Why do people hate Walmart so much. I can't understand it. It's like Bush derangement syndrome, but with an inanimate object. I've been reading in the Boston Herald that Mayor Menino isn't sure if he wants to allow Walmart to open stores in Boston. I don't understand it at all. It makes me think of Robin Williams old stand-up routine, you know, before he started making movies and stopped being insane. He used to say about cocaine and it's addictiveness, "Hey, it costs a ton of money, but it makes you paranoid and impotent, so give me more of that."
With Walmart, it seems to work in reverse. "Hey, they provide tens of thousands of jobs, give great deals to consumers, and make a ton of money for everyone associated with them, let's get rid of those guys."
I'm not surprised that Menino has a problem with Walmart coming to Boston. Trying to be nice here, but he's definitely not the brightest bulb in the chandellier. What I have a hard time getting is the intellectuals that demonize the chain. I know they don't shop there, they don't need to. They have a ton of money. It never ceases to amaze me to see that the more money one has, the more noble one can afford to be.
They don't need the great deals, or the jobs, but I'd be willing to bet a lot of them own stocks, so they're making money off it too. But they all harp about how Walmart abuses it's employees, and destroys the small town, Main Street type stores while they cash their dividend checks.
First of all, if you've ever been inside a Walmart, you've seen the people that work there. Most of the employees are High School or college kids just getting started in the work force. They are getting valuable experience that will help them a great deal in the future. they are learning things like responsibility, showing up at work every day, working with others, and getting a resume started at the same time. They don't earn much money, because they are not worth much money right now, but with the experience they gain, they will be worth much more in the future.
I also see a lot of middle-aged women working there. They are, I can only assume, just getting back into the workforce after raising some kids. Either that or they are trying to help supplement their household income with a little part-time work. Again, they are not being paid any less than they are worth in that context.
The other main component of Walmart employees seems to be senior citizens. They are obviously trying to make some extra money in addition to their social security check, or just trying to get out of the house. Either way, I don't see any other companies busting down the door to hire them.
What do all three of these groups have in common? They all are low-skilled, or no-skilled labor. They are, for the most part, looking for part-time employment. And they all seem to be pretty happy with their situation. They'd probably rather be working at Walmart than not working at all.
No, Walmart does not offer most of their employees health benefits. Hardly any company does for part-time workers? Why should they? They get people lining up at the door to apply without offering them. Should they do it to be "socially responsible"? Let me break some news to you, corporations are in business to do one thing, make money. The more the better. They do this by creating a product that people want, and seling it at a price that people can afford and are willing to pay. Walmart makes money because it offers quality stuff at low prices. They can afford to do this because they keep their costs low. Part of their cost control is hiring people from the 3 groups mentioned above. If they are taking advantage of their employees, I'd guess there are about 33 million Americans that would love to be taken like that. That's how many people in this country that are unemployed. And that's probably on the low side. Many economists argue that the true number is closer to 66 million. Some of those people may even live in Boston. But thanks to Mumbles Menino, who is, after all, only looking out for the little guy, they will all be protected from that evil job that Walmart wants to give them. Thanks mayor.
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