I don't hate wal-mart

[VJW]

Re: I don't hate wal-mart

I totally disagree with you. Just because walmart pays min wage does not mean they are driving down wages. If that is true then you should also say that it is true about McDonalds, Dairy Queen, KMart, Target, and most everywhere that pays min wage.

Except those businesses primary hire youth employees. Wal*Mart employees are primary adult women who earn a large chunk of the total income in their respective households.

There are alot of employers that pay min wage and do not offer benefits. It is not just wal mart.

But they are the largest employer in the country, both in real terms because they are the largest employer, but as a percentage, that is shifting the largest burden of their costs to state taxpayers.

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[VJW]

Re: I don't hate wal-mart

Do you know the relative cost/benefit of low food prices vs low wages/healthcare etc.? Does society see a net benefit or a net loss?

Well, with no increase in the Federal Minimum Wage over the last five calendar years, and the number of uninsured rising every year over the past five calendar years, we see that poverty has risen every year over the past five calendar years and wages of the vast overwhelming majority of American workers has declined every year over the past five calendar years.

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[Bruce Wayne]

Re: I don't hate wal-mart

Well, with no increase in the Federal Minimum Wage over the last five calendar years, and the number of uninsured rising every year over the past five calendar years, we see that poverty has risen every year over the past five calendar years and wages of the vast overwhelming majority of American workers has declined every year over the past five calendar years.

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With respect, you've only answered one side of the equation. You say that the minimum wage hasn't dropped but you havn't provided a)any figures for WalMart wages, or b)any figures for food costs during that period.

[VJW]

Re: I don't hate wal-mart

With respect, you've only answered one side of the equation. You say that the minimum wage hasn't dropped

No, I posted that the Federal Minimum Wage has not been INCREASED over the last five calendar years. Which, I may add, by default means it has decreased with inflation.

but you havn't provided a)any figures for WalMart wages

But you specified “society” in general, not Wal*Mart.

b)any figures for food costs during that period.

Well, that would be a rather large undertaking, but as an example, the cost of the entire dairy category recently rose at the fastest rate since the 1940s.

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[cicy33]

Re: I don't hate wal-mart

Except those businesses primary hire youth employees. Wal*Mart employees are primary adult women who earn a large chunk of the total income in their respective households.

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While I do know that mcd's does hire mostly kids (I used to work there when I was about 19) there are becoming more and more adults. Our hometown mcd's has a pretty even ratio. Mostly due to the fact that mcd's will work around your schedule. like when the kids are in school. I just feel that blaming one company for the downfall of the financial society is such a buck passing. Very few companies offer benefits nowadays which is due to the fact that the cost is so high. So you MUST put some of the blame on the insurance companies who make it impossible for the smaller than walmart companies to provide adequate health insurance. and I can say for a fact that ours require you to work 30 hours plus a week in order to qualify for insurance. Some require more. I do believe that walmart does offer benefits. I am not sure what the ratio is of their employees who get it. And again the only true persons to blame in this is the consumer. If people didn't shop there they would have no business. and one other way to look at it. If small shops provided this business there would probably be even higher unemployment rates. At least these people have jobs.

[VJW]

Re: I don't hate wal-mart

While I do know that mcd's does hire mostly kids (I used to work there when I was about 19) there are becoming more and more adults.

Which is why I wrote that their primary employees are youth.

I just feel that blaming one company for the downfall of the financial society is such a buck passing.

Where did I do that ? I merely stated that Wal*Mart is the largest shifter of their costs onto the taxpayers in the country.

So you MUST put some of the blame on the insurance companies who make it impossible for the smaller than walmart companies to provide adequate health insurance.

Of course.

And again the only true persons to blame in this is the consumer.

I think that’s backwards. American consumers, who Corporate America seems to have forgotten are also workers, FIRST had their wages forced backwards, THEN began shifting their shopping to Wal*Mart and other low-priced stores, due to lack of purchasing power.

Some contend that was the intention.

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[cercis]

Re: I don't hate wal-mart

I try not to shop at Wal-Mart, but I live in an area where you don't have many choices. I need poster board for the kids' school. I can go to Walmart or drive 20 miles to office depot (which isn't any better).

I rarely buy groceries there and may or may not renew my sam's club membership (I belong to Costco, but Sam's club is 20 miles away and Costco is 200 miles away). I don't buy clothes there (I go to thrift stores). My mom tends to buy my kids shoes - at Walmart. But she's becoming disenchanted. She had a camera guy who worked in the photo center at her local walmart for 15 years. In that time, his raises have been about 5cents/hour raise every year, the biggest raise he got was the last time they raised minimum wage - then it was raised to minimum wage, and they refused to give him enough hours to qualify for benefits. So he had to quit and find a new job. Now that Marty isn't there and told her all this, her eyes are opened and she tries not to shop there. Unfortunately, there aren't many choices in her area at all, and she doesn't make much more than minimum wage herself.

[VJW]

Re: I don't hate wal-mart

That’s why I would never attempt to blame the consumers. Many have no choice.

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