[Vision2020] RE: The Immorality of Blocking a Supercenter

[Mark Solomon]

Donovan,

I'll echo John Dickinson's comments about the substance of the rezone 
proceedings. Yes, we all knew that WalMart was part of the picture, 
but it was outside the framework of the rezone proceeding to discuss 
any particular retailer. The discussion and decision were about 
whether that 77-acre parcel should be developed as Motor Business. 
While we (NoSuperWalmart) were fully prepared to have a full 
discussion about Walmart itself, that forum was not the appropriate 
place.

As for your letter to Council, many of your factual assertions about 
Walmart are misleading or incomplete.

I have tried to verify your claim that Walmart has a starting wage of 
$8 to $9, but I can't find any information to verify those numbers.
http://www.pbs.org/itvs/storewars/stores3.html

  In any event, starting wage is not really an appropriate measure of 
whether a company provides the type of employment Moscow wants or 
needs.  You also have to look at benefits, and as you know Walmart's 
benefits have been criticized all over the country, including by 
Republicans in Idaho's state house.  You have to look at whether the 
job provides enough hours to bring home meaningful wage.  Walmart 
considered full-time work to be 32 hours per week, and has announced 
plans to provide substantially fewer hours to workers by shifting to 
a part-time (fewer than 28 hour) workforce.  You also have to look at 
the ability to advance in the job over time.  According to the PBS 
documentary on Frontline, "Wal-Mart employees start at the same 
salary as unionized employees in similar lines of work, they make 25 
percent less than their unionized counterparts after two years at the 
job."  In fact, a corporate communication released last October 
actually complained that workers who remain with the company for 
seven years are a drain on its resources.

In Moscow, we need jobs that will allow residents to work enough to 
support their families and advance through hard work and experience. 
Walmart does not provide those types of jobs.  And Walmart is likely 
to hurt businesses that do provide real full time employment and 
benefits to workers.  If you fairly consider the issue of jobs and 
employment, you are likely to find that Walmart would be bad, not 
good for Moscow.

And that does not even take into account the workers in American 
manufacturing who have lost their livelihood as a result of Walmart, 
or the workers in developing company who toil in sweatshops to make 
the stuff that Walmart sells.   (Morality doesn't really stop at the 
County line, does it?)

Your claim that Walmart helps the elderly and minorities has no 
support and is contrary to documented evidence.  In fact, an internal 
Walmart document released last October shows that the company is 
focusing on hiring young and able workers precisely so that they can 
avoid health and other expenses.  The memo, written by WalMart's 
executive vice president, proposes that the company take steps to 
discourage unhealthy job applicants, by making sure that "all jobs to 
include some physical activity." 
<http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2005/10/27/BUG3JFEL7F1.DTL>http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2005/10/27/BUG3JFEL7F1.DTL

Walmarts' record with regard to diversity and equal rights is not 
good either.  There are class action law suits by Wal-Mart workers 
alleging discrimination based on gender and race all over the county. 
There are charges that Walmart engaged in racial profiling against 
its customers after suspicious incidents in several states.   If you 
consider racism, sexism and ageism to be immoral, then you should be 
glad that Walmart has chosen not to build a super center in our town.
<http://www.sptimes.com/2005/12/02/Tampabay/Racial_profiling_fear.shtml>http://www.sptimes.com/2005/12/02/Tampabay/Racial_profiling_fear.shtml

Mark S.

>
>From: "John Dickinson" <johnd at moscow.com>
>Subject: [Vision2020] RE: The Immorality of Blocking a Supercenter
>Cc:
>Date: Tue, 27 Jun 2006 17:26:25 -0700
>To: "'Donovan Arnold'" <donovanjarnold2005 at yahoo.com>, 
><aaronament at moscow.com>,
>	<lpall at moscow.com>, <bstout at ci.moscow.id.us>,
>	<blambert at ci.moscow.id.us>, <jweber at ci.moscow.id.us>,
>	<nchaney at ci.moscow.id.us>, <vision2020 at moscow.com>
>
>Donovan,
>
>I disagree with most of what you say, mostly because you begin many 
>of your concerns with premises that I disagree with, so I will 
>concentrate on just a few of your points.
>
>Recent City Council actions regarded the rezoning of a large chink 
>of land into a single type of commercial zone. The Planning and 
>Zoning Commission had reviewed this request earlier. The decision by 
>City Council was the same as the decision by P&Z. I think that all 
>of us expected the developers to return with a more interesting way 
>of using the entire property (that was the suggestion of P&Z and 
>Council). As others have said, I don't think that any particular 
>development required the entire property.
>
>The vote was not about Wal-Mart (which could not be mentioned at the 
>meetings). I would have loved to have gotten to the stage where we 
>could have discussed the design of a specific store - we have never 
>gotten to that point. Informal conversations I have had with my 
>brother, Pete Dickinson - Pullman City Planner, and others have 
>enlightened me to the variety of designs that Wal-Mart (and I assume 
>other stores of this type) use.
>
>I don't think we can be accused of being anti-Wal-Mart, Moscow has a 
>Wal-Mart. There are discussions about sizes of retail stores. I 
>think discussions are good; there are many points of view to 
>consider.
>
>
>I don't think that Moscow is anti-business. I don't believe that it 
>is responsible government to say Yes to every development without 
>question - whether it be residential or commercial. I thought that 
>the results of both the P&Z and the Council were positive messages 
>to the developers. Their public statements led me to this conclusion.
>
>We cannot preserve Moscow's character by freezing the community. But 
>I do think that the community can and should continue to ask 
>questions about every development, lot division, street improvement, 
>budget line item, i.e. everything - because this is your community 
>and we all want to pass it on to our children's children in a form 
>that they would be proud to live in.
>
>John Dickinson
>Moscow City Council
>
>
>
>
>>From: Donovan Arnold [mailto:donovanjarnold2005 at yahoo.com]
>>Sent: Tuesday, June 27, 2006 8:27 AM
>>To: aaronament at moscow.com; lpall at moscow.com; 
>>bstout at ci.moscow.id.us; blambert at ci.moscow.id.us; 
>>jweber at ci.moscow.id.us; johnd at moscow.com; nchaney at ci.moscow.id.us; 
>>vision2020 at moscow.com
>>Subject: The Immorality of Blocking a Supercenter
>>
>>
>>
>>Dear Mayor Chaney and members of the City Council,
>>
>>I am writing you regarding the recent decision of the City to block 
>>a Wal-Mart Supercenter. I believe such a decision is damaging to 
>>most of the residents of Moscow and the surrounding community, but 
>>particularly its most vulnerable for several reasons.
>>
>>First, Wal-Mart has a starting wage of $8-$9 an hour. This is a 
>>significantly higher wage then what other grocery stores, retail 
>>outlets, and even the City have established as a starting wage. 
>>Even the Co-Op pays 18% less than Wal-Mart. I challenge the Mayor 
>>and members of the City Council, or any resident to find a grocery 
>>or general retail store that pays a higher starting wage in our 
>>local community. With the City rejecting the businesses that pay 
>>higher wages, the City is expressing that it believes $5.15 is an 
>>acceptable wage for the people of Moscow. A Wal-Mart Supercenter 
>>would provide more jobs that pay higher wage while also requiring 
>>other employees to pay their workers a similar livable wage if they 
>>desire to keep quality workers.
>>
>>
>>Second, a Wal-Mart Supercenter provides goods and services not 
>>otherwise offered in the Moscow area. Millions of dollars are lost 
>>every year to Pullman, Lewiston, Spokane, and the Internet because 
>>the City is blocking retail outlets from selling those products. A 
>>Supercenter would offer more goods and services to the people of 
>>Moscow while keeping tax dollars and jobs here in Moscow where they 
>>belong.
>>
>>
>>Third, A Wal-Mart Supercenter would offer goods and services at a 
>>lower cost to members of the community because it can move high 
>>volume and has the infrastructure to do so efficiently. With an 
>>average salary of only $24,000 a year for Moscow residents, and an 
>>annual household income of about $30,000 for Latah households, 
>>costs need to be lower, not higher. Moscow residents have to pay 
>>more for goods and services already because of a lack of 
>>competition, the cost of shipping a low volume of goods a long 
>>distance, and a lack of capital in investments in roads and 
>>infrastructure to do it effectively. To punish Moscow residents 
>>with an added transportation tax by making them drive to another 
>>town to get the items they need at an affordable price is another 
>>unnecessary burden inflicted on the people by the City.
>>
>>
>>Fourth, Moscow loses even more jobs. When Moscow blocks one 
>>business that puts resources into trying to locate here, it blocks 
>>two more that decide not to attempt as a result. The City has 
>>developed a far reaching reputation that it does not want 
>>businesses here. That hurts the residents of Moscow.
>>
>>
>>Fifth, we lose anyway. The City of Moscow will simply lose to 
>>Pullman, Latah, or Whitman County. We will still have all the 
>>negative impacts of having a Wal-Mart Supercenter but without the 
>>tax dollars, jobs, and surrounding businesses that prosper from 
>>close proximity to the new store.
>>
>>
>>Finally, I think there are diversity and equality issues that are 
>>being ignored. The people that have the most difficulty getting and 
>>keeping a job at a decent wage are minorities, the elderly, and the 
>>disabled. Wal-Mart has successfully employed these individuals in 
>>higher numbers than anyone else. Many small businesses do not high 
>>the elderly and disabled in any greater numbers than they have to 
>>because they fear medical and retirement costs. Minorities have 
>>always been discriminated against. I think it sends a clear message 
>>to other businesses in the community when the most successful 
>>retail outlet in the world does so by hiring in higher numbers 
>>people other businesses won't hire because of age, ethnicity, or 
>>disability. The city has a moral obligation to not bar businesses 
>>that employ and give opportunities to those other businesses only 
>>hire out of fear of the law, rather than acknowledging that they 
>>have real value and skills that make a business successful. For the 
>>City to block the greatest opportunities for the elderly, poor, 
>>disabled, and minorities is discrimination. The only people allowed 
>>by our City leaders to make a decent living wage in our community 
>>appears to be the wealthy members that have the capital to create 
>>and expand their own businesses and are allowed to employ everyone 
>>else for a slave wage of $5.15 an hour.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>I ask that the Mayor and members of the City Council reconsider and 
>>allow a Supercenter into our community. Blocking commerce hurts 
>>both the seller and buyer, and the buyers are the residents of 
>>Moscow. Blocking higher starting wages in our community hurts the 
>>poorest. Shutting down, slowing down, removing, and blocking 
>>employers that hire the disabled, elderly, and minorities, hurts 
>>the elderly, disabled, and minorities. I hope you will consider 
>>these facts as the county and University lose population and the 
>>number of people in Moscow continue to live a lower quality of life 
>>in comparison to rest of the state and nation.
>>
>>
>>
>>Best Regards,
>>
>>Donovan J Arnold
>>Moscow Resident
>

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