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--></style><title>RE: The Immorality of Blocking a
Supercenter</title></head><body>
<div>Donovan,</div>
<div> </div>
<div>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.</div>
<div><br></div>
<div>As for your letter to Council, many of your factual assertions
about Walmart are misleading or incomplete.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>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. </div>
<div>http://www.pbs.org/itvs/storewars/stores3.html</div>
<div><br></div>
<div> 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.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>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. </div>
<div> </div>
<div>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?)</div>
<div> </div>
<div>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." <a
href=
"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/BUG3JFEL<span
></span>7F1.DTL</a></div>
<div> </div>
<div>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.</div>
<div><a
href=
"http://www.sptimes.com/2005/12/02/Tampabay/Racial_profiling_fear.shtml"
>http://www.sptimes.com/2005/12/02/Tampabay/Racial_profiling_fear.sht<span
></span>ml</a></div>
<div><br></div>
<div>Mark S.</div>
<div> </div>
<blockquote type="cite" cite><br></blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite>From: "John Dickinson"
<johnd@moscow.com></blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite>Subject: [Vision2020] RE: The Immorality
of Blocking a Supercenter</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite>Cc:</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite>Date: Tue, 27 Jun 2006 17:26:25
-0700</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite>To: "'Donovan Arnold'"
<donovanjarnold2005@yahoo.com>,
<aaronament@moscow.com>,</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite"
cite><x-tab>
</x-tab><lpall@moscow.com>,
<bstout@ci.moscow.id.us>,</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite"
cite><x-tab>
</x-tab><blambert@ci.moscow.id.us>,
<jweber@ci.moscow.id.us>,</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite"
cite><x-tab>
</x-tab><nchaney@ci.moscow.id.us>,
<vision2020@moscow.com></blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite><br></blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite>Donovan,</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite><br></blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite>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.</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite><br></blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite>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.</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite><br></blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite>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.</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite><br></blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite>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.</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite><br></blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite><br></blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite>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.</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite><br></blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite>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.</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite><br></blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite>John Dickinson</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite>Moscow City Council</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite><br></blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite> </blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite><br></blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite>
<hr size="2">
<blockquote type="cite" cite><b>From:</b> Donovan Arnold
[mailto:donovanjarnold2005@yahoo.com]</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite><b>Sent:</b> Tuesday, June 27, 2006 8:27
AM</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite><b>To:</b> aaronament@moscow.com;
lpall@moscow.com; bstout@ci.moscow.id.us; blambert@ci.moscow.id.us;
jweber@ci.moscow.id.us; johnd@moscow.com; nchaney@ci.moscow.id.us;
vision2020@moscow.com</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite><b>Subject:</b> The Immorality of
Blocking a Supercenter</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite><br></blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite> </blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite><br></blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite>Dear Mayor Chaney and members of the City
Council,</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite><br></blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite>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.</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite><br></blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite>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.</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite><br></blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite> </blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite>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.</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite><br></blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite> </blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite>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. </blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite><br></blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite> </blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite>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.
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite><br></blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite> </blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite>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. </blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite><br></blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite> </blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite>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.</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite><br></blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite> </blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite><br></blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite> </blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite>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.</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite><br></blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite> </blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite><br></blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite>Best Regards,</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite><br></blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite>Donovan J Arnold</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite>Moscow Resident</blockquote>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite><br></blockquote>
<div> </div>
<div><br></div>
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