[Vision2020] One more WalMart thing . . .

[g. crabtree]

Shockingly enough, the central fact of Mrs. Opyr's post is, well, incorrect. 
A quick stroll down the toy aisles at Wal-Mart reveals names such as Corgi, 
Matchbox,  Parker Bros. Milton Bradley, Playscool, Hasbro and Ohio Art. 
These are the same names that one would see at KB toys. Wal- Mart also does 
have "cheap plastic Chinese crap" but so did KB, Hodgin's as well for that 
matter. Admittedly a stand alone toy store will have more stuff overall, but 
it will be pretty much the same stuff at a higher price. In an apples to 
apples comparison cheaper and more convenient is indeed better.

Myself and others have gone over the reasons for KB's demise on the palouse 
and how they had little to do with WM but heck, lets just say she's right (a 
potential first). Every business that has failed within a thirty mile radius 
is the direct result of big, bad Wally. By that logic shouldn't they be 
given credit for the new business that have come along since? How about the 
ones that have expanded and thrived? (say thank you Tri State, Moscow Bldg. 
Supply, Pullman Safeway,  J J Bldg & Moscow Food Co-Op)

I am glad that Mrs.Opyr is content with the choices that she has currently 
and doesn't feel a need for any changes in her well ordered little world. 
I'm ever so touched by her humanitarianism with regard to the sweat shop 
girl. I am a little put off though by her desire to dictate where I will or 
won't shop.

G. Crabtree
P.S. I would be eternally grateful if there was a little more distance 
between Mr. Harkins and myself. I'm afraid I suffer by comparison. Sort of 
like filet mignon and mcnuggets.

gc

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Joan Opyr" <joanopyr at moscow.com>
To: <vision2020 at moscow.com>
Sent: Monday, January 30, 2006 3:43 PM
Subject: [Vision2020] One more WalMart thing . . .


> Dear Visionaries:
>
> Jeff Harkins and Gary Crabtree asked a few days ago for examples of good 
> businesses driven
> out
> by bad.  Joe Campbell attempted to supply them with just such an example 
> in the demise of
> KayBee Toys.  The problem here, however, is not with Joe's answer but with 
> Harkins' and
> Crabtree's question, which is a classic example of petititio elenchi, 
> i.e., begging the
> question.
>
> The underlying assumption in Harkins/Crabtree's reasoning is that the 
> "good" or "superior"
>
> business is always the one that survives.  But that reasoning depends on 
> how you define
> superior.  KayBee Toys, which offered a demonstrably superior selection of 
> goods than
> WalMart,
> went out of business.  Is WalMart therefore the better store?  Define 
> better.  WalMart
> offers five
> aisles of cheap, plastic, Chinese-made toys, none of which I'd care to 
> purchase.  Like
> Joe, I prefer
> to buy my kids' toys at Hodgins Drugs.  Why?  Quality and selection.  It's 
> also possible
> at Hodgins
> to buy the occasional union-made toy.  Flip the toy and read the box.  If 
> it's made in a
> country
> noted for its poor labor practices, tell your kids, "Sorry, but I suspect 
> that someone
> your age
> manufactured this doll in an overseas sweatshop."  Move on to the next 
> item.
>
> (There, Dale -- more evidence for your blog that I'm a communist.)
>
> In Harkins/Crabtree's view, it would seem that cheaper is always better. 
> Perhaps
> convenience
> also plays some role (KayBee Toys didn't sell toothpaste or underwear) but 
> weren't we also
>
> talking about expansion of choice?  How does WalMart (or a WalMart 
> Supercenter) represent
> a
> genuine expansion of choice?  What WalMart offers is an inferior selection 
> of toys, most
> of poor
> quality, but it offers them at cheap prices and conveniently locates them 
> between the
> furnace
> filters and the dog food.  My expanded choice seems to be mere convenience 
> and the chance
> to
> buy something crappy and disposable for my kids.  It's the bargain that 
> isn't a bargain --
> it's
> penny-wise and pound-foolish.
>
> We have a WalMart already.  We need WalMart Supercenters in both Moscow 
> and Pullman why?
> Because Winco, Rosauers, Safeway, the Co-Op, Dissmore's, the Pullman 
> Safeway, Tri-State,
> Hodgins, Les Schwab, Bruneel, Sears, Deranleau's, Bookpeople, Hastings, 
> Gottschalk's, the
> Bon,
> Ross Dress for Less, RiteAid, JoAnn's, HyperSpud, Paradise Creek Bicycles, 
> Paradise Ridge
> Records, Goodwill, Shopko, the Internet, and Moscow's existing WalMart 
> aren't offering us
> enough choice?  Or because they're not offering us enough cheap crap?
>
> Joan Opyr/Auntie Establishment
> www.joanopyr.com
>
>
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