Ben Stein on Wal-Mart

[SouthPadreIsland]

I hate WalMart.  It is on the south side of my town - where the freakin mall is.  Traffic is terrible and I would rather shop at Kroger.  I would rather pay the higher prices than go to a store that does pay there employees different for the same jobs.  My cousin being one of the overnight cleaners...she gets much less than her male counterparts and she works very hard.  Walmart was one of the place she could work due to her education and her previous health conditions.

[foxx]

Wal-Mart might not be the greatest employer.  Having never worked there, I can't attest to it one way or another.  But, I have worked in my fair share of hell holes through life, and I know that if you don't like a job, there are always others available.  They might not be better, or pay better, but there are always alternatives.

As far as "selling off part of your soul..."  I'm with Hades on this one.  The way I figure it, I have:

* Mortgage
* Homeowner's insurance
* Utilities
* Car loan
* Car insurance
* Credit cards
* etc...

If I can save money by shopping at Wal-Mart, I'll do it.  To those that are independently wealthy, or have multiple incomes, they may have more of a luxury of being "morally righteous" shoppers.  But to singles like myself, or single-income families, Wal-Mart (or any discount superstore for that matter) can be a benefit.  If I can save money on the products I use daily/weekly, wouldn't logic require me to do so?

I take personal offense to this.  I pay all the bills that you have on that list...and, like you, am not independently wealthy.  Logic, common sense and morals all come into play in my decisions on where to shop.  I would rather stretch my budget to shop at Costco or Target (...a store that actually gives back to its community, rather than sucking the life out of it.)  I am not saying that any of you should stop shopping/working there...thats not my place.  (Notice the little winking smiley behind my "selling your soul" comment.)

Women, on average in this country, make 75 cents to every dollar a man makes.  That is a fact.  Walmart, in my humble opinion, is one of the biggest contributers to the inequality that women face in this country.  As a feminist, I absolutely cannot support Walmart.  So I choose not to shop there.

depends on the store owners.im sure theres a few places where women get paid more as well.

Find me one place.

[Libra]

Wal-Mart might not be the greatest employer.  Having never worked there, I can't attest to it one way or another.  But, I have worked in my fair share of hell holes through life, and I know that if you don't like a job, there are always others available.  They might not be better, or pay better, but there are always alternatives.

As far as "selling off part of your soul..."  I'm with Hades on this one.  The way I figure it, I have:

* Mortgage
* Homeowner's insurance
* Utilities
* Car loan
* Car insurance
* Credit cards
* etc...

If I can save money by shopping at Wal-Mart, I'll do it.  To those that are independently wealthy, or have multiple incomes, they may have more of a luxury of being "morally righteous" shoppers.  But to singles like myself, or single-income families, Wal-Mart (or any discount superstore for that matter) can be a benefit.  If I can save money on the products I use daily/weekly, wouldn't logic require me to do so?

I take personal offense to this.  I pay all the bills that you have on that list...and, like you, am not independently wealthy.  Logic, common sense and morals all come into play in my decisions on where to shop.  I would rather stretch my budget to shop at Costco or Target (...a store that actually gives back to its community, rather than sucking the life out of it.)  I am not saying that any of you should stop shopping/working there...thats not my place.  (Notice the little winking smiley behind my "selling your soul" comment.)

Women, on average in this country, make 75 cents to every dollar a man makes.  That is a fact.  Walmart, in my humble opinion, is one of the biggest contributers to the inequality that women face in this country.  As a feminist, I absolutely cannot support Walmart.  So I choose not to shop there.

depends on the store owners.im sure theres a few places where women get paid more as well.

Find me one place.

RIGHT ON!  Another fact that makes my blood boil is that for years now, young women college graduates have tested better and scored higher GPA's than their male counterparts, yet men are still getting the better jobs and making more money.  It's a frickin' disgrace. 

Libra

[foxx]

You tell 'em sista! 

[SI]

I take personal offense to this.  I pay all the bills that you have on that list...and, like you, am not independently wealthy.  Logic, common sense and morals all come into play in my decisions on where to shop.  I would rather stretch my budget to shop at Costco or Target (...a store that actually gives back to its community, rather than sucking the life out of it.)  I am not saying that any of you should stop shopping/working there...thats not my place.  (Notice the little winking smiley behind my "selling your soul" comment.)

Women, on average in this country, make 75 cents to every dollar a man makes.  That is a fact.  Walmart, in my humble opinion, is one of the biggest contributers to the inequality that women face in this country.  As a feminist, I absolutely cannot support Walmart.  So I choose not to shop there.

Honestly, I don't see what there is to take offense to.  All I was stating was that on a single income, I'm forced to do what's necessary for my own well being.  Am I hurting any of the "underpaid" employees by shopping at Wal-Mart?  No.  Would I be helping them by forcing myself to spend more money elsewhere?  No (I realize that some of you would say that it would force Wal-Mart to change their business practices if more people did this; unfortunately, mob rule is not looking like it's going to go in that direction).

As far as Costco is concerned, we don't have any nearby.  We do have Target though.  And that brings me to something I take offense to, the fact that Wal-Mart is one of the FEW employers that will actually hire the elderly/disabled/handicapped.  Now, I can't speak for Costco, but when's the last time you've seen as many middle aged-to-elderly people working in Target, Best Buy, Barnes & Noble, other department stores, grocery stores, et al. as there are teenagers-early twenties?  They may not have the best jobs, but at least they can get them.  Agism is a very common practice, and difficult to prove.  Not to mention that medical expenses would be higher for the older employees, whereas most of the younger ones would either still be covered by their parent's insurance, or would cost less per anum.

[Libra]

I take personal offense to this.  I pay all the bills that you have on that list...and, like you, am not independently wealthy.  Logic, common sense and morals all come into play in my decisions on where to shop.  I would rather stretch my budget to shop at Costco or Target (...a store that actually gives back to its community, rather than sucking the life out of it.)  I am not saying that any of you should stop shopping/working there...thats not my place.  (Notice the little winking smiley behind my "selling your soul" comment.)

Women, on average in this country, make 75 cents to every dollar a man makes.  That is a fact.  Walmart, in my humble opinion, is one of the biggest contributers to the inequality that women face in this country.  As a feminist, I absolutely cannot support Walmart.  So I choose not to shop there.

Honestly, I don't see what there is to take offense to.  All I was stating was that on a single income, I'm forced to do what's necessary for my own well being.  Am I hurting any of the "underpaid" employees by shopping at Wal-Mart?  No.  Would I be helping them by forcing myself to spend more money elsewhere?  No (I realize that some of you would say that it would force Wal-Mart to change their business practices if more people did this; unfortunately, mob rule is not looking like it's going to go in that direction).

As far as Costco is concerned, we don't have any nearby.  We do have Target though.  And that brings me to something I take offense to, the fact that Wal-Mart is one of the FEW employers that will actually hire the elderly/disabled/handicapped.  Now, I can't speak for Costco, but when's the last time you've seen as many middle aged-to-elderly people working in Target, Best Buy, Barnes & Noble, other department stores, grocery stores, et al. as there are teenagers-early twenties?  They may not have the best jobs, but at least they can get them.  Agism is a very common practice, and difficult to prove.  Not to mention that medical expenses would be higher for the older employees, whereas most of the younger ones would either still be covered by their parent's insurance, or would cost less per anum.

It would be my guess that they LOVE the elderly employees.. Part time workers that have medicare.  I'm sure they're exploited, too.  Nothing you can say about Walmart is going to make me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

Now, I've got bills, too.  Mortgage, car, credit cards, not to mention my $600 a month insurance (I refuse to use an HMO) and I could probably have already bought that flat panel TV I so desperately want if I had shopped at Walmart.  That being said, I'll shop at Costco, save for another year, then buy that flat-panel TV (from Costco) and feel much more warm and fuzzy about said TV.  I could don't follow the masses. However, I wish the masses would follow me. 

I also shop at my local hardware store that has things stocked willy nilly that's owned by the ancient little old man and old lady that have owned it for years.  If they don't have it in stock they'll be kind enough (and care enough) to order it for me. And when it comes in, they'll call me and tell me, and then recogonize me the second I walk in the door, be glad to see me, ask about my family while they look for my order (placed willy nilly somewhere).  Hopefully, they'll be able to pass along this gem to their youngins.  THAT makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

Libra
Shop Local
Shop Often
Support your neighbors. 

[wattsmyname]

I'm not a big fan of Walmart. But in my town the starting pay is $8.20 per hour. Not all that good but better then
Kohls  and Krogers both start at minimum wage.
Target starts at $7.50 and no benefits for 1 full year.
Sometimes you have to take what you can get till something better comes along.

[Tara]

I don't know what they pay at our Wal-Mart...but one of the guys who pushes the carts in the parking lot is HOT !!  >:D  So I guess what everyone is saying hes broke....... :))

[Libra]

I don't know what they pay at our Wal-Mart...but one of the guys who pushes the carts in the parking lot is HOT !!  >:D  So I guess what everyone is saying hes broke....... :))

Well, he's there for "medicinal purposes."

[wattsmyname]

I don't know what they pay at our Wal-Mart...but one of the guys who pushes the carts in the parking lot is HOT !!  >:D  So I guess what everyone is saying hes broke....... :))

He needs a sugar momma :)) :)) :))

[luvmydogmax]

ok i have to put my 2 cents in here......I worked at a Target DC for almost 2 years.  I do not shop at Target after the way that they treat those emlpoyees.....We worked EVERY holiday except Christmas.  I was luckly enough to be in the office so I did not have to work overtime, however the dock workers were required to work 70-80 a week for months on end, and god forbid if you get hurt, you are fired the day that you come back to work.  My daughter was in the hospital for 3 days, the day she got out I returned to work and got wrote up for not coming in for those 2 day even though they knew the situation and I had the hospital paperwork and I had never missed a day before this.

There are problem with every company there is, i have more horror stories from the other company I worked for but I won't bore you with them.  If they don't want to work for Wal-Mart don't work there.  I'm not bashing any 1 just letting you know there are options.