for corporate interests. I hope the EHS parents are asking questions about what their children are being taught. As for the ignorant comments on the letter I wish people would educate themselves. There is an enormous amount of info out there about the harm Wal-Marts do to the communities they go to. The money they make does not stay in this county, wages they pay are minimal and worker abuse is rampant. They cost the county/state money to subsidize their workers with health care, food stamps, etc. They literally take money out of schools and public services.
Cornelious, “we” did not make W-M the biggest business in the world, their abusive practices world-wide did. They have used their power to force businesses to supply them at lower and lower prices so American jobs and businesses have been lost and jobs have gone overseas. Workers in China are paid .13 to .28 cents/hour, live in horrific conditions, work 60-80 hour weeks to make Kathy Lee products for Wal-Mart. Everyone who buys those products at W-M are showing that they approve of W-M business practices.
Everywhere a Wal-Mart opens local businesses that pay decent wages and keep money local close. The Corneliouses of the world batter start waking up and educating themselves because their ignorance is very costly to their children and to society as a whole.
“I don’t support this megacorp, but I support this megacorp!”- SYLVIA DE ROOY
Walmart must REALLY treat their employees bad, and not pay them enough to get by. Perhaps you should re-examine your statements.
When I was growing up, my father worked at a Walmart. Contrary to what you people might think, we didn’t have to get on welfare because of it. A paycheck from Walmart put clothes on my back, food on our table, and a roof over our heads.
But I must be dreaming this because nothing Walmart does can ever be good.
Some of you people are never happy unless you can be protesting something or someone, especially if they aren’t local. I’m sure if Walmart got its start in Humboldt County grew just as big, you would have absolutely no problem with them building stores anywhere in Humboldt County.
Scott’s dad’s pay was subsidized by the women who were paid less than the men at that time. If Scott thinks that one can raise a family on Walmart wages, he should give it a try.
Buzz, apparently you didn’t read my comment. My father DID exactly what you said can’t be done. He raised two sons on a Walmart salary. We even had health insurance and dental insurance. But go on and keep believing that Walmart is bad and that absolutely nobody can get by on a Walmart salary.
I’m sorry that you don’t understand the past tense, Scott. Perhaps your dad should have sent you to better schools, considering his generous Walmart compensation.
This article only shows one person’s selfish opinion, and that’s it. Eda Bachrach has missed a crucial point. This isn’t about her or Eureka High School – this store coming here is about everyone in the community. Looking at it from a community perspective shows that more people will benefit from Wal-Mart being here, rather than not. If poverty wasn’t so prevalent in this region then maybe it’d be a different situation. Majority rules in cases like this.
Buzz, I should have expected such a response from the people who frequent this page.
I understand you aren’t happy that I found an exception to your argument. However, that does not mean that you need to resort to a personal attack on me; that is something that a child would do.
Enjoy your directionless protests.
Y wud u ever pay more when u cud pay less? thats simple ecanomics.
btw I love walmart and welcome them to are community. 🙂
Blah, blah, blah, blah!
WalMart is here now so deal with it! Don’t shop there if you don’t want to, but leave everyone else who does alone. Go shop at the other corporations that you do support. It’s here now and let people be. Don’t you have anything better to do?
Scott, I’m sorry that you are unable to read and comprehend. I understand your argument that your dad made a decent living years ago with Walmart, though you haven’t offered to run down to the mall and sign up with Walmart.
My uncle was a butcher at a packing plant and he bought a house and provided for a wife and four kids. His position is now an eight dollar per hour job. By your brand of logic, that’s a living wage.
Do you understand what I’m saying here? I know it’s hard for you.