fences

[Lilith]

Grrrrrrrrrrrrr.

I noticed today that the chain link is going up around the entire area Walmart intends to build on. The YMCA was gobbled up. About 6 mom and pop stores are now enclosed in the fence. Progress.

[citrus]

WalMart is so big now, it's practically a chain link retailer. It seems to be gobbling up real estate and Mom&Pops everywhere! :mad: :(

[gekkogecko]

Just wait until they start selling chain-link fences.

[Booger]

The 6 mom and pop store in side the fence are the lucky one's they were bought out and won't end up just run out by Walmart.

[Lilith]

Yes and they are unique businesses so they should withstand the competition. However the 2 nearby chain grocers will not.

[PantyFanatic]

Not to worry. Soylentmart will not be selling us anything as soon as we become the 3rd world country we are charted for. They will be buying from us and paying with batteries and rice. :cool:

[gekkogecko]

^^^ It's just a matter of time, PF.

[WildIrish]

Not to worry. Soylentmart will not be selling us anything as soon as we become the 3rd world country we are charted for. They will be buying from us and paying with batteries and rice. :cool:



:yikes:


2022 is not that far away! I better start stocking up on 6 ounce jars of strawberry jam!

[Lilith]

Today they started tearing down the YMCA they bought out.

[WildIrish]

It really is weird. In the town where I work, a building that used to be home to the YMCA sits empty and is literally falling down while waiting for a developer to come in and do something with the building, the location. Nothing is happening, and the shell represents a microcosm of the town. Inactivity is deteriorating Main Street, and with it...the town's vitality. Because people can't agree with what should be done with the building, the building will eventually fall into such a state of disrepair that nothing will be able to be done with it. Then they'll argue forever about what should be done next...once they stop blaming each other for why they're at that crossroad.

Meanwhile, 1238 miles away, a former YMCA that sits on beautiful piece of land with wildlife and serenity will soon sprout a big box store that screams "progress" and whispers "monopoly".

I miss being a kid. :(

[Wicked Wanda]

I think the thing I hate most about "WallyWorld" is that even though I don't shop there I suport them through my tax dollars.

They pay so poorly and with such limited benefits that many employees qualify for medicaid. This savings for WallyWorld is passed on in cheap merchandise, uncaring employees (at 6.50/hour) and loss of small businesses.

(sigh)


:curse:

Wicked Wanda

[jseal]

So who is responsible for Walmart's success?

[Lilith]

It really is weird. In the town where I work, a building that used to be home to the YMCA sits empty and is literally falling down while waiting for a developer to come in and do something with the building, the location. Nothing is happening, and the shell represents a microcosm of the town. Inactivity is deteriorating Main Street, and with it...the town's vitality. Because people can't agree with what should be done with the building, the building will eventually fall into such a state of disrepair that nothing will be able to be done with it. Then they'll argue forever about what should be done next...once they stop blaming each other for why they're at that crossroad.

Meanwhile, 1238 miles away, a former YMCA that sits on beautiful piece of land with wildlife and serenity will soon sprout a big box store that screams "progress" and whispers "monopoly".

I miss being a kid. :(

microcosm...

My students and I were brainstorming words with the prefix micro- today. That's one we left out. Thank you WI.

[gekkogecko]

Today they started tearing down the YMCA they bought out.


Oh, no! *Now* what will the Village People do?

[WildIrish]

Oh, no! *Now* what will the Village People do?


Join the Navy. :p

[wyndhy]

So who is responsible for Walmart's success?
in part, our government.

[jseal]

So who is responsible for Walmart's success?
in part, our government.
wyndhy,

Which part? Which government?

[sodaklostsoul]

I confess I shopped WallyWorld last night .....but only because they had a few Wii's and the child had money for one. Sorry Lilith.

[Lilith]

Soda,
I went there Friday night. They have closed most of the reasonable priced grocery stores in my area. Having 4 Walmarts and a SAM's will do that. They are remodeling the Winn Dixie near me in hopes of keeping their customers but in the construction dust they are losing them.

Milk was $4.42 at Wallyworld. When we have nothing left in my town but them and they begin rising prices, we are all fucked.

[sodaklostsoul]

OMG......$4.42 for milk!!!!!! I thought my work was bad with $3.50 a gallon.

:( Sorry to hear that Lilith.

[PantyFanatic]

Soda,
I went there Friday night. They have closed most of the reasonable priced grocery stores in my area. Having 4 Walmarts and a SAM's will do that. They are remodeling the Winn Dixie near me in hopes of keeping their customers but in the construction dust they are losing them.

Milk was $4.42 at Wallyworld. When we have nothing left in my town but them and they begin rising prices, we are all fucked.
Among the few things I DO know the going price of is milk and it's $3.40 - 3.75/USgal. in my area. I also know what has happened to consumer hardware distribution. Not just the generation owned family corner hardware store is gone, but the last serious full line operation was driven out of my immediate area by the Home Depots last year. A noticed reduction of specific part selections that can not be met with "what they have" and a slow but steady and obvious price increase has taken place.

My reference to the movie Soylent Green is more than sarcasm. You may want to drag your copy out every three years for review............ or maybe not. :rolleyes2

[jseal]

“Soylent Green (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0070723/)” is a science fiction movie starring, among others, Charlton Heston, and in his last role, Edward G. Robinson. It is based on a novel about overpopulation in a world of dwindling finite resources “Make Room! Make Room! (http://www.amazon.com/Make-Room-Harry-Harrison/dp/0553564587)”, by Harry Harrison. I do not remember any references in the book to the product in the title of the movie. I could be wrong though, as it has been many moons since I last read it, although it was, as best as I recall, a good read.

[lakritze]

We could all take a "que" from the small city of Inglewood California,who banned together and demanded that Wal-Mart not be allowed to build one of their mega-box-stores in their neighbourhood.YEA! people of Inglewood. To answer the simple question,it is not our government {this time} that is resopnsible for Wal-Mart,but ourselves. Since when has it become all important to be able to buy the world's cheapest priced goods all in one store? Most of this stuff is from China.We have all heard the horror stories about poison dog food,tooth paste,and toys made for our kids with lead based paint. Well this all seems to be a biproduct of our own greed an the hunt for the ultimate bargin.Perhaps the government's culpability is their support of huge mega corporations at the expence of the health and benifit of everything else in this country. There are alternatives,I for one have never set foot inside of a Wal-Mart.

[wyndhy]

wyndhy,

Which part? Which government?

mostly US local and state, in the form of subsidies

I think a big part of Wal-Mart’s success and exponential growth here has been its unjustified and extensive use of public money, including more than a billion in tax breaks (or as much as two, depending on where you get your info and what sorts of info is included) such as: infrastructure assistance, land grants, tax-exempt bonds, low-cost financing, job training funds, and sales tax rebates. All this for a company that nets obscene amounts of money (to the tune of nearly 90 billion), pays execs obscene amounts of money (also in the millions, at least one to the tune of 20 million) and claims it cannot pay workers more. Thus leading to the issues Wanda pointed out; the government assistance Walmart employees qualify for and use (estimated at 2.5 billion in 2004). Plus the (in my opinion) frivolous property tax appeals, which are usually won because deep pockets and many lawyers soon outwit and outmaneuver the poorer local community’s resources.

There are the un-foreseen costs of infrastructure maintenance, as well, for things like utilities, roads, and security for these mega commercial areas that are built far from the already patrolled and maintained downtown areas. Include in those un-foreseen costs the harm it does to local businesses. When local businesses close, towns suffer from blighted areas and unemployment problems that must be addressed by local governments. Include also the loss of local business owners who care about and contribute to their communities in various ways and whose inability to continue their local contributions ends up, once again, needing to be addressed by local government.

Why our local governments do this I cannot say. I do have theories about lobbyists, though :D And as for most of the consumers who keep Walmart in business, they can hardly be blamed. As Lil said, often there ARE no other places to shop and if there are, when you’re flirting with poverty, it’s foolish to spend more when you can spend less. As for the consumers who spend their money at Walmart because they think they need another new, completely useless widget and buy it ‘cause it’s cheap, I have no excuse. They suck, too. :D

[WildIrish]

I see Walmart has launched a public awareness campaign to influence supporters.

[Lilith]

In my neighborhood, the Walmart is claiming it was part of an initial PUD plan and so they will not have to pay for any traffic or road improvements. Essentially because of where there store will be in connection to the left hand turn into traffic I already have to make where there is no light, I may never be able to leave the house :p

[Oldfart]

“Soylent Green (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0070723/)” is a science fiction movie starring, among others, Charlton Heston, and in his last role, Edward G. Robinson. It is based on a novel about overpopulation in a world of dwindling finite resources “Make Room! Make Room! (http://www.amazon.com/Make-Room-Harry-Harrison/dp/0553564587)”, by Harry Harrison. I do not remember any references in the book to the product in the title of the movie. I could be wrong though, as it has been many moons since I last read it, although it was, as best as I recall, a good read.


jseal,

The state provided a basic food biscuit (soylent) as a dole in several colours. Most were pretty so-so, but for some reason the green version was the sought after one. Chucky (where's my gun) Heston discovered that the company sent trucks out at night to pick up the dead, dying and indigent from the streets and turned them into the green biscuits.

Ick, that's not how I'd like to eat our ladies.

[jseal]

... The state provided a basic food biscuit (soylent) as a dole in several colours. Most were pretty ... turned them into the green biscuits ...
Yes sir, that is how I recall the flick. Rather different plot line from that of the novel.

... that's not how I'd like to eat our ladies.
You are not alone with THAT sentiment! :D

[scotzoidman]

I see Walmart has launched a public awareness campaign to influence supporters.I realize we're not seeing the front of her, but from what I can see...

She doesn't look like any of the Wal-Mart greeters I've ever seen. :yikes:

[jseal]

It just goes to show that there is always room for improvement! :thumb:

[citrus]

I see Walmart has launched a public awareness campaign to influence supporters.Non of the greeters I've ever seen are that young! :rolleyes2

[jseal]

I see Walmart has launched a public awareness campaign to influence supporters.
That would get me to shop at Walmart. :)

[Neige]

jseal,

The state provided a basic food biscuit (soylent) as a dole in several colours. Most were pretty so-so, but for some reason the green version was the sought after one. Chucky (where's my gun) Heston discovered that the company sent trucks out at night to pick up the dead, dying and indigent from the streets and turned them into the green biscuits.

Ick, that's not how I'd like to eat our ladies.

Soylent ;) (http://icanhascheezburger.com/2007/11/14/soylent-milk-is-people/)

[jseal]

Neige,

That is a very cute kitten, but in the film only Soylent Green is people. :) Now, in the book it was loosely based on, there were soylent steaks, which were made from soybeans and lentils. Cheap but nourishing, if you ignore the esthetics.

If there was ever a chain that would sell soylent steaks, it would be Walmart. It is perfect fit, the most bang for your bucks. I certainly hope that never comes to pass.

[Salacious]

I keep watching to see when Walmart is going to start building high rise apartments above their stores so the people that love shopping there so much can just live there. It would be like a big ant colony, drones... go to work, shop and live all at Walmart. I know it's a twisted thought and makes me ill, but I have a feeling... it could happen.

[scotzoidman]

Who says it hasn't already?

In my town, WallyWorld is always strategically placed among the apartments, most within walking distance, & yet nary a parking space near the door...