Yipee! Salem FINALLY Bests Portland
Trey Smith
It's tough living in the shadow of an older favored sibling and Salem has always seemed to have this kind of relationship with Portland. Whatever Salem attempts to boast about, Portland can boast of more or better. No matter what we try to do to make our town stand out, Portland always seems to shine a lot brighter in the public eye.
Few of our brightest youth yearn to live in Salem. At times, it feels like Salem is Portland's farm team. We groom our young leaders with care, yet, as soon as they are able, they take off for the BIG city up north.
Yes, it's been a difficult path to tread...until now! As today's Statesman Journal trumpeted on the front page, Salem now has a claim to fame that not even the behomoth of Portland can take away from us -- Salem has MORE Wal-Mart stores than any other Oregon city or town!
So there!
I'd write more about this "blessed" event, but I think I'm going to puke!
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connect with blueoregon
May 15, '05
Wal-Mart sells
lots of stuff
cheap
and that
is
evil.
May 15, '05
Salem, you win. Hope you hold that over Portland's head for a long time to come.
1:42 p.m.
May 15, '05
You see, this is why Salem youth run like hell on (or even before) our 18th birthdays. Because Salem is so friggin' ass-backwards they actually think this is something to be proud of.
Of course Salem has been suffering economically since long before the rest of the state started having problems. This is why it's such a draw for both Wal-Mart and its patrons. All of the unemployed so excited to be working they don't even care that they're underpaid and have no chance for benefits or advancement. Hey, it's a job, right? I think the exponential growth Wal-Mart is the 8th sign of the Apocalypse. Of course in my opinion it falls right in there with plagues and pestilence....
May 15, '05
afs and cc.
Buy, rent, lease, or time-share invest in a clue.
Trey was joking!
May 15, '05
I DO realize that dripping sarcasm isn't always the easiest thing to detect over the web. Still, thank you Gonzo Teacher for catching my drift.
BTW, I DO plan on visiting the new Wal-Mart sometime soon...with a picket in hand!
May 15, '05
Bests! Portland?
One word: Moonbaker's.
<h1></h1>May 15, '05
On the other hand: All words.
Wal-Mart Apologizes for Nazi Book-Burning Ad Published: May 14, 2005 10:00 AM ET
Bests! Portland? Maybe Jests. <h1></h1>10:15 p.m.
May 15, '05
Buy, rent, lease, or time-share invest in a clue.
Um, duh. I knew he was joking. Nowhere did imply that I thought he was serious. What I was serious about, however, was my disgust at the fact that Salem now has three Wal-Marts in a city that takes 15 minutes to drive through from end-to-end via I-5. Nevermind the fact that, if I'm picturing the locations right, you can actually drive from the S. Commercial Wal-Mart to the new Wal-Mart in about 10 minutes w/o traffic, then hop on the freeway and 10 minutes later hit the third out on Lancaster. That, my friend, is disgusting.
But never for a minute did I think that Mr. Smith was serious. I mean, this is Blue Oregon, right? C'mon. Of course I knew he was being sarcastic. Again, duh. No need for me to invest in a clue, I happen to own a few. ;-)
May 16, '05
Isn't arguing over who has the most Wal-Marts like arguing about who is the VERY BEST at losing?
May 16, '05
This is really going to do a lot for commercial real estate in Salem. I mean, the glut of closures for those local enterprisers is going to put so much property on the market that, even as they close the door on their business, they won't even get a decent price on the property. That is, if they decide to get out before they go bankrupt. Gotta be grateful for the new legislation on that. It was just in time for Salem.
Think the Republicans who get kicked in the teeth on this one will reevaluate their allegiances? Nah, God will provide. We don't have to expect the government to work for us if God's going to do it for us.
May 16, '05
Isn't arguing over who has the most Wal-Marts like arguing about who is the VERY BEST at losing?
In a word, YES.
May 16, '05
The problem with 3 Wal-Marts in Salem is that this is just an example of how they come into a town an hollow out downtown areas and existing retail to have their market share built. In time I would imagine that Salem will have 2 Wal-Marts and a vacant store because the company doesn't really want to have to actually pay for all those pesky workers.
Also, it seems that in Salem the city council has so far retreated from standing up for local businesses that they decided to allow this to happen. Boo Janet Taylor!!!
May 16, '05
Hey, I have another prognostication. The empty Wal-Mart will make a good aquisition for the Goodwill store they are going to need.
1:44 p.m.
May 16, '05
The empty Wal-Mart will make a good aquisition for the Goodwill store they are going to need.
Actually I heard somewhere once (could be totally unfounded, so if I'm wrong - no flogging!) that all Wal-Marts are built on a foundation that is divided and plumbed for an apartment complex so that if the store has to close they can tear it down and easily erect apartments. And what with the Wal-Mart gone they can actually get more for the rent than they would if they built on an adjacent lot. ;-)
I've actually always wondered if that's true. I mean, I have no idea how that would work with zoning, etc. Anyone know if it's true or just an urban legend?
May 16, '05
More jobs and lower prices in Salem? How dare Wal-Mart push that crap here in Oregon? How dare they? [/sarcasm]
No wonder most Americans see liberals as out of touch. But keep waging your futile war against Wal-Mart if it makes you feel better.
3:27 p.m.
May 16, '05
No wonder most Americans see liberals as out of touch. But keep waging your futile war against Wal-Mart if it makes you feel better.
It may be futile, but it's not unjust. Not like another war I could mention.... hmmmm....
But when you take what Wal-Mart does FOR a community and then subtract what it does TO a community, the community always loses and Wal-Mart always wins.
With all that they do wrong, the one thing that I cannot get past is how they treat their employees. Without their employees, they'd have nothing and they treat them like shit. They take advantage of economic problems and then take use those problems to take advantage of people in the communities. It's unconscionable as far as I'm concerned and I have no idea how the execs sleep at night. But if they would just pay their employees a decent wage and if they would pay them for ALL of the work they do and if they would make health care more accessible to the employees... well, I could probably forgive the rest. But they don't... so I can't.
So you enjoy your smiley face discount specials at from the good ol' Wal-Mart. Just remember that whatever it is cost a hell of a lot more than what you actually paid for it.
May 16, '05
Jim -
Wow, like Salem needed more crappy jobs!? I really think that everyone is well served by develpment that encourages this sort of thing.
Lower prices? sure but, there is already 2 of them in Salem, wouldn't you say that the third could have something to do with driving other stores out of business.
The problem with conservatives in this country is that they are on this never ending quest to reach a "business-friendly" environment but, the catch is that they have no idea what that means. So, please keep on chasin wind mills but, stop dragging this state and I down with you.
May 16, '05
Take a look at their status as a self-insured employer for worker's compensation in Washington State. They were suspended. First time the State suspended this PRIVILEGE to any entity.
Wal-Mart even kicks people when they are down. I guess making this into a business versus liberals is a way to take Wal-Mart off the hook. If they were a person, I would say it's personal. But they're a business being mismanged and it's in a way that is quite unique, really. And quite disgusting.
May 16, '05
What about the money that people save when shopping there? Savings that may mean a great deal to folks with much smaller paychecks than the average Blue Oregon commentator.
Savings that helps people feed and clothe their families. All this focus on the negative aspects of being the low-cost supplier seems to overlook the reason Wal-Mart is so successful. People like to save money on their purchases: Wal-Mart helps them save money. To paraphrase the pro-choice crowd: if you don't like Wal-Mart, don't shop there. I don't: its too far to drive, and I try to avoid products manufactured in China (they are the largest single importer from China).
I certainly don't criticize those who choose to shop there anymore than I ridicule the company itself.
Honestly: if Wal-Mart was a union shop, how many of you would be bad mouthing them right now?
May 16, '05
What about the money that people save when shopping there? Savings that may mean a great deal to folks with much smaller paychecks than the average Blue Oregon commentator.
Bruce, I AM one of those people -- $20,000 gross income for 2004. I refuse to shop at Wal-Mart. While my wife & I must work diligently to cover our basic needs, I'm not going to do so at a store that wrecks my community.
Honestly: if Wal-Mart was a union shop, how many of you would be bad mouthing them right now?
You're right! We wouldn't. However, if Wal-Mart WAS a union shop, their prices wouldn't undercut local businesses. It's because they pay the vast majority of their workers a pittance that they CAN sell things so darn cheap (though not as cheap as some people think).
10:14 p.m.
May 16, '05
Honestly: if Wal-Mart was a union shop, how many of you would be bad mouthing them right now?
That's kinda the point, there pal. They're not a union shop. They abuse their employees. They do NOT pay them livable wages. They do NOT provide them easy access to health care and god forbid there be a grievance process for when they force them to stay after hours without pay. Or for when they pay women less than men for the same friggin' job.
It's not just the union label that means something. It's what unions do for workers. It's having a voice larger than your own when "the man" tries to f*ck you over.
So if Wal-Mart was a union shop, yes I'd probably friggin' shop there! It's not the big blue building that brings down property values and closes the mom-and-pops. It's their entire business model that makes them the Evil Empire that they are. If they started by respecting employees, they'd be better for communities all-around and the chain of events would start to reverse. However, that would cut into their gigantic bottom line, so it ain't never gonna happen.
May 17, '05
Bruce, You're being naive in thinking that just because you pay less for your goodies that you're saving money. On the front end, yes. But Wal-Mart leaves all those workers high and dry with low wages and no health insurance. And when a low-wage worker with no health insurance goes to the doctor, who do you think pays? The state. And where do you think the state gets the money from to cover its expenses? YOU.
Saving money on the front end, Bruce, and paying it out the back.
May 17, '05
Jud:
If Wal-Mart is providing health insurance to a half million employees, are you still worried about hidden costs on the "back-end"?
(from WalmartFacts.com)
Health Care Coverage
Fact: Our health care plan insures full-time and part-time associates once eligible. Last year, this was more than 500,000 associates, including many family members. Currently, 86 percent of Wal-Mart hourly store associates surveyed have medical insurance - 56 percent of those with coverage received health care insurance from Wal-Mart and the remainder receive health care through another source such as another employer, a family member, the military or Medicare. Unlike many plans, after the first year, the Wal-Mart medical plan has no lifetime maximum for most expenses, protecting our associates against catastrophic loss and financial ruin.
In my experience, most health insurance plans have a $2 million lifetime cap. I wonder if John Sweeney's employees have a plan with no cap? Like I suggested earlier, it you don't like Wal-Mart, don't shop there. If you don't like their employee benefits, don't work there.
May 17, '05
Bruce, This is one example of corporate half-truths. Nothing that you quoted is inaccurate, BUT there's more to each component than Wal-Mart is letting on.
Our health care plan insures full-time and part-time associates once eligible.
The operative word is "eligible". An employee must average a certain number of hours in order to qualify. Managers are instructed to keep workers from achieving the average. Consequently, while their assertion is true, what they don't say is even MORE important.
56 percent of those with coverage received health care insurance from Wal-Mart...
Who pays for this coverage? If the employee meets "eligibility", the company pays -- but few meet the eligibility. So, most of the 56% are paying some or ALL of the costs out-of-pocket. And, Wal-Mart pays low wages.
...the remainder receive health care through another source such as another employer, a family member, the military or Medicare.
Again, what they DON'T say here is more telling. It's been well documented that a significant number of Wal-Mart employees receive Medicaid, the health insurance program for the poor. So, yes, they receive coverage, but you & I are paying for it, not Wal-Mart.
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