A super center is going up right outside of my development. There are two main ways out and it is going to be right across from our usual route. That intersection is so bad already. I can't stand the thought of it but there's really no use in getting all upset about it, right? I'm sure most people in my area will be happy about it
Their tactics boil my blood. Doesn't help that I recently watched that Wal-mart show on MSNBC or something.
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~Kimberly
*Mom to the dancing queen!
We thought we were moving to the other side of town, away from all the hubbub and traffic and THEN they built a Super Wal-Mart on the main street that gets us to the highway. THEN they built all kinds of stuff all around it. NOW it takes me over 30 minutes to get down the road when it used to only take about 10. And is it just my imagination, or are the people who are trying to GET to Wal-Mart just about the rudest drivers in the world?
Location: somewhere between complete exhaustion and utter euphoria
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The city won, its people lost. The city took over several city blocks and GAVE them to Walmart despite LOUD outcry from the public. The other Walmart in town has so much crime around it, several national chain restaurants closed because their patrons kept getting robbed in the parking lot. I do not go there unless absolutely necessary. I am trying to find a way to find local bizzes when traveling. We wound up spening about $400 at Walmart on our last trip as they are everywhere and locally owned places can't be found. I do not use them here unless I absolutely can't get something elsewhere. This is happening more and more as they are killing the little guys. I avoid Target if at all possible too.
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Michelle
-- Mom to Beth, 11 and Sam, 8
Allison~That is great! Problem here is, I think my neighbors would like it We do like living here but it has it's disadvantages. An apartment complex is about to be built in the sub-division for low income housing. The builders own another complex and it's riddled with crime. Over 600 911 calls in one year. The sub-division is fighting it but with little response from the residents.
Mothermoon~That's pretty much what happens in this county as of late. Well, the whole state for that matter. The county is using eminant domain and taking homes to put in a shopping complex with shops, restaurants and CONDOS!
I imagine it'll put a lot more of the mom and pop stores under. Makes my blood boil. I'm going to call today and see if anything is being done to fight it.
Slightly OT...here's the thing. I think that our greatest power is not in signing petitions and getting involved in political action (although that can be powerful). I think our greatest power in terms of affecting change is in how we choose to spend our money. This applies even more to things like big ticket items, as well as routine spending.
For instance, if you disagree with mercury in vaccines, you can petition the FDA to do something about it, and join action committees. But another very effective way to handle your concern is to address it with your pediatrician. Order the mercury-free vaccines, and make it clear why you are doing it. If more parents did this, there would be more of a market for mercury-free vaccines.
Another example: It is definitely a little more expensive to shop at our local hardware store, as opposed to Lowe's or Home Depot. But we have been shifting more and more of our purchases to this small, family-owned store. We know that the money is staying in the community.
I know that it would be idealistic for me to say that everyone should shop at small, locally-owned stores. I know that for various reasons, it's not possible for everyone to do that all the time. But re-evaluate your budget and ideals and see what *is* possible. Maybe it is spending a portion of your monthly budget at locally-owned stores. If you believe strongly in environmental concerns, and you have the money, maybe it is buying a hybrid vehicle when it comes time to replace your car. But even if it is $5-10/month that you spend in ways that are aligned with your ideals, it can make a difference in the local economy.
We vote against the big box stores with every dollar we spend at the small places.
I only watched the first of the series on PBS last night after you posted the link and then I laid in bed half the night (thanks a lot! ) thinking about the ramifications of the retailer driving the manufacturer. With the way Wal-Mart does it, it's the clientele of Wal-Mart who are pushing that retailer who are pushing the manufacturers. I would hate to think that the upshot of this could be a society whose goods are determined by Wal-Mart shoppers. That's what I kept turning over and over in my mind throughout the night.
We don't even have a locally owned hardware store in our town. It's Home Depot and Loew's or nothing. And get this -- You know I said how all the stores are starting to cluster around the Wal-Mart? Well, the Loew's is right across the street from it. And now the Home Depot, which seems to have a prime spot of real estate right on the highway and has been open much longer than Loew's, is now moving over by the two of them. It seems like sitting next to the competitor, but I guess it doesn't work that way with the big companies, huh?
With Elizabeth's question -- that is definitely a dilemma for all of us and of course, I find myself wondering about that as well. First of all, we are an "organic" family. We buy organic whenever possible. There is a small, home-owned organic food store in town, but it's very expensive. My best friend told me that I need to start getting the bulk of our items at Wal-Mart and getting only what they don't have at the Cupboard. I said I didn't want the Cupboard to go out of business. She replied that I didn't have the money right now and needed to shop at Wal-Mart until I could have the money to worry about keeping the other place in business. ??? I went shopping at the Cupboard yesterday and I consider the extra cost to be worth it as far as the wonderful people who I meet while I'm in there, the light and airy ambience of the place, and the whole idea of striving toward the common good.....
But I was struck by something on the PBS thing. It was saying how Wal-Mart has raised the quality of life of people with less disposable income. Okay, that's gotta be true. The lady who said she spends her entire social security check at Wal-Mart. Well, I'm sure that check goes a lot farther at Wal-Mart than anywhere else, so her life is improved.
Walmart will only accept the absoute lowest cost from its suppliers, and uses a fairly small margin of profit. How about the suppliers start offering those same costs to other retailers and letting them compete with the bigger stores? Other grocery chains like winco, foods-for-less etc et do the same thing, to get your product into those stores it has to be at the lowest cost to the marketplace - it is a dilemna - does my dad go spend $42 for prilosec at a smaller drug store or $28 at walmart, when he is on a fixed income... hard calls-
Catherine
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Catherine :kiss: Ray 43/52
DD-15 DS-9 DS-1.5 and 4
I SO want to call my family 'complete'
but the uncertainty of not knowing if there is
one more waiting for us keeps me from preventing...
But I was struck by something on the PBS thing. It was saying how Wal-Mart has raised the quality of life of people with less disposable income. Okay, that's gotta be true. The lady who said she spends her entire social security check at Wal-Mart. Well, I'm sure that check goes a lot farther at Wal-Mart than anywhere else, so her life is improved.
I'm in a conundrum.
I do hear what you're saying FairyMama about your local stores.
In regards to people with little disposable income, does the chain really raise their quality of life? I seriously don't think it does. If you price check item by item you will find that Wal-mart is often times higher in price. They have their "loss leaders" but their prices are not cheaper overall.
Being able to buy a whole lot of "stuff" doesn't improve your life. It's just contributing to the cycle. Buy cheap goods from huge chain that in turn pays it's employees poorly & treats them badly. Who also buys at hugely discounted prices from wholesalers who cannot then afford to pay their employees a fair wage. Buys from foreign countries who use inhumane labor practices. The list goes on. Giving your hard earned money to such an entity increases poverty. It does not improve it.
I was kicked out of walmart for trying to carry my 8 week old 4 pound puppy who was sleeping in my purse with his head part way out on the strap. I never really went in there much anyway, but that was my last time. The man who asked me to leave probably had a higher chance of having worms than my puppy. LOL. He was very angry and rude and said we have food in here as he pointed to the Mc Donalds. So that is what they call that stuff. Food.
and Sam, 8 
) thinking about the ramifications of the retailer driving the manufacturer. With the way Wal-Mart does it, it's the clientele of Wal-Mart who are pushing that retailer who are pushing the manufacturers. I would hate to think that the upshot of this could be a society whose goods are determined by Wal-Mart shoppers. That's what I kept turning over and over in my mind throughout the night.
waiting for us keeps me from preventing...
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