Jim, John, Alice, Sam and Helen may carry the world’s most dangerous genetic markers. They are the Waltons, heirs to the global destructive force called Wal-Mart. With more than $100 billion in personal assets among them, the five Waltons occupy positions six through 10 in the Forbes billionaires rankings, twice as rich as Microsoft’s Bill Gates, the guy at the top.… return to article
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Reader Comments (193)Amazing. . . Too bad there aren’t any progressives with that kind of money! George Soros and Peter Lewis can only do so much, and this kind of wealth makes their personal fortunes look like chump change.
Looks like the kids pulled themselves up by the bootstraps of their inheritance. Rich kids need to speak up, because peeople like the Waltons give them all a bad name.
Posted by Ed Mellon on Apr 1, 2004 at 1:20 AM This is another example f the Neoliberal controlled country of America. Allow the rich to buy and get whatever they want, leaving many struggling middle and lower class Americans to pick up the balance. Is the struggle for change within us. I sure hope so, and that not everyone has the piece of the pie mentallity.working struggling people of the United States and the World stand-up and fight the mighty. Don’t buy Wal-Mart. and cities don’t allow the New Wal mart Marketplace takeover your city.
Posted by eric Sloan on Apr 1, 2004 at 1:43 AM Greetings,
In Ridley Scott’s third venture into film, “Alien,” there are no longer any governments. There is only one large corporation that controls everything. This same scenario appears in Dennis Potter’s ‘magmum opus,’ “Cold Lazarus.” IF they are not stopped soon, these fantasies will soon be reality, and voting a thing of the past. Its time for those who know to find a way to unify and take up “by whatever means necessary” to fight Wal-Mart’s corrupt practices.Ananda
daigu
Posted by daigu on Apr 1, 2004 at 1:59 AM Help Protest Wal-Mart in their own backyard!:
Come to Fayetteville, AR, June 4-6, 2004 for the Wal-Mart ShareHolders Convention PROTEST!!
Posted by Brad B. on Apr 1, 2004 at 2:46 AM I am not originally from Lincoln. Actually, I grew up in Camden, NJ and would have loved to been able to go to a school where metal detectors and bullet proof vests became the norm. I am completely shocked as to why anybody would not want a voucher program. This is the only view that I hold that could even be seen as a right-wing view, however I see it as an important one. If we spend all of our time rubbing the backs of the special interest groups, when then will our education program get better? When then will our universities start performing at levels that are acceptable. Under the GI Bill that started after WWII our education system has been hijacked. No longer are research and academics important. Our college and high school campuses are teaching people that sports is the only prioritiy. I have always tried to see what is wrong with the voucher issue. I can’t find any faults. I am neither a Republican or a Democrat. I am not a Progressive or an Libertarian. I am an Educationist. Let the voucher program go through (if the dems though of it first, it probably wouldn’t have been that big of a deal), quit playing nice with the special interest groups, and bring education back to America. As a former Wal-Mart Cult employee I will say this. They are setting themselves up to dominate the world and the Cult of Sam, if not stopped will effect us all.
Posted by Billy Crowley on Apr 1, 2004 at 5:10 AM Why don’t Sam’s children use their wealth to try to change the world by purchasing airtime, billboard space, mag&newspaper; pages? I think the answer is that they are stupid, insulated, and of course, chri$tian.
Posted by michael copple on Apr 1, 2004 at 5:49 AM This is priceless:
“If evil could be branded, its emblem would be the Wal-Mart logo. The retailer has become so large, and behaves so aggressively, it sometimes appears as a force of nature, like weather. “please please somebody tell me this is all a bad dream and i’m going to wake up soon.
and now wal-mart is trying to come to chicago, and into communities that need the jobs so desperately it seems inevitable that wal-mart will have its way.
alderman William Banks of the 36th has said: “We ought to welcome them with open arms.”
It is tragic that a few exploitative jobs are today viewed as a benefit to the community.
Posted by ss on Apr 1, 2004 at 2:20 PM About six months ago I stopped shopping at Wal-Mart and Sam’s Club. Boycotts work if we unify.
Even Wal-Mart would change policies if they could feel the force of the public for two days. It is time a UNINON of CONSUMERS stood up to Wal Mart.
Mr. Crowley, Vouchers do not help the truly poor. They subsidize the rich who are already attending private schools.
Posted by Gloria Andersen on Apr 1, 2004 at 3:46 PM I think this story is right on. It supports what I’ve been thinking and observing.and reading in other sources. These are the same people who support the WTO for many of the reasons listed in this story.
Posted by swtews on Apr 1, 2004 at 5:44 PM Looks like a grand scheme to guarantee an endless supply of under-educated low wage workers. I will never shop wal-mart again.
Posted by sheila mcdaniel on Apr 1, 2004 at 6:16 PM The following just shows how the new rich in this country are corrupting our country from within. They give themselves tax breaks just to reinvest that money in short circuiting the system.
Despite its track record throughout this country of replacing good jobs with poverty-wage jobs, driving out small businesses and destroying communities, Wal-Mart is asking voters to sign away all their rights to regulate development in their community.
If the Wal-Mart initiative goes forward unchallenged, it will send a signal that communities have no role, no voice, no power in the decisions that affect their lives. We cannot let this happen.We must challenge Wal Mart at every opportunity. They are shoplifting our country of jobs!
Posted by Marc Dunlop on Apr 1, 2004 at 7:40 PM Good for the Waltons! Now, my existential question is: Are they happy, will they live longer, are they any wiser, will they be mourned and remembered for their kindness? We should reform the education system in the world but in the sense of teaching our children to think freely and to understand that all accumulation (of money or power) brings about pain, both to the sick practitioners of this Capital religion and their victims and not prepare them to enter their infernal circles.
Maria Luisa
Posted by Maria L. Etchart on Apr 1, 2004 at 7:48 PM The biggest single force holding back real education in America is the teachers unions and the left wing socialist conglomerate known as the Democratic Party. Go work at a voucher school, you would probably be happier. If you are good, (i.e. you provide a quality education to the STUDENTS [remember them?]) you will be remunerated appropriately.
Posted by Steve on Apr 1, 2004 at 8:37 PM To Eric Sloan: Have you got it wrong! It’s the conservative, right -wing corporate big money element that Wal-Mart represents. It’s this faction that is being helped by the policies of the Bush administration. Go to the PFAW website and learn the dangers.
To Billy Crowley: It is just because of the ‘public’ and, ergo, our gov’t's non-support (i.e. money) of public ed. that has eroded the quality and capability of the public schools. When the people truly value education and support the teachers, make the pay commensurate with other endeavors, mandate money for the construction of new buildings and up-keep of aging schools, provide for computers, up-to-date books, and those necessary general supplies needed on a daily basis—will the public schools have a chance. However, this most important element must be present—the parents’ belief and stress in ‘getting an education’ over the popularity of sports, TV, pop-culture icons, etc.
Posted by Joan on Apr 1, 2004 at 10:49 PM The attacks on the public schools didn’t start with vouchers or the Waltons. It started with Proposition 13 in California (the tax revolt) that starved public schools of the necessary funds to fulfill their responcibility fully. The decline in the quality of secondary education in the cities began there.
Schools kneecapped by taxcuts become ‘failing schools’ and get further funding cuts. The voucher system and school privatization are fitting public schools with cement shoes. The stealth aristocrats’ only goal is to re-establish the fuedal system with the rest of us as peasants: peasant-farmers (migratory farm-workers), peasant-laborers (no unions or labor laws), impoverished craftsmen (engineers, computer programmers), and a two tier service industry(education, health, ect.). One well compensated composed of those in close social proximity to the aristocrats. And the other struggling in abject poverty being paid in kind. In other words, a recreation of Imperial China of the 18th and 19th centuries.
The very idea of the rule of law is under assult. The aristocrats are succeeding in putting their class above the law, above social responcibility, and pissing on everyone elses heads.
The class war that has been ongoing since the rise of corporate finance in the mid-19th century. If you want to get to the foundation of this rot, it’s not the retail industry (Waltons) who are new to the game, but the oil (Rockefeller), banking (J.P.Morgan {Scaife-Mellon}), and food storage and distribution industries. The oil industry has very close FAMILIAL ties with the transportation and defence industries which is why today it could be considered more powerful than banking. The food and oil industries are in a tug of war over chemicals and pharmasuedicles.
The thing we all need to recognize is that the several hundred folks who actually pull the strings are all related to a very small number of families. That the general public is largely ignorant of this fact is one of their greatist strengths. Get the info. (it isn’t a state secret, yet) and name all the names. Put a face to the obscene greed that’s strangling our beloved country!!!!
Posted by joe on Apr 2, 2004 at 7:02 AM Democrocy allows people the opportunity to get an education and optain a “good life”....why do you condemm those that have “made it” and flourish?....If people don’t like it…move to Cuba…mind you, then you’d be pissed cause Castro is filthy rich.
Posted by Bill Williams on Apr 2, 2004 at 6:23 PM Thomas Jefferson once stated that the survival of our society was a race between ignorance and education. The Waltons have obviously bet 20 billion on ignorance. The collision of democracy and capitalism is unavoidable. As the wealthy few of capitalism try to consolidate there power, the Waltons have become the Rockefellers of the 21st Century. The pluralism of education is the only tool that can properly synergize the egalatarian views of democracy and a responsible and productive free market. We must protect Public Education, and the government must invest every resource they can into it’s success.
Posted by Tom Stewart on Apr 2, 2004 at 7:37 PM where exactly is the confirmation that 20 billion is actually going to this campaign?
it sounds more like a rumor than a fact…
Posted by pookie on Apr 3, 2004 at 3:22 AM The wedge that is driven between blacks and labor is a significant one. Blacks have always distrusted the “system” which many feel has miseducated black people. As a results, many blacks buy into the free-market, voucher alternative because it is perceived as representing “independent” control. While vouchers are seen as a positive alternative to public education, it further fragments the black community and the larger community, and exacerbates the disparities in the quality of education.
While it is important to maintain a politics of representation, the real challenge comes when black people and labor can identify how their struggle relates to the overall struggle for quality education.
Yet, black people are not the blame for this. The dominant society in America is still racist and still remains deeply segrated. The Walmarts of the world are exploiting a history of racism, classism and sexism, to further fragment the public sphere. And so, yes, we need to build a wider circle.
Posted by Timothy Brown on Apr 3, 2004 at 10:55 PM I agree folks on the left need to take a fair look at vouchers.
Posted by John Huie on Apr 4, 2004 at 1:30 AM The man is the anti christ. I am not a religious person but I think that an attack on his lies might be very effective. He said on national tv at the Daytona 500 ” I know speed I flew Jets in the guard” now I heard before from generals trying to defend him that “just because he didn’t take a flight test medical does not mean he wasn’t there it just means he could never fly” lie!!!!!!!! I know I’m Canadian and don’t have a vote in this so I guess I feel like a lot of people in Florida. The man never was elected,if the same election had went down in a third world country in which the American Government had an interest they would have sent in troops. All the more I am scared of the understanding of the American people. CNN declares Al Gore a winner in Florida. It means he has won. A CNN reporter asks C Rice what she thinks she says “that will all change’ . For the first time ever the exit polls are wrong, in Dade county Florida Pat Buchanan gets 10% of the popular vote. He got 1% nation wide and Dade County is predominently black and Old Pat is just so kkk. Whoops I meant was Republican. I can go on on Bubba forever but is anyone going to totaly trash this ass. I mean everyone knows what he was everyone knows what he is. Why not remind people that when 911 happened he went and hid for a long time. I remember Cnn saying he needs to come out and make a statement to try and pull the country togeather. But he still hid, he claimed that the secret service would not let show his face. but he is their boss and if he was any kind of a leader he would have been at ground zero in NYC as soon as he could get there. Did Winston Churchill hide from the blitz, did Rosevelt run and hide from Pearl Harbour or did Crockette and Bowie run from the Alamo. George W Bush is a coward he made his father pull the strings to get him out of the war. Who cares if he showed up for his guard srevice he diden’t show up for his country. He was a coward who found a way out of his military service throught the money and power his father had and now he is the comander in chief and he tells kids who weren’t born into his money to go die because he wants to control the Iraqi oil.
Posted by peter chaschowy on Apr 4, 2004 at 5:18 AM can you guys do anyting to get rid of the anti christ. the man is the worst president ever oh sorry thats not true he isn’t really the president but he is an asshole
Posted by peter chaschowy on Apr 4, 2004 at 5:32 AM How can anyone order people as commander in chief to do things that they were to much of a coward to do How can he say he is the person to lead this country when he was to much of a coward to defend the country when he was just a crack head. I really can’t understand how anyone wouldn’t just piss on this asshole. He is about the antichrist
Posted by peter chaschowy on Apr 4, 2004 at 5:49 AM As long as the very wealthy can buy all the canditidates, we are at thier mercy. WE the People, have to level the playing field. joeyg
Posted by jrg on Apr 4, 2004 at 9:01 PM so you would rather have kerry the biggest looser for president? I petty you and look into where his wifes money goes, i dare you to check it out .
Posted by ken cranmer on Apr 5, 2004 at 12:41 AM I would rather huff bug spray that spend my hard earned money at Nazi Walmart. They are scum of the Earth, and may the suffer pain never felt before. http://www.LU13.TK
Posted by Lu Cifer www.LU13.TK on Apr 5, 2004 at 12:55 AM VOUCHERS…YES!!!!
It’s about choice not some politacl mandated and broken education system.
It’s broke…FIX IT!!!
The educators response is always…“we need more money to fix it”. Why not look at replacing outdated teachers, systems and methods? Betetr yet why not increase competiton by opening MORE charter schools…more private schools and allow EVERYON a choice on where to send their kids?
Posted by K walker on Apr 5, 2004 at 1:06 AM Here go the liberals again with another conspiracy theory against Bush. Obviously our public schools are not working in most parts of the country so it is time for a change. Pay for seniority rather than merit for teachers? Sounds like another entitlement program from the democrats. A little good competition could be good for our schools. This coming from a long term Target employee who has had to face the challenges of Walmart on a daily basis.
Posted by Patrick on Apr 5, 2004 at 1:15 AM its to bad that democrats dont have the money to have summer camps for kids to brainwash them like the republicans are doing to promote republicans beliefs that only the rich support in the future they will be overwhemed by there own ignorance
Posted by robet mease sr on Apr 5, 2004 at 1:22 AM Horray for Walmart!!!
I know that seems a bit brash here, but since you on the left ARE wrong, it’s just nice to see that you can see it’s just possible you’ll actually lose.
Posted by Mdk on Apr 5, 2004 at 1:31 AM What a story but the Waltons have been driving out smaller businesses from the get-go and would like to get rid of K-Mart and Target if they could. Who will buy their products if they do not have the education to get a job to purchase their products?
Posted by Dee on Apr 5, 2004 at 1:34 AM The biggest peice of propaganda I have seen in quite a while. What a bunch of crap!
Posted by xxx on Apr 5, 2004 at 1:40 AM in responce to patrick’s statement about bush let me make this clear bush was not elected by the people of this country -period he was appointed by a republican us supreme court therfor he feels he can do anything he wants including invading a foreign nation using 911 and weapons of mass destruction as an excuse which was never found then he has the guts to ask if we feel safer with saddam caught. sadam was never the culprit but not taking up for sadam he was cruel to his people but politicans do anything to lead you away from the truth which was really bin laden
republican are not good for the working people of this country ask yourself why corporations back republicans with millions of dollars
Posted by robert mease sr on Apr 5, 2004 at 1:43 AM Maybe you can explain why Queen Hilliary was on the board of directors there? hmmmmmmmm
Posted by ed on Apr 5, 2004 at 1:50 AM I found this article to be one of the most ridiculous, untrue, biased articles I have ever read. What a waste of ink. God bless your freedom to express your opinion, although it drips of hate toward our President and one of the finest companys in our country.
Posted by Jerry Tanner on Apr 5, 2004 at 1:54 AM Hey, cool! I didn’t realize that when I shop at Wal-Mart that I am helping to support school vouchers. That makes up for many of the mega market evils that I see of Wal-Mart.
I mean being able to choose where my child goes to school… what could be more American than choice? The founding fathers never imagined a federal public school system and I’d love to be able to supplement my daughter’s private school tuition with the money that the government is taking from me. The public schools have failed. Stop pulling the strings attached to their lifeless corpse and let them die.
Posted by Philip Scoggins on Apr 5, 2004 at 1:57 AM WalMart: No choice
While no fan of Walmart stores their going the correct direction in their politics.
1) Liberals have collectively (think Hollywood) far more $$ than conservatives.
The LIberals want socialism to keep people in their places while giving the appearance that they are looking out for the little guy.
LIberals know that the rich will always stay rich and that they want the middle class to fork over the money to appease the minorites to keep them ( esp Blacks) from rioting.
One only need read
“The Confessions of Nat Turner” ( a pro black writting no less) to get the real, correct picutre.
Posted by Jeff on Apr 5, 2004 at 2:02 AM c’mon, this isn’t a news flash: rich get richer, poor get poorer. its the way the world works (even more now that we have globalization - bigger take for the crooks at the top of the heap). instead of worrying so much about the evil wal-mart empire, spend some time figuring out how we can pump $150 billion of taxpayer money into “rebuilding” stinkin’ iraq, while our schools spiral down the toilet. hold your government accountable folks - chasing the global money boys through boycotts isn’t going to work.
Posted by bob on Apr 5, 2004 at 2:04 AM I"m just a poor working grandma who worries about this country, and our children. Ive seen most of our good jobs sent overseas or to Mexico. All in the name of cheeper labor. Where is our voice and our choice, I don’t shop at wallmart somthing about the place makes me sick never could put my finger on it. Goddess help us all what a mess our world has become. War, Hate, Low wages, Drugs, keep your children close and don’t trust anyone. Why can’t we elect a everyday down to earth grandma whos worked hard everyday of her life and raised a family give her the power and the backing and clean this country up. Why because men think they know everything and money is power. By the time this is all said and done they will have distroyed everything this county stood for. We need to take the money out of politcs. And use it to school our kids and feed the poor. Let them stand on their deeds and resumes like the rest of us. I believe we all can tell whoes bad and who is good. If we can just get everyone to vote that way and find one person to run that is honest , trustworthy, brave and can’t be bought. Good luck , and if you pray to whoever pray for the little ones that are going to suffer for all the bad decisions that are made now. By the people for the people hummm .
Posted by Dawn Myers on Apr 5, 2004 at 2:09 AM Please folks, vote Libertarian.
Lets give these folks a chance as THERE IS NO DIFFERENCE BETWEEN DEMS AND REPUBS.
THEY JUST WANT OUR MONEY FOR OTHER THAN MILITARY OR COURT SYSTEM.
JUST GIVE THE LIBERTARIANS ONE CHANCE.
IF THEY BLOW IT THEN OUT WITH THEM BUT WE MUST STOP THE POWER MAD/HUNGRY OUT OF CONTROL FOLKS THAT ARE IN THERE RIGHT NOW!!
Posted by Jeff on Apr 5, 2004 at 2:09 AM Nobody has to work at WALMART if they dont want. People are not being kidnapped off the street and being forced into slavery. What high paying jobs is WALMART replacing? If WALMART comes to a town that is already economically depressed and puts 250 or more people to work I guarentee those people will be better off employed than unemployed. The people that WALMART employ know this. They know that personal choices have limited their career path. They also know that WALMART AND retailors like it offer career advancement that with hard work and dedication will provide a very good living wage with benefits and retirement. Their always has been and always will be a need for jobs for people who did not graduate college,have not found their niche,or have not planned for their future. WALMART provides employment for these people. How can that be wrong? What would these people be doing anyway? D.L.E
Posted by Donald L. Etheridge on Apr 5, 2004 at 2:18 AM the reason walmart has so much business, is price and selection. the reason our schools are so poor is regulation and the NEA. public school teachers are not allowed to teach, whereas private schools have less regulation and can teach.
get a life and crawl on the NEA. they need to be disbanded immediately. if they were doing their job, the waltons would not be on their case. remember, your friend hillary was on the walmart board of directors for years and probably still is.
Posted by john l on Apr 5, 2004 at 2:18 AM this article is pretty funny. I love it when people keep saying that Bush wasn’t elected by the voters, when, in fact, he was. Gore was the candidate who tried for weeks to get election laws changed for his own benefit. Even after all this, all of the news organizations who counted the votes themselves proved Bush was the winner. Why can’t the truth be accepted? If you really want to complain about votes, try the city of Chicago. Over 100,000 votes possibly wrong? Why hasn’t that become a story? Hmm, I wonder…guess these people will be voting for John"Big Head” Kerry, the rubber band candidate.
Posted by lt on Apr 5, 2004 at 2:25 AM I am an public school educator and know that students in Voucher schools are not evaluated as public school children are. Teachers in Voucher schools do not have to be certificed as public school teacehers are . Voucher schools are not evaluated by the same standards as Public schools are. They are not mandated to take in troubled kids or students with special needs. Vouchers will ultimatly cause a class seperation in ways that will adversely affect the futue of this country as we know it. This success of this country is owed to our public education…which needs the continued support of our government The Waltons have been destructive to our communities, our public schools, our country and to our economy. Have they no shame?
Posted by bARRETT kASHDAN on Apr 5, 2004 at 2:26 AM Dawn, I have to say that was a touching statement on this story. However, as a political science graduate with political ambitions, I have to disagree with many of your claims. Everyone I talk to doesn’t support the war, which is your right, but how can we ever obtain peace, when there are people overseas that are threatening our homeland? In the name of peace, we have decided to make the entire world more peaceful by getting rid of a tyrant. Obviously there is more to do, the terrorists across the world do not care about peace. But those who do not agree with this war, need to understand; we fight this war today, or your children and grandchildren fight this war tomorrow. To all the others who think the people with money are not helping the little people, think again. With tax cuts, and incentives for businesses, this country has posted the highest economic performance in one quarter in 20 years. People in the highest tax bracket deserve a tax cut because they pay 50% of the tax money in this country. If any have taken an economics course, these tax cuts work! They make sense all the way down to the money multiplier. I suggest studying these topics, before posting your rhetoric about the government being bad. This government, the Bush Administration is a government for the families and for the hard working man and woman. Let us show our support for them on November 2nd, 2004.
Posted by Matthew Seeds on Apr 5, 2004 at 2:32 AM Could not Opra, MJ, Danny G., Labron, 1000’s of other multi-rich black pro-athletes-TV and movie stars transform our inner cities from gang infested drug habatats to Waltons’ Mountain. NO! No! NO! Why not? Because they are just like the Wal-Mart Family. They like being inclusive-thats’ why. Wake up and smell the coffee. Them thats got gets. Stop dreaming about why I have it so bad. Its not slavery-Look at the Jews…400 years in slavery/Hitler/the Muslims they still do very well. Its all about choices. (written by an Appalachian coal miners son-who by the way worked in the mines-too.)
Posted by Paul Young on Apr 5, 2004 at 2:35 AM I though the article was garbage! I think some of you should go read “the Enemy Within” by Micheal Savage. How anyone who has school age childen could be against shool vouchers is beyond me.
Posted by James Kimball on Apr 5, 2004 at 2:35 AM You talk all this trash about Walmart, but answer me this: when you need a bottle of shampoo or you want to buy your child a new bike or you want to purchase a new set of golf clubs or a bag of dog food, where do you go to buy it?
WALMART
If you ask me, the Waltons are GENIUSES.
It is great that they care for black Americans an want to reform education for them unlike the authors do.
Posted by Dave on Apr 5, 2004 at 2:37 AM Good stuff there, da midwest. Bush was in fact elected by the people. Whoever that guy was from Canada bashing Bush needs to learn a few facts also. He has to be the most ignorant person ever.
I mean, calling Bush a coward? Who is that risked his life by going to Iraq to visit troops.
“CNN declares Al Gore a winner in Florida. It means he has won.”
What an idiotic thing to say. CNN doesnt decide who wins the election, the people do. And the people decided that G.W. Bush was the winner.
Get a life, you liberals. You make me sick!
Posted by Mitch on Apr 5, 2004 at 2:45 AM If this was the worst threat the Bush administration poses, we’d have very little to fear. However, the deficit, two wars, and fascist scumbag hillbillies pimping stupid fundamentalist values make this the worst crisis since Naziism. Does anyone really believe these creeps, and will it even matter in the next election? We’ve got far bigger problems than the Waltons….
Posted by Rob Karnisky on Apr 5, 2004 at 2:47 AM the more i think about this, the more i think the entire education system should be privatized. the government is doing such a lousey job now, private industry could only be a step up. vouchers is too small a step for this mess.
Posted by john l on Apr 5, 2004 at 2:47 AM hey matt, great response. i can see all that education has kinda fried your brain. all you can do is repeat the “feel good” mantra. kinda like… W! you’ll make a great politician, i mean, if you can raise $100 million or so to get started, and surround yourself with high-minded men of principle like cheyney and wolfowitz, architects of the biggest fleecing america’s ever undergone. keep your head in the sand, matt, you’ll go far.
Posted by bob on Apr 5, 2004 at 2:53 AM I love this! I shop at W M often and now I learn W M is helping to fund school voucher programs. You can’t argue with freedom of choice, whether it’s choice of the best price or the best school.
Posted by Jeff on Apr 5, 2004 at 2:56 AM I have shopped at Wal-Mart a very few times, but will no longer do so. I will not contribute a penny to their fortune and their twisted goals.
Posted by anne nelson on Apr 5, 2004 at 2:57 AM Who’s to blame for all this….I’d say it is the people who vote in corrupt politicians who won’t use the laws on the books to reign in giant monolopies like Walmart
Posted by Jerome on Apr 5, 2004 at 2:58 AM hey bob: you did a good job on matt. how about taking a hard look at the serra club. they have a 94 million yearly operating budget, and their sole purpose is running companies out of the usa. they are also experts at dividing the masses with their neo nazi tactics. are you also a member of that group.
Posted by john l on Apr 5, 2004 at 2:59 AM To Philip Scoggins. Obviously you dont have a clue as to what is going on in public schools. Lets just take all the problem kids and hand them over to the private sector. Then we can send your daughter to school with them since they will also have access to the vouchers. At least now most of these kids are too poor to afford private schools. Wise up stupid at least now you have a choice to not put your child into that environment. Yeah, let’s implement the voucher program so we can destroy education completely. Better yet lest send your little girl into school with a convicted felon. We legally have to educate them too.
Posted by george on Apr 5, 2004 at 3:03 AM hi john. nope, don’t belong to any group really. just kinda like thinking for myself instead of being programmed by a bunch of self-aggrandizing war mongers.
Posted by bob on Apr 5, 2004 at 3:03 AM The Sam in your story died about
ten years ago. Check the facts of your story as anyone could just by talking to a Wal-Mart store manager. Also the Wal-Mart foundations gives out millions to Childrens Miracle Network and college schoolarships.
Posted by bob patterson on Apr 5, 2004 at 3:09 AM How do we stop this action? We need health care NOw! wal-mart employees need to create a work stoppage to demand more pay.
Posted by Amos Jones on Apr 5, 2004 at 3:23 AM It’s funny how all the people who defend Walmart, Republicans and Bush seem to have a political agenda while everyone else just wants to improve things.
By the way, history will record the last presidential election as a rigged one. It was condemned by the international community of democratic nations. What an embarrassment! You fools who defend Bush as “President” are really funny. Just like the Baath party defending Saddam as an “elected” “President”. HA-HA!
Due to my current economic status, I have NO CHOICE but to shop at Walmart for the needs of my family! Those who DO have a choice (money) shop at Wild Oats and AJ’s and the places unaffordable (read: inaccessable) to the poor.
Vouchers (for choice) are an INTERESTING idea, but I seriously doubt it will be applied fairly to benefit teachers or the poor. It is obviously designed to get tax money for private shcools for the elite.
It is easy to tell from these posts who thinks for themselves and who is programed to recite party lines….
Posted by Brian Siefke on Apr 5, 2004 at 3:27 AM G.W is the only one with rich folks??? KENNEDY??? That is a group that has been around awhile and made no mistakes, RIGHT!? Was Bill(Clinton) not around while WAL-MART took over this country? I know that the first time I saw two WAL-Marts run my local stores out was longer than four years ago. I am not deffending George but all politicians are the SAME—They care about the people under their roof (or desk) more than you and I!!!! Things are sure to change when another rich (Kerry) guy gets in to office. I am sure Heinz is a US company run with US workers and they don’t get any product from over seas. Read your labels, if you can read, I know the schools R bad these days.
Posted by They are all the same on Apr 5, 2004 at 3:34 AM sounds like sour grapes to me . Did you get fired from walmart . I have worked for walmart 15 years i wouldnt have stayed if there was any jobs some where else . They have been a help to my family and town thank you . I know no one else will read this .
Posted by carlos on Apr 5, 2004 at 3:35 AM Public education has been a total failure .The voucher system will help to improve both public and private education by raising the standards and putting pressure on those who don’t perform. This story only supports Walmarts owners good intentions against the socialist union vermin who don’t care about education they just care about keeping the slaves on the plantation.
Posted by James Wesberry on Apr 5, 2004 at 3:36 AM Great! I already shop mostly Walmart and Sams…seems I’m on the right track along with Pres. Bush and most of the other people who work hard and make the money that goes to support the ‘liberal’ agenda in this country.
I wish the socialists aka liberals could name one socialist country that is better than America. If we were to follow their agenda, America would be a third world country in 2 or 3 decades.
Posted by Angela on Apr 5, 2004 at 3:50 AM Thanks for the information and the facts. Public ignorance is a dangeerous thing and your efforts to change that is comendable. Thanks, and it’s an “all people’s problem” though they are using what is now the minorities to further their cause.
Posted by Ben Daniels on Apr 5, 2004 at 3:51 AM What a total crock of left wing looney Anti white racism! The voucher system would be the BEST thing to happen to inner city minorities who hope to give their kids a chance in American society. Inner city schools are a disaster because of the administration and seniority rules that siphon off the best teachers to the better schools. We are going to need a nation of well educated people to compete with the Indians and Chinese. I attend University here, and the foreign student population is astounding, mostly Chinese, Paki and Indian. They’re in the computer and engineering courses - exactly the skills that will be needed in the new economy, while American kids are stuck in cirricula that are dumbed down to the uninterested and uninspired. School discipline is nonexistent for fear of lawsuits or unconcern by administrations that are waiting for their pensions. If the NEA was as smart as they should be with all their education, they’d see vouchers as a means to get rid of the troublemakers and losers in their student body by passing them off to the voucher schools. But the NEA’s main concern is political power, perks, and payrolls for their personnel. The students are merely a means to that end. The public schools in the US have been in trouble ever since “A Nation at Risk ” was published over 40 years ago, and with all the money that’s been thrown at them since then, they’ve only gotten worse. The fox is running the henhouse here, and they don’t want to give up their power. If you really believe the people who have screwed the system up so badly still deserve to be in charge of it, you don’t have the commom sense necessary to cross a busy street. Maybe the dialog would become more interesting if the authors of this screed would start walking to work.
Posted by Larry Morse on Apr 5, 2004 at 3:51 AM I send my kids to public school because I have no choice. The government says they have to attend school. I don’t have the money for private school, but wouldn’t send my kids there even if I did because I attended private school and was miserable. I believe that I and my husband are responsible for our children’s education, not the government… the information taught at any school is only the basic information any child needs to get along in this world and volunteering in the school on a weekly basis, I see that a handful of children aren’t even grasping that. We each need to take responsibility for teaching our own children the values and morals we believe, and history—all of it, not just school text book history. There is SO much more out there to learn. We need to educate ourselves, then educate our children.
As for the US government ... it is a MESS. Why am I responsible for running my family in a law abiding way and staying out of bankruptcy, but the government can go way over it’s head in debt to finance things such as war and forcing other countries to do things “our” way? Last time I checked we aren’t doing such a great job running this country, so why should other countries want to be run “our” way… Until we have no homeless people, no hungry children, all of our citizens have health care that doesn’t put them in the poor house when they get sick or hurt, when crime is gone…. that’s when we should start telling people to run their countries like the good ol’ US. I say we pull all of our military forces out of all the places all over the world that we have no business being in, put them on OUR borders to keep terrorists out, and on our streets to get rid of criminals IN THE USA! If someone wants to come live in our country… fine—make them a tax paying citizen and let them work hard and add to the community. Otherwise, send them home.
Jeff in Florida had an idea ... check out the Libertarian party… try them out - if they stink, then vote them out next time… but someone has got to do a better job than either the Republicans or the Democrats. They just want to fight against each other instead of working to make this a better place to live for EVERY citizen.
Posted by Barely getting by stay-at-home Mom in MD on Apr 5, 2004 at 4:03 AM Down w/ Wal-Mart! Everyone must
avoid even if it means paying a bit
more for things now..or we’ll all
be paying alot later! Support ALL
major Amer. Unions , especially
teacher’s and manufacturing sectors
the backbone of our dwindling economy. Don’t buy foreign goods
whenever possible, shop Amer.
made/owned car companies etc.
Posted by Davido on Apr 5, 2004 at 4:05 AM The shortcomings of the Waltons can’t begin to compare with the much bigger problem of the Council of Foreign Relations where the ruling elite hatch their grand design for world tyranny. Visit www.thenewamerican.com
Posted by John Carter on Apr 5, 2004 at 4:06 AM i am a staunch advocate of the voucher system. i feel it gives students a choice where they want to be educatedl; vouchers also, through competion with the public scool system, forces the public school system to toughen its standards and let teachers teach and weed out those who can’t even teach gym.
Posted by candace harris on Apr 5, 2004 at 4:07 AM is this the best you can do? a diatribe on the ills of walmart, why not blame the greed of the ufcw and its leadership? why not blame the nea for its inability to educate american students even though we throw more money at public education per capita than any other western country. no you choose to blame the wealthy, get a clue!
Posted by ken on Apr 5, 2004 at 4:15 AM The problem is that the US is ceasing to be a liberal socety. It is run by half witted eandarthal idiots for anti social rich military commercial lobbies which will beggar the average Americans and the world for their personal benefit. You elect your leaders; and this is what you get; depressing isnt it?
Posted by S V Chary on Apr 5, 2004 at 4:15 AM Dear sirs, Ford and Gamble;
Your article was very interesting. You brought many angles of which many of us are unfamiliar. However, you failed to say anything good about Wal-Mart. It sounded quite a bit hostile. Like they’re a hostile take-over of communities and schools. Isn’t there anything decent about Wal-Mart? Common on now. I’m a school teacher. I believe there ought to be competition in education. Education has become a monopoly of the NEA. Who is the NEA accountable to? NEA has become a pariah, and wants to hold on to power and money. Don’t deceive yourselves. I’d like to hear some good things about Wal-Mart, and I haven.t
Good luck.IP
Chicago, IL
Posted by I. Portokalis on Apr 5, 2004 at 4:17 AM Walmart will blow up like all corporate greed purveyor. They do because sooner or later people see through them, and deal with them
Posted by Calvin Logan on Apr 5, 2004 at 4:24 AM As a union person, (Teamster truck driver) I am disturbed by those who wish to take my freedoms away from me. These are the very folks who ,in the name of ( this will make it better for all those it affects) are outsourseing every job they can ( in the interest of corprate profit) to slave-wage paying countrys. NOW hear this corprate America; when you finally have every American making poverity wages, who, just who do you greedy Bastards think is going to be able to buy your stuff??????????????????????
Posted by Steve on Apr 5, 2004 at 4:35 AM Even if this story is true (and I don’t really like shopping at walmart) that is the joy of america free country, chance to succeed, make your life better than the one you were raised in. Just the fact that you can say the things you say about the president show that this country is still great. Try that in 80% of other countries including canada
Posted by ben on Apr 5, 2004 at 4:36 AM What utter nonsense recycled from the discredited dumpster of “liberation” Communist ideology. Does the same pseudo-intellectual narcissism that motivated the 60s version of your sorry stereotype still animate you? If you were in charge you would be far worse then even you allege the Walton’s to be. No one is gnawing on the pillars of national culture more than the left. I would not be surprised if you get your editorial talking points from the Beijing Politburo. Take an ecomonics history course with something other than a bong in your ears…. You might learn something if you can stop this mental masturbation fixation your on now…
Posted by john whelan on Apr 5, 2004 at 4:38 AM Pitiful…How the left can scream so loudly, yet no one seems to pay them much attention. I wander how much they would be hollerin if it was a company founded by anyone other than some dumb hick from Arkansas. I quess Walmart would be overlooked if they sunk 20 Billion into the some philanthropic endeavor the labor unions deem acceptable.
Look out! Big Bad Walmart is out to destroy the world, lock up your women….load your guns.
Posted by Stan Cranford on Apr 5, 2004 at 4:41 AM This story raises a question I’ve grappled with for quite a while. It seems to me that the following sequence of events led to the problems we are having with public education:
1. Federal education budgets are eviscerated in the ‘80’s starting with Reagan (at least that’s my first recollection of the phenomena).
2. Public schools begin struggling with increased class sizes and crumbling infrastructure, a direct result of budget problems caused by the cuts. The most vulnerable schools (poor schools in poor neighborhoods) are hit fastest and hardest. The problems are compounded by schools being forced to provide life lessons that used to be the responsibility of parents, thereby diluting the efficiency of the educational time available.
3. The very people who advocated the original cuts to education now point to the floundering system as evidence of the need to go forward with their so-called reforms.
My question is this: How can we allow the people who caused the problem be the ones we trust to fix it? If the core of conservatism is the desire to preserve tradition and social stability, why don’t they want to “conserve” an educational system at a level of funding that would allow it to operate as it did when it was in good shape?
I’m generally skeptical of grand conspiracies, but I do believe in the law of unintended consequences, and it seems to me that the conservative push to subsidize private schools with vouchers is in part because of their conception that the current system is biased toward liberalism and thus turns out more liberal voters, whereas private schools are not constrained by public scrutiny and thus can be used as a tool of indoctrination to their world view. Also, vouchers will never pay $25,000 a year to send an inner city kid to an elite private school, so the practical result of vouchers will be to stratify the world of our children along economic lines, subsidizing high dollar educations for the wealthy and funneling the rest into schools that will do the job for the value of the voucher. There’s every reason to believe the quality of education will be directly proportional to the cost and hence we arrive full cicle back to “separate and unequal” educational systems with economic status rather than race being the dividing factor.
Posted by Steven Schoene on Apr 5, 2004 at 4:50 AM I love to shop at walmart.
my kids and I have a place we can afford to go. What I’m tired of is all the people that want to overcharge the american people because they are the only store in town. My son worked there while going to school. When the stiff necks refused to hire him. walmart is great and if the tycoons get rich well this is america folks!!!!!! FREE WALMART HELPS A LOT OF PEOPLE.
Posted by deb on Apr 5, 2004 at 4:52 AM You both are horrible! You should be ashame for saying the things against a family who bought hope tp so many. WHAT HAVE YOU BOTH DONE FOR UNEMPLOYMENT? HOW MANY PEOPLE HAVE YOU HIRED? WHAT KIND OF RAISES AND PROMOTIONS ARE YOU NOTED FOR? yOUR MORE DIABOLIC THEN ANYONE. yOU BUILD UNREST AND DESENSION IN OUR COUNRTY THAT NEEDS UNITY. YOUR FAILURES AT DEMORCRACY. WITH OUT HIGH TECH YOU WOULD BE WRITING ON TOLIET PAPER. OUR COUNTRY WAS FOUNDED FOR THE AMERICAN DREAM. YOU WANT TO BUILD A PROVERTY MENTALITY AN LIMIT THE POSSIBILITY THINKING OF ALL AMERICANS. YOU ARE AMERICAS WOARST ENEMY - MEDIROITY AND FEAR.
MAY GOD FORGIVE YOUR INCOMPETANT HATERD FOR THE VISION OF OUR FOREFATHERS. YOU NEED TO FIND A THIRD WORLD COUNTRY AND TAKE YOUR POVERTY MENTALITY AND LIMITING IDEAS AND TEACH THEM NOT TO HAVE DREAMS OR VISION EVEN THE FOOLISHNESS OF BEING THE BEST IN THE WORLD. YOU WANT EVERYONE TO BE TREATED THE SAME AS WHAT THEY ARE WORTH AN HOUR. EACH IS A UNIQUE MIRACLE WITH INCREDIBLE POTENTIAL. SPEND YOUR TIME HELPING PEOPLE BECOME ALL GOD CREATED THEM TO ACHIEVE. MAYBE BOTH OF YOU MIGHT EVEN GROW TO BE USEFULL TO SOCIETY LEARNING TO BUILD INSTEAD OF DESTROYING!
GOD BLESS YOUR SORRY SOULS!
John Hollman
Posted by John Hollman on Apr 5, 2004 at 4:55 AM Well now, I just can’t wait to see your next article when you decide to bash Micro$oft as well. After you bash Micro$oft then you can go after GM, or maybe AOL/Time Warner. Give me a break, although I don’t agree with Wal Mart’s aggressive business tactics such as running the small guy out of business, capitolism is what America is about. As far as racism in this country, it doesn’t seem to me that the white Americans are the cause of that problem. Oh ya, I just happened to remember that I recently did some research and I found out that Sesame Street is really a front for the Russian Mafia. LOL
Posted by Bill on Apr 5, 2004 at 5:19 AM I wonder if America does spend more on education than any other Western nation. I some how doubt it. I am just a dumb old construction worker. I am working on schools right now. Did you know that there is a lot of building going on. Lots of stadiums, lots of gyms, lots of sports facilities for the schools; also a few new classrooms. Who will use these facilities if everyone goes to private schools? I really don’t think that public education will go away. It will just become cheaper for those attending private schools to to continue.
I can just imagine education becoming privatized, it will look like the current HMO’s. I can see the prices skyrocket to satisfy stock holders intrests. Then again you will need to provide adequate packages for the CEO and CFO. Only I am sure that w/ proper corperate management those jobs can be consolidated. Surely we should be able to get by w/ three education corporations for the country. And surely it would make sence to out source the teaching jobs. One teacher set up on video from India could do an awful lot of teaching. See no healthcare downside. And they’ve got to be brighter since they haven’t been corupted by our education system.
You know, I heard that US third graders are ahead of foriegn students , but they lose ground in intermediate, and highschool grades. I wonder why? Surely it isn’t due to the mega sport complexes that teach on the side.
Posted by Stephen on Apr 5, 2004 at 5:31 AM WELL DONE BY WAL-MART. AMERICA HAVE THE NO.1GARBAGE
SCHOOL SYSTEM. CHILDREN DO NOT GO TO SCHOOL TO LEARN. AND TEACHERS ARE A BUNCH OF MORRONS. AND THE DISIPLINE IS NOT FIND IN SCHOOLS. WITH LACK OF DISIPLINE THERE IS NO WAY CHILDREN WILL LEARN. MAY BE BETTER FOR PARENTS TO DO THE JOB. THAT THE SCHOOLS ARE NOT DOING. AND THE SYSTEM WITH NO JESUS IS A NO GOOD WAY TO TEACH THE GOOD THINGS. GOOD JOB WALTONS!
Posted by RUBEN C CORTES on Apr 5, 2004 at 5:39 AM Eat the rich; covert fundamentalist heretics; drive the Nazis in Republican clothes out of office! Wake up America (especially the South) The Second Coming has Already taken place. This is the beginning of Hell!
Posted by Carlos on Apr 5, 2004 at 6:02 AM In not mentioning any specific group, but by the insinuation of their acts. Critical of a nation’s leader only because the Inventive Mr Gore would have had a great invention to save us from the ravages of the onslaught of the plans that Saddam had saved up for the next Republican president. Yes that’s right for the 12 years that Saddam got away with all the sanctions depriving his own people from the decent life that only belonged to him and his close knit accomplices, including the Clintons, and Gores that he had his pockets lined by and settled within. Where Bill Clintons aim at the aspirin factory was as bad as his aim into Lewinskies crotch and hitting indiscriminately on her black dress. the only thing was that Saddam was doing the screwing, but he didn’t miss.
Don’t ask don’t tell Bill but we all know where your priorities are. Thank God, for real men, like President Bush, who gives it to the democratic party right they deserve it.
Posted by martin on Apr 5, 2004 at 6:12 AM Walmart is right on track. Our education system has been spiraling down the toilet for years. Taking God out of the schools, Discipline and allowing teachers who don’t care to hide behind their unions. Their are a lot of good teachers out there that do care. They will be the ones working at the private schools when vouchers are available. Making higher wages and truly educating our children. Fortunately if we turn the education system around, our children will grow up being able to think intelligently for themselve. They will not listen to the constant left wing misinformation being put out supposedly as un-biased news. They may even know that there is a God and He is ultimately in control. That moral laws like the 10 commandments are good for our society just as they were given to Isreal through Moses. That whatever makes you feel good may not be good for you. Most of all that Christ Died for each and every one of us, and if we accept him into our heart as our saviour, we have something much better to look forward to than life on this earth.
Posted by Will Dobler on Apr 5, 2004 at 6:17 AM Wal-Martianism’s Mein Kampf
“At some point we’re gonna have to cremate all the poor folks to make room for more shoppers.”
We are all of us, every one, like the Jews in 1939 when the Nazis came to power. It’s a police state.
Corporate Mammonism has taken over public society, and the robber barons fascists are in full control.First our health care into HMO’s, the huge uncaring corporations in Atlanta or San Diego, treating each patient like a number or slab of meat, running doctors and nurses off and substituting low-wage poorly trained caregivers.
Do you want your kids treated like slabs of meat? That’s EXACTLY what vouchers will bring. Oh, sure, they’ll have fancy new community centers and young “teachers” and Dell computers. Wow, mommy, I learned a lot today, how to cheat on the mensurating tests so that our school looks better than public schools. They won’t be learning anymore, they’ll be test-preparing.
Happy little robot monkeys. Put a round dowel in hole A. Put a square bar in rectangle B. Ooo-ooo-ooo.
That’s not teaching. That’s failing with style. Why did Johnny drop out of University after voucher school? Well, Johnny never learned to THINK, just what answers to give.
Then when the public schools are gone, hey, how come school tuition is going up as fast as medical care?
Duhh….
The perfect Wal-Martian world is happy unthinking robots with plastic, interest and penalties due, hand to mouth, cradle to grave.
“At some point we’re gonna have to cremate all the poor folks to make room for more shoppers.”
Posted by Eric Stromartin on Apr 5, 2004 at 6:35 AM You socialist liberal Dem’s continue to amaze, but not surprise me.
When are you going to wake up and realize that competition always drives price down and quality up? It’s been illustrated time and time again. The same holds true for education. When schools must compete for customers, (that would be students for you libs), then and only then will you see real improvement in the quality of education, test scores and teachers.
And what makes your beloved Peter Lewis any different from the Walton family? I know people who work for Progressive and they are not the richest folks on the block. They work way more than 40 hours a week for their fixed salary which doesn’t include time and a half for overtime. The Walmart model?
Just one more observation and I’ll let you commies go… I find it interesting that most of the respondents who are pro-public education, pro-union and anti-business, have a considerable number of mis-spelled words and poorly constructed sentences. Strange coincidence? I don’t think so.
I’m no English major, as a matter of fact I didn’t even go to college. But I did go to Catholic grade school, and to this day I still know when to use the word “too” rather than “to”.
I’m just thankful most hard working Americans won’t stumble across this stupid article like I did.
Posted by Doug Ridenour on Apr 5, 2004 at 6:42 AM Yeah! John Hollerman. The Word of God speaks against those who stir up dissention. How can the Liberal Leftist blame Pres. Bush for the ills of our nation that was conceived in years past while the liberals were in power? What we are seeing now in the birthing of the leftists’ greed for power and money. Jesus said that the poor would be with us always..because poverty is a matter of individual choice, whether a person realizes it or not. The choice of a person whether or not he chooses to accept Jesus Christ as Lord of his life is the determining factor. If a person would just get to know Jesus personally then they would find out that God’s plan for man is not poverty. But man makes his own free choice.
The problem with our society is the liberals who are steadily working to erase any acknowledgement of God in this nation by using our school system and undermining the education of our children while trying to “cleanse our nation from the thought of a Creator. Check the voting record of the liberal senators and reps..check and see if they have not voted for tax increases and legislation for big businesses that have carried jobs overseas,etc. because they personally have financial investments in those companies..i.e…on and on. We, dear people need to wake up and realize that the more we look to government to meet our financial needs, the more we will go down hill, and that is just what the power hungry liberalists want. WAKE UP!! I was once a Wal-Mart employee and was glad to be so. I met Sam Walton personally on several different occasions. I just wish that 50% of the people I meet on a daily basis had the love and care for our nation the Sam had. Sam prospered in his business because he followed Bibical principals in business. Wal-Mart has helped and employed more people than it has hurt.
Those who have been hurt, were hurt because they had no faith in the God who created them and is willing an able to help them find workable solutions to the challenges they faced. Most likely they lost out because they were not tending to their businesses according to Godly principals or would not hear God if he were telling them that their calling in life was different from the thing they chose to do. GET LIFE! MAKE A CHOICE! CHOOSE JESUS! HE IS THE WAY, THE TRUTH, THE LIFE! WHEN THINGS GET TOUGH IF YOU HUMBLE YOURSELF, GOD WILL HELP YOU! IF YOU CHOOSE TO KICK AGAINST GOD IN THE END THERE WILL BE HELL TO PAY!
Posted by Cherri Roper on Apr 5, 2004 at 6:43 AM Doug, children are not widgets.
The demand for schools does not increase to match the new supply. Demand is precisely fixed by each yearly cadre. Ergo, prices will not trend lower once the education market is saturated, they’ll CRASH.
The business model for a scenario like this is to hype up the IPO stock values, because surely these new voucher schools will have a bleed-off investor class component, and then gut the infrastructure, sell and lease back all the school buildings, raid the teachers pension fund, RIF troublesome staff at will, fudge the actuals, announce a bunch of new programs that will never see day, and pack your golden parachute.
After the bubble bailouts come the bankrupcies, like airlines or HMO’s. Kids as passenger-seat-miles.
Great….Surprisingly for someone who went to Catholic school you have such a poor grasp of American economics, and Corporate reality in strategy.
You think a Sam Walton or a Bill Gates gives a f&*k about your kids? They are numbers. Branded on their arms if they have to, but numbers none the less.
Posted by Carl Lesher on Apr 5, 2004 at 6:54 AM You have to be kidding. This is like reading minutes from a remedial debating society. Gee, Wal_Mart is bad. Wal-Mart likes the voucher system, therefore the voucher system is bad. Stop cloaking a lame argument regarding vouchers by lumping it in with corporate greed. Try looking at the real statistics of public schools.
Per Capita spending has tripled, student teacher ratios are at there lowest, and kids graduating from high school can’t read. The real shame of it all is that the government that you would like to entrust to provide education, healthcare etc. can’t even devise a method to ensure literacy within 12 years of schooling. It seems ironic that you fear a wave of under-educated workers when in reality, public schools have become the greatest disservice the US has to offer. Public schools are creating what you seem to despise most, uneducated workers (children). Or maybe that is really what you are trying to foster, because only an uneducated mind would buy into this dribble of choice is bad, we know what’s best for you. Typical liberal nonsense.
Posted by Tom D. on Apr 5, 2004 at 7:13 AM If a voucher movement can lower class sizes and use nonpublic funds, then maybe they can work. Otherwise, they’re not a good idea. Making schools into business institutions and using kids as pawns in pursuit of the almighty dollar is not my idea of an ethical practice. Just look at how many regular big businesses have been run recently. Bringing the deceipt, dishonesty, etc. would not be good.
Posted by Laine on Apr 5, 2004 at 7:16 AM i have worked at sams club( a part of the walmart machine), for almost twenty years. During that time I have worked hard and done what I was told by management was a very good job. For this I have received on average .30 an hour raise! I didn’t think that much of it until at my last evaluation my area manager made the comment"is that all you make!?” I was Taken aback. I am also from a small town that had over half of the businesses in town close down when Walmart moved in.. I have seen it happen somany times. My favorite grocery store in the very large city that i live in closed four months after a neighborhood walmart built across the street. They are just glorified grocery stores anyway. WE employees are told that we are getting all of the business information so that we can fel we are a part of things, but we also feel stupid when we see the bonuses that the managers get while we get little or nothing. I have also pulled my kids out of public school for home schooling because the education they were getting was horrible. They were being taught to memorize info for the state tests and little more! Bush has been an awful president but I have experienced his brand of government as I live in the state where he pretended to be Govenor! Walmart is not the imbodiment of all evil, but they do bring quite a bit of it into the world. They as a family seem to have let go of what Sam and Bud Walton wanted in the beginning. I met Sam and had an opportunity to talk with him and he was not about money and power, he was just an ordinary guy. The ones in charge are all about money now. They put stores in competition with each other as if it wasn’t the same company. They build stores so close to each other then want them all to keep the same share of the market as when there was only one store. Its crazy! Something does need to be done about the monopoly called Walmart. I will retire next mont and when I first started working for this company we were told that after this many years we would all be millionaires, I’ve looked at my portfolio and find that I am a few hunderd thousand dollars short of my million!!!!!!!
Posted by renee on Apr 5, 2004 at 7:40 AM If a voucher movement can lower class sizes and use nonpublic funds, then maybe they can work. Otherwise, they’re not a good idea. Making schools into business institutions and using kids as pawns in pursuit of the almighty dollar is not my idea of an ethical practice. Just look at how many regular big businesses have been run recently. Bringing the deceipt, dishonesty, etc. would not be good.
Posted by Laine on Apr 5, 2004 at 7:57 AM I’ll never forget the Wal-mart ad that showed their smiley face mascot dressed as Robin Hood, slashing prices for the poor. The Waltons must have had a great laugh over that one. Talk about double speak! Robin Hood took from the rich and gave to the poor—visit any Wal-mart and you’ll see the poor putting their money into the Waltons coffers. Not only that but the people who give their time to manufacture the products sold at Wal-mart stores are making slave wages so again the poor are giving to the rich. Good one, Waltons!
Posted by Ed LeDoux on Apr 5, 2004 at 9:18 AM Dear Sir,
I think that you are on target. There is something about the Walmart stores that always struck me as being odd.
What I find interesting is the link between the Communist Chinese and the Waltons and Bush. Don’t you find it odd that Bush never fought against the communists yet seems to be doing his best to destroy the government? Is Bush a communist in disguise out to destroy the US government?
At any rate you seem to be correct in what you say.
Posted by David Michalek on Apr 5, 2004 at 9:28 AM Give some supported facts along with your accusations. I work for Wal-Mart as an associate, nothing more and even though I don’t agree with some of the Wal-Mart’s policies and indeed there is room for improvement in our benefits packages my pay is well above poverty level. Even though Wal-Mart’s pay is low to start with there are ways to get merit raises and annual raises if you work at your best, have good attendance and a good attitude. Many of the people that are in the workforce of today think the companies owe them something even if they do not put forth their best efforts. Whatever happened to work ethics and responsibility for your own actions. Granted their are some management problems at Wal-Mart as in any company but I still find Wal-Mart a good employer. As for your next comment “most of the world opposes the administrations’s plans for war” back that statement with true and I stress TRUE facts and fiqures not just loud mouth accusations then maybe someone might listen to you. But as for me I feel Our President is doing what needs to be done. He is waging and unpopular war in Iraq. But if the Clinton administration had it’s way with could have continued prostituting the White House and ignore Iraq and other problems until they walked in and took America from under our NO MORALS President. President Bush is dealing with the problems that MR.CLINTON chose to ignore. That is my opinion and thank GOD that President Bush is fighting for my right to have that opinion and for your loud mouth to have yours. Even though I do not agree with your views and opinions of the company I work for and of MY President I personally have given a husband and 3 children to fight for your right to have that opinion and if I were not a 58 year old woman, I would join the Marines or Army and serve wherever President Bush ask me to go.
Posted by Margaret Durman on Apr 5, 2004 at 11:17 AM I hope everyone does not look at Ohioans like Robert Mease and think this is the norm. This is the worst type of journalism, which drives and insights the worst in people like Mr. Mease
Posted by Keith on Apr 5, 2004 at 11:47 AM I think that when it comes to anything in life, we should consider the source. This site is nothing more than a front for the Democratic Party and its’ union lobby. I just wonder why you aren’t trashing George Soros. You seem, almost to the point of paranoia, to be really concerned about the Walton family and how they are abusing the political process with their money/influence, but you sure don’t seem to be concerned about your evident political ally, George Soros and how he spends his millions of dollars for Democratic causes. You certainly have your right to your opinion, and I would fight for your right to say it, but do not assume that everyone follow this leftist agenda.
I, for one, shop at Wal-Mart , and its’ subsidiaries. I will shop at Wal-Mart and/or its’ subsidiaries, as long as Wal-Mart and/or its’ subsidiaries are in business, and give(s) me good service. I also shop at Target, Sears, K-Mart and other chain department /grocery stores. I will not let a left-wing (or right wing) agenda tell me where I should or should not shop. I shop at Wal-Mart because I am looking for the best price on any given item(s) at that time. I also shop at the other stores for the same reason. I do not drive by a store and say: “I can’t shop here, because Glenn Ford and Peter Gamble believe that this store does not meet their political approval”. Has politics now sunk to the level of attacking grocery shoppers because they want to save a buck or two? I am not going to pay more money at another store, just because someone tells me that a certain store doesn’t meet their political thought process (left or right wing).
Finally, I do not really care where Wal-Mart puts their money. It is their money, plain and simple. How would you like it if someone tried to force you to spend your money on a particular political cause that you disagreed with. Would you adhere to their demands? No, you wouldn’t. So, in the same vein, Wal-Mart can spend their money on their belief system (just like George Soros and you do). That is called the freedom of choice. I believe in independence of a cause and not dependence on a cause. I believe in being an independent person, not a person of some politically-bound thought process, that trumpets the party line. And, I do vote.
Posted by Robert on Apr 5, 2004 at 2:04 PM Try and get in touch with your feelings here. You need a bit more passion. Mainly, because your common sense and judgement is so far out of touch with reality and what it takes to live out here, as to render you worthless to those of us who appeciate the basics (a GOOD education, ie home private or enriched public). As one who WAS in a union, I can say, thankfully, there are BETTER paying alternatives to that farce. Maybe you and your partners should try getting a REAL job, one that can make a difference. Having said this, however, I thank you for giving such a clear confirmation as to why you way of thinking DONT work anymore.
Posted by John Leavell on Apr 5, 2004 at 2:23 PM there must be alot of twins in the Wal-Mart family, the family that ownes the store in our community provides quality products at a reasonable price,donates to many local charities,is very clean,employess are friendly, a great asset to the community we live in.
Posted by dan field on Apr 5, 2004 at 3:04 PM I am fifty years old, a practicing Christian, and sole proprietor of a successful small business. I am a father of six, and a grandfather of eight. I have a college degree in Political Science and have done graduate work in two universities.
This story is the biggest fabrication of dribble I have read in years. Are you guys serious, or was this meant to be a satirical joke?
Posted by Joe Don Cook on Apr 5, 2004 at 3:25 PM Is this story based upon what the sky looks like in your world?
Posted by A.Walton on Apr 5, 2004 at 3:29 PM Peter,
Stay the Fuck in Canada!!! We don’t want you here. President Bush is doing a great job at protecting our Country, and if Canada get attacked, don’t come looking for money for the US. But then again, if we don’t give Canada money, then we are the bad guys again
Posted by Mike on Apr 5, 2004 at 3:29 PM You need to check heinz and john kerry’s interest and not be so one sighted
Posted by jay broker on Apr 5, 2004 at 3:29 PM Boy, have you guys fallen off the deep end! I’m not a big Wal-Mart fan myself, but your article is just a hit piece. Have you ever heard of presenting both sides? Apparently not…
Posted by Noel Doyle on Apr 5, 2004 at 3:34 PM I knew Wal-Mart was bad, but the article I just read points out about their involvement in Education which I was not aware of. I will not shop at Wal-Mart. I have boycotted the store since it came into Champaign-Urbana. I detest it.
Posted by sara stevenson on Apr 5, 2004 at 3:39 PM This is kind of off the subject but did you know that the Walton’s are perfect? That’s right, they are so perfect that their employee’s have to be also or they face public humiliation. Let’s say for instance that Merle from Yokee, Arkansas, who has been a loyal cashier at Wal Mart for 30 yrs., has a problem with her bank account and accidentally rights a check that has insufficient funds to her employer. At the next morning rah, rah session, that Wal Mart has each day before the open of business, they will end the meeting by telling everyone they have an announcement. They will say, “Hey everybody, one more thing before we get going. Merle here has written us a bad check, Merle, your fired. Could someone please show her out!?” Of course such mega billionaires like the Walton’s would never face this situation but they sure do support it. The company makes me ill. PLEASE DO NOT SHOP THERE!!!!!!
Posted by Nate C. on Apr 5, 2004 at 3:48 PM This is exactly why good opportunities get destroyed- one person sells themselves out to one idea and they decide to go to the grave defending a bad idea they sold themselves on. You can never have advancement with a closed minded mind. The question becomes- how can I work with the money people to help those that need it the most? Can I lay aside my pride and be known as a real leader, someone that can come along side and make changes peacefully or am I the pride seeking individual that deep down really cares about getting attention? I can relate to your situation because I have taken up arms against a large corporation thru our union. We had strikes, we had work slow downs and sick day call ins , all to get our point across. After 10 years of believing all the union stuff, I wasn’t any better off. I quit the company and became self-employed, then I got an education is what it is really about. To amplify the voice of dissent in anger for the purpose of peace and justice doesn’t work. Just look at Iraq. Their people are dying needlessly due to them trying to prove a point. Let everyone come together and voice their opinons and submit a fair working plan. Yes we have freedom of expression, but that freedom shouldn’t destroy the very thing you’re trying to accomplish The book of Proverbs in the Bible can give you some tremendous insight about how to acheive your goal. I pray that you don’t needlessly lead people astray and build them up with a heart of anger but teach them how to peacelully go about making change. The biggest factor in this issue today is that the parents are so lazy they don’t stay home to be with or help their kids. It’s seems to be all about what’s in it for them, not the kid. The drop-out kid is a product of their home. Until you chang the home attitudes you’re not going to change the kid. Kids learn by example. If taking a voucher and going to the only one positive place that might motivate that kid to do whats right, then Im for it. Let’s get the kids in the place where thay are shown respect and that someone cares about them. Will you be a positive influence or continue to waste time trying to get some more people to buy into you idea of hatred. If everyone depends on the government to supply our needs then we will become a slave to the government. Ray
Posted by Ray McDoniel on Apr 5, 2004 at 4:01 PM It certainly makes some interesting reading !! However , has it occurred to anyone that, what we really need is to give the class room back to the teachers and leave the parenting ( whether it be good or bad ) to the parents .. I mean we keep expecting teachers to stand in for parents .. if a child cant behave in class .. remove him .. why allow him to steal anothers education ?? if they cant reach the required level for tyhat class ..let them stay there til they can .. enough with all this other distraction .. we beat the hell out of teachers for their so-called poor performance and then take away all the tools they need to do the job ... It’s not the teachers fault ..it’s OUR fault .
Posted by ron on Apr 5, 2004 at 4:04 PM Best laugh I’ve had in years! Glad to see my kids weren’t ruined by the money I made for them. I’m so proud of them for upholding their moral responsibilities there on earth.
Thank God none of my grandchildren are behaving like that Hilton bunch!
Don’t know whom you hired to write the above article, but they must have aced their creative writing skills class. Why, I’m still up here laughing my head off at this!
Posted by Sam Walton on Apr 5, 2004 at 4:07 PM I believe Wal-Mart is out to destroy other small retailers. One can never get help at these stores. They buy cheap from 3rd world countries that pay their employees practically dirt. I don’t think that Wal-Mart pays US employees much better and may not even get much in the way of medical benefits. Why do people shop at this store is beyond me. What is happening to made in America? Look at what is happening—Wal-Mart is stealing from your credit cards now!
Posted by Oscar Taylor on Apr 5, 2004 at 4:16 PM Thanks for the laugh. You and your readers are hilarious.
Good luck with the Socialist Utopia you so obviously crave. I won’t hold my breath.
Posted by Mike Cullen on Apr 5, 2004 at 4:52 PM The “editorial”, by Ford and Gamble was rather dramatic and one-sided, but the comments that spawned from it, were truly entertaining! Volley on, my fellow Americans (and wannabes), as the resulting attempt at a solution can only be bettered by the “jousting” of creative and concerned people - left and right. God, I do love this country!!!
Posted by fred garvin on Apr 5, 2004 at 5:43 PM All the petty name-calling and hackneyed leftist phrases in this article do nothing to explain why the existing public education system has failed so completely, or does the article offer any ideas on how to fix it. It’s because the liberals have usurped the public education system to advance their own social agendas of homosexuality, globalism, intolerance for Christianity and other faiths, and disrespect for our country and its institutions. They need to teach reading with phonics so kids can read for themselves, math without calculators and computers so people can add in their head and make change without a calculator, and lucid language skills so people can express themselves fluently. The liberals in education need to spend less time counseling, less teaching teaching “tolerance” (that is, tolerance of everything but people THEY disagree with), and less time rewriting history books to express THEIR slants on history.
Posted by R Zelnick on Apr 5, 2004 at 6:04 PM I have an idea, but not the wherewithal, to briefly investigate last week’s double/triple credit card charges to Wal-Mart by First Data (Data First?) - have there been any profits associated with this “mistake”? -if so, did Wal-Mart happen to need a shot in the arm and what will happen to this money, etc.? Of course, cleaning up the mess cost as much as it may have made ... it’s just an idea.
Posted by Catatlina on Apr 5, 2004 at 6:15 PM Fuck Wal-mart. You want to know why they are so rich? Because they pay their “associates” like shit and offer benefits that are to expensive to afford on shit wages.
Yeah, the prices are good at Wal-mart, unfortunetely it’s at the cost of small businesses who are undercut. I have heard several stories of how Wal-mart asks their employees to work overtime with out pay cuz they can’t “afford” to pay the overtime wages. Bullshit. How is it their earnings keep going up.
Just stop shopping at Walmart. Support local businesses.
Posted by Corbin Dallas on Apr 5, 2004 at 7:36 PM For those who say there is no difference between the Democrats and the RepubliKKKans, you are INSANE. Democrats are far from perfect, but they beat the HELL out of the alternative. AMERICA CAN NOT AFFORD ANOTHER FOUR YEARS OF “PRESIDENT” BUSHITLER. WAKE UP ALREADY. THE FCC IS OUT OF CONTROL, WANTING TO CENSORE CABLE TV AND THE INTERNET. THIS IS INSANITY. VOTE FOR JOHN KERRY, OR DIE. http://Contribute.JohnKerry.com http://www.RockTheVote.com (REGISTER TO VOTE!) http://www.LU13.TK http://www.NeilRogers.com/Listen http://www.HowardStern.com http://www.TheRandiRhodesShow.com http://www.RandiRhodesArchives.com http://www.STOPFCC.COM http://www.ImpeachBush.Org http://www.TakeBackTheMedia.com/RushBusted.html http://www.unansweredquestions.net/timeline http://www.MichaelMoore.com
Posted by Lu Cifer www.LU13.TK on Apr 5, 2004 at 8:37 PM Seems the republicans commenting in here take great pains to justify wal mart and it’s sub standard wages and benefits. it shows how deeply this country has slipped economically when anyone would defend wal mart and it’s wage policies. question. why do right wingers always bring religion into their diatribe?
Posted by jeff on Apr 6, 2004 at 1:13 AM If you want to know what happens when private schools take over take a look a south america. I was a teacher in Brazil and have seen what happens when public schools are replaced. Suprise! Surprise! The poor get poorer and the rich get richer. And isn’t that exactly what the Waltons want?! Its great for them. Ignorance has been working in their favor for years and now they have a way to make sure everyone gets their fair share: Control the School System. However, I can understand some of the emails which see the failure of the current system and a right to choice as enough reason to support this but please understand that this will not benefit you, or more importantly, your children. But unless you are extremely rich, and with a selfish sense of concern, this is a terrible thing to happen. The schools will not be better, they will simply cost more. Do you really think wal-mart cares about your children’s education? Or could this simply be profit driven? You don’t need a private school education to answer that.
Posted by David Kopp on Apr 6, 2004 at 2:01 AM Mal-Wart, as it is known as in our family is truly the bane of good business and the boon of big business. It seems to me that a good moniker that I have not yet seen is: “megalomania in business”.
One wonders if it is possible to ask the cliche question: “how much is enough?” or “Why do you have to own everything?”
Simple queries, but ones not regarded as legitimate because in the USA “too much” is what we are all aspiring to have is it not?
Posted by Billy foss on Apr 6, 2004 at 5:14 AM Why don’t Ford and Gamble get a life and drip their venom somewhere else. Hate resides in their collective hearts! Ron
Posted by Ron Newman on Apr 6, 2004 at 2:32 PM I’ve only been in a Wal-Mart once in my life so please understand that I don’t work for Wal-Mart nor support Wal-Mart.
Having said that I must comment that this story is the biggest pile I have seen in recent memory. Your logic escapes me. For example you state that “Wal-Mart employeesí kids wind up in disproportionate numbers on the state program for uninsured children.” Just who are these Wal-Mart employees. They are probably people who whould be out of a job if it weren’t for Wal-Mart.
When was the last time either of you Bozos created a wage paying job. I suspect never.
I thought that this article would be interesting but instead it is just pathetic.
Posted by Barry Hall on Apr 6, 2004 at 2:35 PM Everyone feels as though they are oppressed. Get off your lazy ass, get educated and earn a living. The only social injustice is our social programs that have free handouts. If you choose to not support a store that’s your choice but quite crying like you are being held down by a big bully. Either you choose to let it happen or do something about it.
Posted by B. Smith on Apr 6, 2004 at 3:04 PM Public education was already in ruins long before vouchers came to be. Need proof? Check the reading and graduation rates of public schools in New York City. You can shout down voucher proponents and smear them all day long - but at least we are acting today to save the children of today - now. The teachers union, liberal (and I mean that to mean radically socialist anti-american, anti-capitalist forces have successfully conspired to keep blacks and hispanics down - their traditional power base - in order they can maintain and hopefully expand their power base to further control the nation. If you really wanted children to be better educated you’d stop attacking the heirs of formerly poor people who became wealthy and put forward CONCRETE, WORKABLE, DOABLE, MEASURABLE, ATTAINABLE plans. Plans that would be exempt from excuses that blame everyone else.
Posted by Michael Brown on Apr 6, 2004 at 3:07 PM Liberal America and unions have controlled American education for the past 35 years, and it has gotten worse. they have thrown money at it with no results. Yet, one reform attempt, ‘vouchers’ has scared every single one of them. Why? cause it will work and Americans will see them for what they really are. Enablers who are really don’t care about them, but their own power and control. That is the group we should keep our eyes on. Not philanthropists who are freely offering their own money to do something that no govt, republican or democratic have been able to do. Educate our children in safe condusive environments. I applaud anyone willing to stand up to teacher’s unions.
Posted by Aramis Nieto-Goetzmann on Apr 6, 2004 at 3:08 PM I don’t get it. What is wrong with vouchers? We are forced to pay taxes for Public School and many don’t perform well. A recent study reports that public schools do better after the competition of vouchers is introduced. Don’t you want better schools? Should we have public supermarkets that are tax supported? All children should be guaranteed an education. Since developmentally disabled children cost more to educate, they should have a larger voucher.
Posted by Dennis Fargo on Apr 6, 2004 at 3:27 PM If Wal-Mart is the number 1 retailer in the nation wouldn’t it make sense that they too would be the company with the largest amounts if imported goods? Are they out of proportion from the rest of the country?
What is your proposal to help education in America? Why should failing schools that are getting as much money as non failing schools continue to poorly teach our young people in this country? If they focused as much attention as getting a good education for their kids rather than their unions perhaps they would be doing a better job teaching the kids they are responsible.
The Walton’s started from humble beginnings and made something unbelievable of themselves in this country. If you fear that you don’t understand democracy.
Lastly the reason Wal-Mart is so successful is that they have took what this country has to offer and made the best out of it. They are using progrssive thinking and not doing the same old same old. It is time we look at our schools and demand the same. We pour tons of money into education and we should expect more from our schools. If not we should be able to go look around for a better deal. The education system was screwed up before the Walton’s were rich and as long as things don’t change will be screwed for a long time to come. Education is not a black or white issue it is an American issue and we need to start expecting more from our union teachers.
As for your “oppose the Bush administration” comment above most of the world may not support Bush’s policy on the war on terror but they didn’t loose 3000 citizens to the 9-11 attacks. Unless you have been living in a box you would know that most of the media is liberal so if there was something to uncover they would.
Posted by todd P on Apr 6, 2004 at 3:39 PM If Wal-Mart is the number 1 retailer in the nation wouldn’t it make sense that they too would be the company with the largest amounts if imported goods? Are they out of proportion from the rest of the country?
What is your proposal to help education in America? Why should failing schools that are getting as much money as non failing schools continue to poorly teach our young people in this country? If they focused as much attention as getting a good education for their kids rather than their unions perhaps they would be doing a better job teaching the kids they are responsible.
The Walton’s started from humble beginnings and made something unbelievable of themselves in this country. If you fear that you don’t understand democracy.
Lastly the reason Wal-Mart is so successful is that they have took what this country has to offer and made the best out of it. They are using progrssive thinking and not doing the same old same old. It is time we look at our schools and demand the same. We pour tons of money into education and we should expect more from our schools. If not we should be able to go look around for a better deal. The education system was screwed up before the Walton’s were rich and as long as things don’t change will be screwed for a long time to come. Education is not a black or white issue it is an American issue and we need to start expecting more from our union teachers.
As for your “oppose the Bush administration” comment above most of the world may not support Bush’s policy on the war on terror but they didn’t loose 3000 citizens to the 9-11 attacks. Unless you have been living in a box you would know that most of the media is liberal so if there was something to uncover they would.
Posted by todd P on Apr 6, 2004 at 3:41 PM I refuse to go there unless some kid craps his pants in the car or something. I hear James Cash Penney selling the Eckards phamacies to CVS corp.? for 4 BILLION +.
BOYCOTTBUSH.net, or bust!
Beware the Jones-towning of America!
Posted by Shamus on Apr 6, 2004 at 3:47 PM To the well-educated fellows who say the facts in this story were fabricated, I worked for Walmart’s Long Beach, CA downtown store for 2 wks in 2002 & observed the following: no. 1 - the orientation session - the main issue managers spent their time on was making sure nobody even dreamed about joining a union. We were told that would cost us a lot of money & were brain-washed into believing union was bad for us. The underlying implicit message was ‘join and you’ll lose your jobs because ‘Walmart would never be able to pay our salaries’.
No. 2: the room where the orientation session was conducted had the most terrible smell I’ve ever had to endure in my life. It felt like we were right inside a sewer. There was a ‘temporary’ wall separating the small space and the area where the smell was coming from. None of the managers ever mentioned anything about the smell or said anything about it being fixed; 4 or 5 months later I called that HR office and found out the room was exactly the same, smell and all.
No. 3 - Of all the ‘amazing’ benefits offered to us, the one that interested me the most was the share option plan for employees until I realized that with my meager $7.00/hour job I would never be able to buy any share.
No. 4 - As to the health insurance benefit, even though I had an HIV-positive child at the time, I knew I would NEVER be able to survive on what was left of my salary if I included my child in my health benefit. So we were uninsured.
No. 5 - I used to think that the people who worked there were lazy and had a bad attitude until I did it myself and realized the truth: by the time the workers hit the floor of the store, they’d have worked so hard in the back that ended up as zombies before contacting any customer.
So, wake up, rich, educated and well-intentioned crowd; if you don’t believe what this story says, go and get yourselves a job at Walmart for a couple of weeks and then come back here so we can talk.
Posted by an ex-Walmart worker on Apr 6, 2004 at 4:44 PM This story is completely biased, it forgets the number of people Wal*Mart employs in each area it opens its stores.It forgets the hundreds of millions of dollars Wal*Mart donates back to the community…all this is about, is the unions fearing losing power over the people they exploit.
Posted by Miguel Whytharg on Apr 7, 2004 at 2:57 AM At the end of the rant against those that oppose Public Education, I would like the author to explain why 40%+ of California’s public school teachers send their kids to private schools; why 90% of black parents opt for vouchers to get their kids out of public schools. . .
Posted by Michael Pottorff on Apr 7, 2004 at 2:59 AM That is one side of the story. Why didn’t you just come out & say, “I hate Republicans, & every one should agree with me!”
Posted by Robert Reinhart on Apr 7, 2004 at 3:02 AM you must work for jesse jackson or you really are jesse jackson because u sound exactly like him! wal-mart exists only to turn a profit just like every other store in business. you are trying to spin this into a race issue as you always do. sorry jesse but i enjoy saving my hard earned money any way i can and if that means you cant get your greedy little hands on any of it then all the better! i will continue to shop at wal mart as long as i can save my money by doing so!!!!!!
Posted by dan on Apr 7, 2004 at 3:13 AM Stop Snivelling! You sound so stereotypical in your commentary. Quit trying to bring successful people down to your level by doing something positive with yourself.
Posted by Rodney Hulsey on Apr 7, 2004 at 3:14 AM I’m disgusted by your bias against Wal-Mart. I purchase many of our household items and am proud of it. I am a stay at home mother of 2 by choice. We sacrifice to pay our bills. We have used cars. No, we don’t drive a fancy SUV and we can’t afford private school. Boy, I hope the “Choice” as you put it, passes. The schools in Houston are deplorable. By the way, ìprogressive democratsî run the school board… I will support Wal-Mart as they provide us with good quality clothes, household items, and groceries. I bet you support Target. After all, they are a French owned company
Posted by holly herrin on Apr 7, 2004 at 3:14 AM Golly….I just read the entire debate over the Walmart in Ingleside California. I read a qoute by Jessie Jackson saying that Walmart is a “Confederate Trojan Horse.” In my town of 450,000 souls we have one Super Center and a few of the smaller Neighbor Hood Grocery Walmarts. The vast majority of customers are minorities. They along with whites shop there for the low prices. So, I wonder to myself why would Jessie Jackson and the left be against Walmart. Then it hit me wall-to-wall….Walmart’s low prices reduces people dependence upon the Left. Does that make sense???? it’s funny to note that at least in my area that Walmart’s employs minorities. And what’s more..they stay there. At my Walmart, they have a very low turnover rate.
Posted by Steve Carson on Apr 7, 2004 at 3:21 AM I love a good conspiracy theory.
Walmart is Satan.
Funny stuff.
Posted by Jeff on Apr 7, 2004 at 3:28 AM Wal mart is no more than a cog in the machine that seeks to disempower the voting middle class.
Us “little people who don’t understand how the world works” as Nixon once put it.
Posted by CJ on Apr 7, 2004 at 3:29 AM To John Whelan, Wow, conservatives and Republicans know what a bong is? To those in this forum blessing (being a curse according to biblical principals) Jesus was a carpenter and then became unemployed sort of. He had no house or job and hung around with publicans and sinners. He was a law breaker when he went through the grainfields on the sabbath and picked food to eat. He caused dissention against the elite of his day and they crucified him for it. You really need to read that Bible of yours folks. Jesus was for giving to the poor. He told a young man in Mathew Chapter 19 21-22 “If you would be perfect, go sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Jesus also said ” It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” Voucher schools for the poor? Where are these schools? You have one in your neighborhood? We don’t. It’s one hundred miles from us. Do I want to send my children that far away? You are strangling the only opportunity most in this country have for any education plus keeping families together and that is the local public school system. I know women who are working at Walmart whos children are on public health insurance. Why? If Walmart is so great and good to it’s people? That’s corporate welfare folks. Lord Bless em,
Posted by Denise on Apr 7, 2004 at 3:53 AM -
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