SC's will be upset in San Diego.

[Jester]

Seems San Diego is not overly fond of Wal-Mart. Check out this article. Now, when SC's go into stores in San Diego, how are they going to be able to complain about things if they can't say "but it's cheaper at Wal-Mart"? Now where are the crappass managers who like to abuse their employees and make them work when injured on the job, and not document said work-related injuries, going to find gainful employment? SC's should immediately form a protest against the San Diego City Council. Hell, they should not only picket them, but sue them as well, for all the emotional distress and pennies the Council will now be causing them.

Of course, since I am not an SC, I propose a freakin' toast to some politicians who are actually doing something their constituents may want done and that their constituents may even benefit from. A toast to the San Diego City Council!

[KaeZoo]

Of course, since I am not an SC, I propose a freakin' toast to some politicians who are actually doing something their constituents may want done and that their constituents may even benefit from. A toast to the San Diego City Council!

At the risk (okay, certainty) of turning this into a political/debate thread, I'll pass on toasting yet another government entity "protecting" its constituents by limiting their choices.

If you don't like shopping at WM, don't shop there. If you don't think they treat their employees well enough, don't work there. Laws designed to keep out stores that city planners don't like simply limit the freedom of residents to shop where they want.

Now I'll put the libertarian streak away, and refrain from posting in the thread again.

[Cedophile]

If you don't like shopping at WM, don't shop there.

Not possible. WM squeezes out competition with ultra-low prices

If you don't think they treat their employees well enough, don't work there. Laws designed to keep out stores that city planners don't like simply limit the freedom of residents to shop where they want.

The job market's quite bleak in America. It's hard enough to get a service-level job, unless you know someone in the higher ups.

Something similar happened near my own house. People in the neighborhood stood up and managed to get the Wal-Mart that was planning to be built there to move. I'm quite happy about that, because there are a few small shops in the area who couldn't afford to compete.

[kzc]

At the risk (okay, certainty) of turning this into a political/debate thread

You didn't turn it; it started out that way. Other than that, well said.

[Imogene]

Anyone else notice that the mayor said if the motion passes again in February, he's just going to veto it?

[Knifeman]

Small communittes can, and should, have the power to decide what to do with themselves, and if that means they want to stop a Wal Mart from being built in their area, then more power to them.

Small communities and community governments should have this power, and quite frankly to see a city make a decision like this makes me glad that some people are still interested in their local government.

[Ringtail Z28]

This really only applies to the city of San Diego, the rest of the county rarely agrees with each other on any given issue. It gets confusing sometimes even for those of us that live here. So there most likely will still be Supercenters popping up over here, too bad really, because any area a Wal Mart opens tends to become a dump.

[chainedbarista]

i won't miss them; we already have three or four just within six miles of my house and those are more than enough. how many of these places does one community need, anyway?

[AFpheonix]

They've been trying to open one in the Beaverton area for a long time, too, and the council keeps rejecting any site they propose. Most of them rightly so, there's enough traffic issues around Hwy 26 without having one of those things open and snarl things even more. There was one in the college town I went to, I wasn't overly impressed with the quality of the products, and yeah, the prices were low, but I could get as good elsewhere without having to wade through tons of mullets or getting something that would fall apart in no time flat.

[Kogarashi]

I'm fine with one city mandating this, if there's still something similar within reasonable distance.

Here in CT, though, it appears that the entire state has restricted Wal-Mart from opening Supercenters, limiting the statewide count to somewhere in the single digits (Walmart.com claims there are a grand total of 4 in CT). This means Hubby and I have to drive at least half an hour one way to do our grocery shopping, as the price differences between the nearest Supercenter and the many much-closer stores (Shaws, Stop-&-Shop, ShopRite, etc.) are dramatic. We have 10 Wal-Mart stores that are closer to where we live (including the one I work at), to varying degrees of ghetto-dom, but the most they're allowed to have is an "expanded Foods department," which doesn't include produce, deli, bakery, or nearly half the rest of the groceries a Supercenter carries. Most of the local residents I've spoken with want a Supercenter that's closer, but the state restricts it.

Why Wal-Mart hasn't built a Neighborhood Market (it's version of the grocery store only) anywhere around here still has me scratching my head. However, checking Walmart.com reveals that there isn't a Neighborhood Market anywhere within 100 miles of where I live.

[Jester]

Anyone else notice that the mayor said if the motion passes again in February, he's just going to veto it?

Yes, but a veto can be overridden with five Council votes. From the looks of it, a veto would be overridden. Interesting.

i won't miss them; we already have three or four just within six miles of my house and those are more than enough. how many of these places does one community need, anyway?

I would like to proudly announce that Key West is still a Wal-Mart free zone! Has been the entire seven years I have been here.

[Geek King]

I would like to proudly announce that Key West is still a Wal-Mart free zone! Has been the entire seven years I have been here.

That's just because they'd have to dredge up a new key to hold one, Jester.

I've no problem with Wally-world. In free markets, people vote with their dollar. If enough people decide that cheaper prices is worth the long lines and generallly poorer customer service (no disparagement ment toward our Wal-Mart members!), then a smaller store may close. This is free market economics, and how things generally work best. If Wal-Mart runs all the other stores out of town, then abuses the situation, someone else will move in and compete.

As much as I hate going into a Wal-Mart (well, the checkout is what I really hate. I self-checkout if at all possible), they have increased the buying power of the average person within their market radius.

[TNT]

Here's another angle to consider... Big Cable provides tons of entry level jobs that pay a "living wage" and provide nearly every possible benefit, including health insurance that makes doctors drool -- along with real opportunities for advancement. And yet no one ever calls and congratulates us... instead it's just endless days of bitching about "outrageous prices" and "bankrupting us customers."

Go figure.

[erik316wttn]

I work at Wal-Mart. The one in my community opened in 1992. At the time it was about 2 miles outside of town. The south end of town ended at the Pizza Hut and then the highway was pretty barren until the next community 10 miles away.

Well, in the 13 years since, every available piece of land between the (now former) Pizza Hut building and the Wal-Mart has filled in with restaurants, hotels, gas stations, and other retail establishments. The whole downtown area has pretty much shifted from Main street to the highway.

Wal-Mart has been nothing but good for this community.

Oh, and all the grocery stores have stayed in business, too. The only one that closed (the one I wasted six years of my life at) was because corporate wanted to break the union and not because of a reduction in business. And they're reopening at a new location in the spring.

[chainedbarista]

*feels bad*

i don't complain about my tv/cable/internet; i'm quite happy with it, actually. we've never had problems (outside of systems being down, but it happens and we move on...) that i need complain about.