I work for a morally bankrupt company

[Guest T-Bone]

[url="http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=10000103&sid=afJQ5TydK.1w"]http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=100...id=afJQ5TydK.1w[/url]

[quote]
May 13 (Bloomberg) -- Wal-Mart Stores Inc., the world's largest retailer, helped fund a full-page advertisement showing Nazis burning books that was placed in an Arizona newspaper by a group fighting proposed restrictions on supercenters.

The advertisement, which ran May 6th and 8th in the Arizona Daily Sun in Flagstaff, urges readers to protect their constitutional freedoms by rejecting government limits on supercenters. The bottom of the advertisement says: ``Paid for by Protect Flagstaff's Future - Major Funding by Wal-Mart (Bentonville, AR).''

...

[b]Wal-Mart ``reviewed all the ads before they ran,'' [/b]said Coughlin, president of public affairs firm Highground Inc. in Phoenix. ``They did not raise an objection.''

Coughlin said the photo in the ad shows a group people, some in Nazi uniforms, throwing books onto a fire. ``[b]Should we let government tell us what we can read?'' said the text under the photo. ``Of course not,'' the ad continues. ``So why should we allow local government to limit where we can shop?'' [/b]
[/quote]

The article also states that Wal-Mart paid this group several hundred thousand dollars.

In the photo, according to other articles, the Nazi flag is prominant. Wal-Mart claims that, "Whoever the individual who approved it was, was not aware of the historical context of the picture." (http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20050514/ap_on_bi_ge/ad_apology_1)

[philothea]

Heh. I bet that's going to backfire nicely.

Yes, of course Wal-Mart is morally bankrupt -- they're a successful comropration. Money is the sole reason for their existence.

I have a hard time as a consumer figuring out what to do regarding Wal-Mart and similar companies. I would prefer to buy good quality items by companies that pay their workers well. It's what I always used to do. But products like that have nearly vanished, and when I can find them, they're extremely expensive -- probably because of the low-volume sales.

Shopping at Wal-Mart and Sam's Club can save me at least $100 a month. Right now I have no reliable income. I'm living on savings. $100/mo. means a lot.

Sigh.

[Crispy]

yeah, i work at walmart as a cashier for the summer. hmmm, will have to do some spiritual thinking...

[Brother Adam]

Sam Walton and Fred Meijer would roll over in their graves.

[philothea]

[quote name='Brother Adam' date='May 14 2005, 11:23 AM'] Sam Walton and Fred Meijer would roll over in their graves. [/quote]
Very true.

Shame that responsibe behavior can't be passed down even a single generation. I guess it can't when there's that much money involved.

[Brother Adam]

When Fred lost control of his meijer stores (the first store to combine groceries with hardline items) his sons promptly cut benefits, dropped everyone but 1/10th of the employees from full time to part time, and started hiring in at min. wage. Meijer is now est. to go out of business in the next 10 years to Wal-Mart. Wal-mart just ticks me off. Especially because working for a Christian retailer we were prepped with inside information on Wal-Mart. They put their own vendors out of business. Wal-Mart is an increadible superpower in this world even though most people don't realize it yet. They have a larger gross national export from China larger than that of any other country combined.

[Guest T-Bone]

[quote name='philothea' date='May 14 2005, 09:20 AM']

Shopping at Wal-Mart and Sam's Club can save me at least $100 a month. Right now I have no reliable income. I'm living on savings. $100/mo. means a lot.

Sigh. [/quote]
That is the problem. One of Wal-Mart's ways to have low prices (besides the economy of scale) is to have artifically low wages.

A large percentage of Wal-Mart employees use social welfare programs. These programs are necessary because of Wal-Marts low wages. These low wages are necessary because of Wal-Mart's "low" prices. The programs cost tax-payer money. Hence, the government AND THE TAX PAYER subsidise Wal-Marts "low" prices.

BTW: As bad as you feel about shopping there, I feel worse about working there.

[amy]

Just a thought...

Every time you go shopping it is like voting. Every time you hand over your money to WalMart, you say to them 'I support you'

I understand that some people have to shop at WalMart because they cannot afford other places, but many of us have the resources to shop at places that we should support. So please, if you don't NEED to shop there, don't.

[Guest T-Bone]

I saw a bumper sticker on a BMW the other day supporting John Kerry. Talk about hippocracy...


edit: This was in the Wal-Mart parking lot...

Edited July 12, 2005 by T-Bone

[jasJis]

[quote]A large percentage of Wal-Mart employees use social welfare programs. These programs are necessary because of Wal-Marts low wages. [/quote]I beg to differ. People only "think" they are stuck in a low paying retail job. Staying long term in a low paying retail job is a symptom of the choices you make in life. I advertise on the internet, with signs, and at the State unemployment office for entry level construction workers. It's hard, but women can (and have) done it. It leads to on the job training for a solid profession. I start off at $9/hr, with FREE medical insurance, 9 paid holidays, and 1 week of paid vaction. I have had about 1-2 persons a month apply.
If you make the choice to make $7 an hour working in AC for wal-mart instead of 25% (plus bennies), then that's [b]your[/b] choice. Shut up about blaming other people. A stupid retail clerk job is not supposed to be a life-time career unless you are mentally handicapped. Work to become a department manager, assistant manager, a store manager in a smaller retail store. Give you a hint. It's called a WORK ETHIC. The amount of effort you put out correlates to a value to the company. Pay then reflects that value. Little effort and/or little value = little pay. If the pay doesn't reflect your effort and value, something may be wrong. Shop your effort and perceived value around and see who was right. You were underpaid and you'll get a better job, or you over estimated your effort and value and your work ethic isn't worth any more to other companies either.

[ofpheritup]

Wal Mart for me is a last resort. I shop Dollar Stores first.
ALMOST EVERYTHING that Wal Mart has you can find in a Dollar Store.

Dollar Stores for some reason seem to still be a secret. To the person who is living off their savings go check them out.
THEY ARE WONDERFUL.

Who was it that said we vote with our dollars. We do, we do, we really do. AMEN. We have other choices. Life is about choices.

[Brother Adam]

[quote name='jasJis' date='Jul 12 2005, 08:01 AM']I beg to differ.  People only "think" they are stuck in a low paying retail job.  Staying long term in a low paying retail job is a symptom of the choices you make in life.  I advertise on the internet, with signs, and at the State unemployment office for entry level construction workers.  It's hard, but women can (and have) done it.  It leads to on the job training for a solid profession.  I start off at $9/hr, with FREE medical insurance, 9 paid holidays, and 1 week of paid vaction.  I have had about 1-2 persons a month apply.
If you make the choice to make $7 an hour working in AC for wal-mart instead of 25% (plus bennies), then that's [b]your[/b] choice.  Shut up about blaming other people.  A stupid retail clerk job is not supposed to be a life-time career unless you are mentally handicapped.  Work to become a department manager, assistant manager, a store manager in a smaller retail store.  Give you a hint.  It's called a WORK ETHIC.  The amount of effort you put out correlates to a value to the company.  Pay then reflects that value.  Little effort and/or little value = little pay.  If  the pay doesn't reflect your effort and value, something may be wrong.  Shop your effort and perceived value around and see who was right.  You were underpaid and you'll get a better job, or you over estimated your effort and value and your work ethic isn't worth any more to other companies either.
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Not always I'm afraid, not always. You may live in a portion of the country where job are aplenty and no one has a reason not to get a better job, but not all areas of the country are like this, and some people must take anything they can possibly get, or risk living on welfare, or living on the street. I'm thankful I spent several years working hard-labor jobs before coming to Steubenville as it helped put everything into perspective and how most companies view employees (a commodity of little value, rather than human persons) and to see the division between management and workers. I'm convinced big business, who's presuit is the Great and Almighty Dollar is the root of evil. While all businesses are not like this, many, if not most, are. I've worked for one company in my life whos sole purpose wasn't making money even to the absolute demise of their employees. Employers cry 'work ethic', but how can an employee be expected to invest themselves in a company that doesn't give a rats a**. It goes both ways. I made the suggestion working in a warehouse once, since they offered nothing but a low wage and expected everything in return to simply say 'thank you' once in a while to their employees when they went above and beyond the call of duty. I was looked at like I was a disease. While a company has to make money, sure, they should also show an interest in seeing the lives of those they hire are bettered.

[homeschoolmom]

[quote name='Brother Adam' date='Jul 12 2005, 07:49 AM'] (a commodity of little value, rather than human persons) [right][snapback]640605[/snapback][/right]
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This is a problem all the way up... not just in retail or low paying jobs.

[jasJis]

That's why we have internet boards. To share opinion and perspectives. I don't consider myself an 'employer'. I don't own the company, I'm at best, middle management. My specific example is for my area, but it is nationwide, as the company who owns us, owns other companies throughout the States, and I do business with, and talk to other industry people around the US and Canada.

It's a give and take, and the main problem arises who gives first and who takes first. Big Business has it inherent problems, but it also has it's inherent benefits, such as being able to consolidate capitol for long term improvements, stability, economics of scale, etc. I doubt any ma & pa business can afford FREE health insurance for all it's employees because of the principle of sharing risks in large groups.

Life has no gaurentees. America was built on the principle that if you work really, really hard, you MAY (may, not will) have the [u][i]chance[/i][/u] of getting ahead. This is opposed to the fuedal system where one had No Chance of getting the opportunity to improve one's lot in life.

[ilovechrist]

even though i'm not a fan of my job at the moment, i'm glad it's not under WalMart's supervision... instead i have other billionaires telling me what to do. ew.

[Brother Adam]

The question though, is, what are they getting ahead to? Super-wealth? Granted the distribution of wealth has never been even close to even across the board, but I don't think being rich should be a goal either. Great wealth is an inhibitor to salvation. At one time we had a healthy middleclass in America, which is ideal (to have as large of a middleclass as we can), but we seem to be rapidly moving away from that and back to either ultra rich or ultra poor. Companies like Wal-Mart who put their own vendors out of business, not to mention ma and pa and smaller retail stores, are slowly crippling the economy.

[jasJis]

[quote name='Brother Adam' date='Jul 12 2005, 08:38 AM']The question though, is, what are they getting ahead to? Super-wealth? Granted the distribution of wealth has never been even close to even across the board, but I don't think being rich should be a goal either. Great wealth is an inhibitor to salvation. At one time we had a healthy middleclass in America, which is ideal (to have as large of a middleclass as we can), but we seem to be rapidly moving away from that and back to either ultra rich or ultra poor. Companies like Wal-Mart who put their own vendors out of business, not to mention ma and pa and smaller retail stores, are slowly crippling the economy.
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[/quote]Since I'm much older, I'll assume I've lived during the 'at one time' when we had a 'healthy middleclass'. I have no clue to what you seem to observe as 'rapidly moving' to ultra-rich or ultra-poor. I think what you are referenceing is an 'ancedotal perception' that isn't based in fact. When I was 25 and married, I could not afford cable TV, internet access, renting movies everyweek, etc. I worried about going to the Doctor for anything. Being 25 today, affording cable, intenet, and blockbuster, as well as an iTune account, going out to eat at least 1 per week is considered basic necessity and then paying for the Doctor is an unfair worry.

[annie]

JasJis--Well said, and certainly applies to many. As an 'older' person with teenage kids, I see another issue. When many of the youth or young s go to find employment, they don't want to do anything crummy. There is a sense of entitlement, a sense that they were born to make $100,000 a year off the bat, and any crummy job is below them. It is amazing the comments I hear from various kids in our area---"I am not going to carry some golf bag for tips" or "gross! Why would I want to WORK there, I won't even SHOP there!" There is no sense of paying dues at crummy jobs, while planning for the future. Many are dependent on parents, either to financially support them, house them, feed them or find them an 'acceptable' job. Now, maybe I sound like an old coot, and of course this doesn't apply to everyone, but it is a trend. I agree with you, if you don't like the heat, stay out of the kitchen. I guess what I am saying is, people lack initiative and assertiveness, and between molly-coddling parents/families and a government which specializes in handouts, why would people assert themselves to reach higher goals?

[Brother Adam]

[quote] When I was 25 and married, I could not afford cable TV, internet access, renting movies everyweek, etc I worried about going to the Doctor for anything.[/quote]

Make that 23 and that is me.

[Brother Adam]

[quote name='annie' date='Jul 12 2005, 09:56 AM']JasJis--Well said, and certainly applies to many.  As an 'older' person with teenage kids, I see another issue.  When many of the youth or young      s go to find employment, they don't want to do anything crummy.  There is a sense of entitlement, a sense that they were born to make $100,000 a year off the bat, and any crummy job is below them.  It is amazing the comments I hear from various kids in our area---"I am not going to carry some golf bag for tips" or "gross! Why would I want to WORK there, I won't even SHOP there!"  There is no sense of paying dues at crummy jobs, while planning for the future.  Many are dependent on parents, either to financially support them, house them, feed them or find them an 'acceptable' job.  Now, maybe I sound like an old coot, and of course this doesn't apply to everyone, but it is a trend.  I agree with you, if you don't like the heat, stay out of the kitchen.  I guess what I am saying is, people lack initiative and assertiveness, and between molly-coddling parents/families and a government which specializes in handouts, why would people assert themselves to reach higher goals?
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I think more people than you may think are willing to work any job.