That Damned Wal-Mart, Consuming so Much and Never Giving Anything Back ... er ...

[Phaedrus]

Terrible news for the anti-civilisation types who want the poor to get poorer and 750,000 people to lose their jobs. Wal-Mart, notorious waster of perfectly good idle land, has decided to purchase and protect wetlands, woodlands and other assorted hippie playgrounds equivalent to all of the acreage its stores, parking lots and distribution centres. This unprecedented move will no doubt go totally unappreciated by WM bashers, despite the fact that WM has even entrusted the acquisition and maintainance process to the state (or more precisely, the pseudo-private National Fish and Wildlife Association [naturally this is the only fault I see with this breathtakingly generous plan.])


Phaedrus

 

[RPM]

phaed,

im sure they did it as some type of "deal"....

 

[eek.]

$35 million...wow, it must have broken their poor little hearts.
Tax deductible though, thank goodness.(phew!)
Quarterly profit to 31 Jan 2005 was

(drumroll)

$3.16 billion dollars

On the matter of cheap-ass publicity stunts there's a slice of toast on ebay with the image of Jesus they might consider too.

 

[WilliamWallace+]

LMAO. Only you guys could put negative spin on someone donating $35 million.

After all they're helping the
California Condors
Kaibab squirrel
Apache trout
salmon and steelhead
And even bats
Where's all the kudos from you tree huggers?

And those sons a bitches using it as a tax deduction, incredible!

 

[xpanda]

If this is a public relations move - and no doubt it is - then at least some of the kudos goes to all the WalMart bashers for putting the company in this position in the first place. Kinda like all their 'great place to work' ads are in response to all the negative publicity they received on labour relations.

But to pretend that the Walton descendants did this out of altruism is laughable. Public pressure has as much to do with this as anything else.

Which is, of course, what capitalism is all about, right?

 

[Dawoofdaddy]

Simply put, I will not shop at Wallmart! Good morning and good post xpanda.

arty:

 

[xpanda]

Good morning and thanks, woof!

I don't shop at WalMart, either, but it has nothing to do with wetlands or shutting out unions or any hippie type stuff. The place is just gross, is all. Big giant eyesore on the corner of every major off-ramp. Boring, cheap, and seriously tacky.

 

[Dawoofdaddy]

I also try to avoid home depot for they are a very similar company but for whatever reason doesnt get discussed.

I refuse to walk into a wallmart. I have nothing against a person making a buck in business, but they are globalists and that I am against.

RFID chips in their products.....you name it and they are doing it. They will not get a dime from me.

 

[xpanda]

Why are you against globalists?

 

[Dawoofdaddy]

You know enough about me at this point the evidence is overwhelming at this point as to why.

You know where to find me. :drink:

 

[WilliamWallace+]

I don't think anyone believes that Walmart donated the money out of a sense of altruism, I don't think Walmart even suggested that they did. Even if they did it as part of a "deal" or to improve public relations or even for a tax deduction isn't it still a good thing? I guess you would prefer that they just paid taxes on the money.

 

[Coast2Coast]

Dawoof...As a person who has dealt with Home Depot and Wal Mart as a supplier and now leading a non-profit org., I can tell you there are several significant differences between the two. To consumers they may be similar, but these two organizations treat suppliers, communities and public service organizations in significantly different ways. Home Depot is certainly a challenging business to work with in several respects, but their people are usually ethical and forthright in their business dealings. I have had several involvements with Wal Mart. I won't make any such claim about them.

 

[Dawoofdaddy]

Unless a person makes their living from wallmart, they should not shop there.

Simply put this is how my soul feels when I think of what they are doing to the face of America.
uke1:

Wallmart and the rest of these heartless globalists can kiss my azz.

 

[Dawoofdaddy]

Dawoof...As a person who has dealt with Home Depot and Wal Mart as a supplier and now leading a non-profit org., I can tell you there are several significant differences between the two. To consumers they may be similar, but these two organizations treat suppliers, communities and public service organizations in significantly different ways. Home Depot is certainly a challenging business to work with in several respects, but their people are usually ethical and forthright in their business dealings. I have had several involvements with Wal Mart. I won't make any such claim about them.

Thanks coast. I shop at hd sometimes, but just prefer to go to places that are local and have some face which I can relate.

I just a bit of style I suppose. Call me a fearful nut or whatever, I just dont like globalists and what they have done and are continuing to do to the people.

Of course people save a buck or two going buying from bulk stores, but what sense of community do we have when everything is wallmart, hd, big grocery? I shop at a local market and love it. I only buy canned stuff at Kroger that I cannot get at local market. The fruits and veggies actually have a taste.

We are all our own decision makers, so shop wherever, but I will not shop at wallmart.

 

[xpanda]

I don't think anyone believes that Walmart donated the money out of a sense of altruism, I don't think Walmart even suggested that they did. Even if they did it as part of a "deal" or to improve public relations or even for a tax deduction isn't it still a good thing? I guess you would prefer that they just paid taxes on the money.

Well, no, I'm not advocating any state action toward WalMart. I just think that Phaedrus' OP was looking for some kind of apology from us WalMart bashers for having bashed them in the first place. As though this move by WalMart proves just how wrong the bashers were. My point is that without the bashers, WalMart would never have bought up these wetlands, unless of course it is their intent to build on them down the road.

Pure capitalism gives business the right to exist and to basically do what they wish within the confines of the market. Since WalMart sells their image as much as they do their products, the market mechanism has worked very well in this case. Would you not agree?

This only makes me more impressed by capitalism, not less.

 

[xpanda]

I have had several involvements with Wal Mart. I won't make any such claim about them.

I used to work for a company for whom WalMart was a customer. They were a nightmare, and cost us a boatload in the end. Midway through my time there, we dumped them.

 

[Dawoofdaddy]

I used to work for a company for whom WalMart was a customer. They were a nightmare, and cost us a boatload in the end. Midway through my time there, we dumped them.

arty:

 

[919]

walmart has been trying to fix their public image for some time now...why else would a company run ads telling people how great they are for the community....."ed here loves dem darn walmarts.....yes, i love da walmart....it's great for my community"....that being said...this is a good thing and no matter their reasons for doing it, i'm glad they are....

by the way...aren't businesses required to give a percentage to charities?...not sure, just asking....

 

[919]

Full-page ads
The action helps Wal-Mart burnish its green credentials, just ahead of Earth Day on April 22. The company bought full-page ads in Tuesday’s editions of at least 20 newspapers touting its new habitat program.

Wal-Mart has come under scrutiny over its labor practices and how its stores affect communities and competing retailers. Last month it paid a record $11 million to settle federal charges of employing hundreds of illegal immigrants.

Wal-Mart also settled a Clean Water Act violation last year by paying a $3.1 million fine for excessive storm water runoff at construction sites. It agreed to improve runoff controls at more than 200 sites each year where the company builds stores. In 2001, Wal-Mart and some contractors reached a similar settlement and paid a $1 million penalty.

----------------

i mean, if it weren't a public relations thing, they'd just do it and that would be it...but like i said...still a good thing...

 

[Dawoofdaddy]

walmart has been trying to fix their public image for some time now...why else would a company run ads telling people how great they are for the community....."ed here loves dem darn walmarts.....yes, i love da walmart....it's great for my community"....that being said...this is a good thing and no matter their reasons for doing it, i'm glad they are....

by the way...aren't businesses required to give a percentage to charities?...not sure, just asking....

I would say they are not required to give nor should they be. For what they have taken they cannot give enough back to communities.

Im a bit biased here for I enjoy the small businesses that have a person which I can relate with and dont mind paying a bit more.