As opening day approaches for Eureka’s Wal-Mart (behold the interactive 360-degree panorama of the construction site above), a story in today’s New York Times shows just how far the biggest of big box retailers will go in its “relentless pursuit of growth.”
The exhaustive story (this sucker clocks in at nearly 8,000 words) reports widespread bribery of government officials by executives of Wal-Mart de Mexico. A whistleblower says that the company engaged in an orchestrated bribery campaign “to obtain permits in virtually every corner of the country.” When Wal-Mart’s U.S. leaders were informed that Mexican and U.S. laws had likely been broken, they took a willfully blind, half-assed approach to an internal investigation, the story reports.
A former executive of Wal-Mart de Mexico says the bribes “targeted mayors and city council members, obscure urban planners, low-level bureaucrats who issued permits — anyone with the power to thwart Wal-Mart’s growth.”
In 1999, Wal-Mart tried and failed to convince Eureka voters to support a zoning change on the so-called Balloon Track property. Their entry to the Bayshore Mall required no such zoning change or voter approval.
PREVIOUSLY: Humboldt’s Wal-Mart Resistance
This article appears in The Wine Maker.
What’s the difference between a bribe and a campaign contribution? In this counter they are the exact same thing…
Bribery!!!! In Mexico!!!! I’m Shock!!!!! We better sent in Kim Star. Andy can go also, so he take pictures to post on your Spam Blog……..
Walmart is corrupt everywhere, not just in Mexico. The bribes in the US are political “donations” and, if anything, are more destructive of the “free market” and the American working class than bribes to petty bureaucrats in Mexico.
WROGERS: What is it called when WalMart pays so little to its common workers that the local taxpayer systems, live healthcare, have to help support those workers?
Hmm. Maybe bribery is not the word I am thinking of.
I’m so very glad that the Journal is covering Wal-Mart de Mexico’s issues and has zero coverage of the robbery at Coast Central Credit Union. I look forward to The Northcoast Journal’s coverage of SAAB going bankrupt and hopefully coverage of Kmart Australia earnings.
How about Sony Japan? Maybe tell us about Damier AG next.
How about some coverage of good old Apple Inc….Ryan and Andy go to N.Y. Times website, Search “Apple Inc.”….Keywords: Justice Department Antitrust, Human costs for workers in China.
How about the local grow shop that got busted for selling grow additives loaded with cancer causing goodies? But yes Brian, last time I checked, Walmart didnt have suicide nets outside their buildings for their employees!
At least the spam on these threads doesn’t attempt to be clever.
Holy shit! Chinese SPAM! Must be from Walmart!
While the NCJ strikes out to the wider world of news, let’s see other neat Humboldt County news stories:
How about people treating medicine with cancer causing agents?
http://www.rollitup.org/general-marijuana-growing/459639-warning-carcinogens-found-humboldt-countys.html
Blaze up my friends!
If you haven’t looked at the NY Times article please do. Bribery is just one of the issues in the Mexico case, the other one is that the US Walmart execs clearly knew the international law was being broken and they then covered it up by conducting an in-house investigation run by one of those that had received bribes. Amazingly they found there was no wrong doing! The rapid approval by the City of Eureka in some mirrors the rapid approvals that occurred there. Coincidence?
“The rapid approval by the City of Eureka in some mirrors the rapid approvals that occurred there. Coincidence?”
Naw, they all got paid off.
Ei incumbit probatio qui dicit, non qui negat.
via Puget Sound Sage:
“Our analysis finds evidence of significant direct and indirect impacts on the local economy associated with Walmart’s entry into the Skyway grocery market. The new Walmart grocery shifts consumption, diverting $25.38 million per year in sales from existing retailers in our base scenario. This translates into a drop in the total payroll value for all food sellers in the area of $655,000 per year or 1.2% percent of the total payroll value for grocery store employment within our study area.”
“When the direct and indirect effects of this change are considered, the impact rises to $898,000 in lost output, roughly 6.4 fulltime jobs and $998,000 in lost labor income. Although the positive impacts associated with redevelopment of the physical site contribute a direct positive effect of $2.67 million in economic output and $1.12 million in labor income in the first year, this is not nearly enough to offset other changes over the twenty year life of the project. The total impact of all changes estimated in our Base scenario over a twenty year project lifespan is projected to be a net loss of $13.07 million in economic output and a similar loss of $14.51 million in labor income.”
the complete pdf report is here:
http://pugetsoundsage.org//downloads/Walmart-Fowler-Report-2012-04-06_1-1.pdf
“Puget Sound Sage brings together labor, faith and community to build an economy based on shared prosperity. We ensure all families benefit from economic growth, all workers are free from discrimination in the workplace and all development meets the needs of our communities.”
Oh a Pro-union “paper” that is a 501(c)3 non-profit CHURCH?
Grain of salt needs to be taken etc etc.
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