While I'm sensitive to the labor issues surrounding WalMart, they provide prices i take advantage of and services I use.

For example, when I'm on the road with my camper, I can stop and overnight in their parking lot and am welcomed there as well. That came in handy this year on vacation. My battery died our first night out. Fortunately, we had stopped at a WalMart and I just walked in and bought a new one.

I like the place, not their employment policies.

"If unions or Democrats cared anything about wages and health care they would be full tilt trying to stop the flow of illegal aliens...."

Since they are in power, I haven't seen any evidence of our current administration doing anything about illegal aliens. Could it be that our administration favors lower cost labor to maximize profits for agriculture, manufacturing and service industries? Nah.

"If Democrats or unions cared for the little guy they would stop their frivolous lawsuit buddies rape and pillage of the medical industry and pharmaceuticals (lowering medical costs)."

You're right. Prescription costs would be lower if the pharmacutical industry were deregulated and protected from law suits.

BTW, are you or any loved ones taking any of these medications?

Vioxx
Zyprexa
Risperdal
Seroquel
Bextra
Amiodarone
Permax
Crestor
Bextra
Palladone

Bon appetit,
Sherwood

Because every time we try we get called racist and the attempt at stopping the illegals is used as a bludgeon to beat Republicans over the head for their Mexican and neo-socialist constituency.

The actual cost reduction if the drug industry didn't have to pay judgements would be between -1.5 and 2%.

Dont fall for the massive PR campaign behind big business' attempts to avoid liability. Big awards are rare, and most are cut way down on appeal. But the corporate PR campaign would have you believe all major industries are paying out gazillions. It's just not true. The really powerful ones get the government to indemnify them and pay directly (witness the airline companies, post-9/11 who did not want trial discovery to reveal that boxcutters were prohibited).

As for the illegal alien situation, it's Republicans who will be least likely to act. When party pressure caused Pete Wilson to crack down on illegals in San Diego, one of his biggest contributors lost something like 40% of his staff in one raid. Needless to say, Wilson never did that again. The businesses of California are completely dependent on illegals, and the biggest ones contribute big to the Republicans to keep the issue on the back burner.

When did Democrats become the party of the small-business owner?...Must be the new fabricated talking point. Convenient rationale, disingenious as it may be, for destroying Walmart because they will not cave to unionization, increased prices to consumers and a lazy good-for-nothing work force that is unaccountable and overpaid; not to mention corrupt union bosses.

Thugs and crooks.

They are not in existence to help workers get a fair wage. They are not in existence to help negotiate with the big bad boogy men of the corporation. They are not in existence to protect the less powerful.

Stop fooling yourselves, they are in existence for money and power.

- Skip

Yep. It has been highly amusing to me (unfortunately the not funny part has been the deterioration of my country under this current so-called leadership) to watch Dubya squirm on this one. He says he wants to fight terrorism, but politically he cannot make a move that would restrict alien access to our country from Mexico. GWB's from Texas, you know.

Oh, and for those who think unions are a problem because they have become too big and powerful......look at the facts first before you say stuff like this. Frankly, one of the dynamics that are making labor unions act inappropriately right now is just exactly the opposite. Forty years ago, probably at least a third of the nation was union. That number has continually fallen during that entire period, and unions are fankly dying on the vine. What you're seeing is desperation, not power abuse.

Like Mike correctly says, even though he's not a union supporter, what gives corporations a right to organize, but not workers? Why is it that our American values place money (particularly investment money) always before people?

How about the cost of litigation smart guy? Factor that in as it directly affects my paycheck.....

Why aren't pastors and priests allowed to exercise their rights of free-speech from the pulpit, but unions are allowed to campaign and coerce their respective unions to vote for candidates?...Why is it socialists put the state's interest before the people's?...Socialism and its concomitant unionization has always been at the expense of the people...from higher taxes, to higher prices for goods and services, to business strangulation resulting in outsourcing of manufacturing.

You've seen me post I don't like unions either Skip, but Corporations are full of big bad bogeymen. Just pick up the paper and see who just got 20+ years or so.

Plus, I hope to be one of those corporate raiders in the future. All this G9Girl power stuff is just a smokescreen for now cause the company isn't worth much. Give us 5 years and 8 digit annual sales and I'll have all sorts of corp jets, a fleet of 911s and summer homes in the Hamptons and France all at the expense of our child-based labor sweatshops.

Man, I can't wait. Good times to come! ;)

Shaun- Sure, there's bad dudes in business. And, when caught, they get 20 years. And I laugh and applaud.

But, they're still crooks & thugs. They're still in it for many & power.

Shaun - Your the bestest coolest dude I know. Remember me my friend! :D

What??? Show me the data to back THAT one up... :rolleyes:

IIRC illegal aliens from Mexico send $8 billion a year back to Mexico. Hey, that must be great for the economy!

So let's see:

1) You're in favor of employing illegal aliens
2) You're in favor of employing illegal aliens to avoid OSHA
3) You're calling me a liberal? I think your compass is busted!

I've heard it once said that shopping at Wal Mart is un-American. Is that true?

Bush hates Wal-Mart.

No, I am for a massive roundup and deportation...Libs call me a racist when I say it.

I was born and raised in Los Angeles...I know many an affluent Mexican born family that came here with nothing and made it, yes even after being slaves at Walmart (or similar big mean nasty corporation or whitey small business evildoer).

What happens, then, to the economy? You're not going to see some white middle manager cleaning bathrooms for minimum wage at best.

You are also not going to see housing prices through the roof in Los Angeles...You aren't going to see taxes as high to pay for welfare to illegals and schooling...You aren't going to see public hospitals closing down because of free-bee health care.

dd74...they are more of a drain to the economy than anything else...they cost more than they contribute.

Enough is enough...come on bro, I mean from one Angelino to another, PC has to stop somewhere.

But why don't all Mexican born families become "made"?

Well, I'm a Conservative, and not a Wal-Mark fan, not saying I hate it, but they do use bulling tactics on suppliers and it seems to attract the trailer park/redneck types. There is almost nothing that turns me off more than if I meet a girl at a club or pub and she brings up the Wal-Mark , I run, and could even pass Forrest Gump:D As a small business, I feel for the other small businesses that are run out, the land owners who are forced out or to sell, but the do have low prices than many can afford, I choose to not to shop there and am lucky enough to live in an area that will never have to worry about one being closer that the one 10 miles away. Unions are at the heart of the liberal hate, since WM employs so many people and is doing a great job at keeping the unions out, which keeps the cost down, and if you don't like working there, there is no law or contract that says you can't leave. Just to redneck/trailer trash for me

Hey Byron: under what context would a girl you meet at a pub or bar bring up Wal-Mart? You must be having a pretty slow conversation if discount shopping comes into the mix...

There are not too many Walmarts in NYC. I know of one up-state in Oneonta. They moved in just out-side of town, paved over some pretty farm land and have attracted similar "box" stores. Now its weekend traffic jambs in the country - they never think to widen the highway...

Downtown Oneonta took the normal route, what wasn't closed already began to close down. But then a funny thing happend - it is a college town and all kinds of independant stores and resturants and coffee houses opended up and it is lately it is looking pretty good. It is not the same, but the downtown area is alive..

Pretty much the same thing here. Only it was the mall that opened up years ago that killed downtown (used to be malls were the enemy). But we are a college town and our downtown is really booming now. New apartments being built and the old ones getting rehabbed. It's cool to live there. It's probably a livelier place than previously.

Dan

Acually it is generaly two girls talking to each other, and they tend to talk about what they saw or bought at The Wal-Mart and remember, my work takes me to all kinds of bars & clubs (not all of them nice either) and I have had a girl walk up to me ans ask , true story, she did that right out of the blue (one reason I hate going to country bars) and said that to me.

Which then begs the question, How many teeth did she have?
:D

But, did you like her shirt?

About half :eek:



Never been a fan of tube tops:rolleyes:

I love Wal-Mart!

Only if we get to annex baja california. Think of all that new beachfront property...

Did she swallow?

Oh shlt...

LOL! :D

Last time I was in WalMart there was a 5' tall retarded guy walking around with his family with his hands in his pants.

...and I don't mean Al Bundy style.

Oh, and George Bush hates randy tards.

Interesting subject with no simple answer. If it hasn't been mentioned prior, my biggest issue with WalMart is the tactics the use in obtaining their merchandise. When a WalMart opens next to any business, it isn't competing with WalMart, it is competing with Mainline China, unfair business arrangements, Chinese workers getting paid dollars per day, and so forth. Sure they are bringing cheaper prices to consumers low on income looking for the lowest prices. Chances are those people were business owners now working for WalMart. For further information, check out this link:

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/walmart/

Dude, are you gay? ;) :D not that there's anything wrong with that. Tube tops are the best thing God created right after beer. In fact, biblical study reveals that God first created beer, then women's shirts, then saw what a hard time guys had getting these shirts off after a few beers, and with TRUE Intelligent Design applied... voila... tube tops.

the first sighting of a tube top in the Northeast is also the first day of Spring.

SmileWavy

Because they hurt small business...

But not here in Chicago (thumbs up)

What?
Tube tops?

It's all fine and good when used properly, then you see the rubber band on a water balloon, and , eww.

LOL

Small business thrives here. Chicago is one place where small business is successful. It's what makes this city so interesting. We don't have a whole city of stripmalls with huge chains like places such as Indianapolis.

With small business comes productive, profitable citizens and diversity. I love the diversity....