[Spam] [Vision2020] I do not care about the economy

[Donovan Arnold]

I have not see the pro-Wal Mart, or the Anti Wal  mart Documentary. I only have watched the neutral one on PBS that  looked at both the positive and negative sides of Wal_Mart.
  
 I  am not going to buy a toaster for $29.99 at my locally owned store  instead of $19.99 at Wal-Mart. That is not wise us of my limited  income. Especially when the reason is to maintain the income of the  local business owner who is making 3-10 times what I am.
  
 I  buy from a store because it provides what I want. Which may be a lower  price, customer service, a specialty item, or the convenience of a  nearby location. I do not worry about the income of wealthy people. It  is not a factor. 
  
 If local people wanted to stop Wal-mart  they would fight low local wages, regressive taxation, and outrageous  property taxes that make the cost of living nearly impossible here for  those making under 25K a year. 
  
  -DJA

Shelly <CJs at Turbonet.com> wrote:                Donovan - Have you seen the documentary? What do you HONESTLY think will happen to our economy with three Walmart's? 
   
  -Phil 
   
  -------Original Message-------
   
    From: Donovan Arnold
  Date: 01/09/06 17:32:27
  To: vision2020 at moscow.com
  Subject: [Spam] [Vision2020] I do not care about the economy

   
  I am still waiting to hear any legitimate complaints against Wal-Mart. Everything I have heard is either;

1) Applicable to all other major chains in the country

2) Coming from a biased source, such as a liberal from Berkeley, or a Union Organization.

3) Flat out untrue


Complaint:  "Wal Mart hurts the economy."

 Response: " While an oil spill or natural disaster helps it."

Complaint: "Wal-Mart eliminates jobs."

Response "Wal-Mart eliminates unnecessary jobs."

Complaint: "Wal-Mart eliminates high paying jobs and replaces them with low paying jobs." 

Response: "Wal-Mart replaces Kmart jobs with Wal-Mart Jobs that pay the same."

Complaint "Wal-Mart uses overseas labor."

Response: "Every one uses overseas labor."

Complaint: "Wal-Mart pays its overseas labors $70 a month."

Response: "$70 a month is more ! than what the teacher or police officer makes."


Wal-Mart  eliminates high paying jobs in exchange for lower prices on daily  living items like food, toiletries, paper towels, medications,  automobile goods, and clothing. 

As someone that makes $20K a  year and am getting soaked with high rent because of property taxes, an  unfair regressive sales tax on the dollar-even on groceries, and  minimum wage has not gone up in 9 years, I do not care if we eliminate  a few $80K a year jobs if it keeps prices lower for the rest of us. I  have no sympathy for those that lose a job making $80K a year. I care  about the poorer people that are living on 20K a year of less. Moscow  has done nothing for the poor in our community. It costs more to rent  an apartment in Moscow then a house in Boise. That is insane, and  highly unfair. Wal-mart, ShopKo, CostCo, and other mega chains reduces  the overall cost of living for the poor. To me, this is a good thing. I  think saving ! money, pinching pennies, and buying as cheaply and as  cost effectively as possible is the responsible way to handle personal  finances. 

When Idaho and Moscow does not raise wages, does not  provide property tax relief for the low income, pushes for a 20% sales  tax increase on food, clothing, and other items needed for daily  living, it is no friend of the poor, or hard working men and women on  the lower end of the economic end of this community or those dependent  upon Social Security. Moscow has to let Wal-Mart in because the  community has created such a need for a low discount store when it has  assaulted their quality of life and ignored their needs for such a long  time.  

A head of household living in Moscow of a three  person household would have to work 400 hours a month in order to rent  a two bedroom apartment, at only 30% of their income before taxes at  the current minimum wage.  

$5.15 (minimum wage) x 400 = 2060x .30 (affo! rdable housing) = $618 a month (rent)

Now,  unless you believe it is reasonable to work 400 hours a month, I do not  see how anyone can ask someone to forgo shopping at the cheapest  possible place or deny them that right. 

I do not care about  the economy. I care about the quality of life for the people on the  bottom of the economic scale. I care that people on the bottom are not  required to expend 100% of their income on the basics of life and still  go without some others. It is not fair. Moscow has been no friend of  the poor and disadvantaged.

-DJA







    

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