Fighting the Wal-Mart Effect in San Antonio

PROBLEM: Wal-Mart building another Supercenter

Wal-Mart; the mega daddies of big box retailers notorious for wiping out local, independent businesses, decreasing employee  wages and increasing poverty levels in areas where it builds, is planning a 180,000 square foot supercenter smack dab next to a residential neighborhood and wildlife filled recreational park.

Does it fill a need that is currently unmet?  

Well, let’s see . . .  there are 3 Supercenter Wal-Mart’s within 5 miles and 8 Supercenter Wal-Mart’s within ten miles. Moreover, there are several empty stores in strip malls that overpopulate the area as it is. 

I would say, no.

Stacy Mitchell’s comprehensive study on the effects of large non-local retailers in her book Big Box Swindle details the effects of these businesses on the local economy:

• Shuttering of smaller businesses that cannot compete price wise. Studies show that big box stores cut prices to drastic levels for 1-2 years to purposely close these smaller stores down.  Once they are gone, these large retailers raise their prices comparably to what the others stores were charging.

• Employees who work at the smaller, local businesses make higher hourly wages and usually enjoy health benefits and other perks. When these stores close, the employees are out of work or go to work for the big box retailers for less pay and less benefit.

• Local governments by law must give these large corporations tax benefits that smaller businesses cannot get.

• The cost on local government due to infrastructure costs, police costs etc. rise to the detriment of local taxpayers

Studies prove that poverty levels in areas where a Wal-Mart is built rises and then increases again with the addition of another Wal-Mart store --  and we have 8 in a ten mile area.  

Okay, so, what’s the good news?!?

The people of San Antonio are fighting back . . . . and winning!  A group of concerned citizens and our councilwoman, Elisa Chan, http://www.ci.sat.tx.us/council/d9/  have done their homework and now know what a disadvantage this Wal-Mart would be for the people of District 9 and the city as a whole.  With the backing of our mayor, Julian Castro and Councilmen David Medina, Ray Lopez and Cris Medina, Rep. Chan has filed a CCR (council consideration request) to rezone the property which will limit building size to 5,000.

Kudos to our city official Elisa Chan, for putting local people first!

Best Tip on How to Plant: Don't Read the Newspaper!

Here is a problem I didn’t know we  San Antonio gardeners had until yesterday. 

I attended a gardening workshop put on by the Gardening Volunteers of South Texas.  It was a class on gardening year-round.  The speaker was Dr. Jerry Parsons and he was one of those gems of a speaker who keeps you laughing while providing valuable, but what can often be very dry, material.  He has a thick Tennessee accent, self-depreciating demeanor and smart as a whip. 

PROBLEM:

One of the participants asked where is the best nursery to find all the plants highlighted in the Saturday gardening section of the San Antonio Express. 

Dr. Parsons said that the section we read here in San Antonio comes from the Houston branch of the newspaper and does not apply to our area. He further said that the big box stores get their plants from some place far away with no idea what is best for our area.

Say What!?!? 

Every Saturday I am devouring what best to plant . . . . in Houston?

SOLUTION:

He advised it is best to visit the local nurseries and ask the staff there what they recommend.  

Every Saturday morning, one of my joyful routines was sitting with my cup of coffee and devouring the gardening section of the newspaper for ideas and inspiration. 

I guess I'll just have to replace it with jaunts to Milbergers and Rainbow Garden instead!  Not a bad trade.

Last night in his State of the Union Speech, President Obama said, 

“Tonight, I want to speak about how we move forward, and lay out a blueprint for an economy that’s built to last – an economy built on American manufacturing, American energy, skills for American workers, and a renewal of American values.”

I won't give my opinion on whether the federal government has any part to play in this because I believe, more importantly, we individuals have the power to bring manufacturing jobs back to the United States. 

The main reason that America loses jobs to overseas factories is because the big-box stores demand lowest prices at any cost.

In theory, this sounds like they have our best interests at heart.  We consumers do not want to pay more than we have to.  But, what is the consequence of this mission of lowest price at all cost?  The consequence is that “all cost” is American jobs.

Manufacturers cannot meet the low-cost demand of big-box stores, make a profit AND pay American wages.  One manufacturer said in the book, The Wal-Mart Effect, by Charles Fishman that he moved his operation to Mexico to save on labor costs; but even that was too expensive.  He ended up closing both American and Mexican factories and moving his operation to Asia so that he could pay less to his employees.  Who does this hurt?  Everyone!  Americans, then Mexicans and lastly Asians who are the just the latest indentured servants to the Industrial Revolution.

We – yes you and me – can bring back manufacturing jobs to America by NOT buying the least expensive product just because it is the cheapest.  Another person quoted in the book said, “Every time you see that happy face in the Wal-Mart commercials slashing prices, another person just got punched in the stomach.”  If  you knew that you were reviving the American economy and helping your fellow man and woman make a decent wage, would it make sense to you to buy for quality instead of cheapest cost?

Yes, it makes common sense.

Problem/Solution Monday - Daily Aspirin

This is the article that appeared in my newspaper today from the New York Times

HEALTH   | January 16, 2012 
Well: Daily Aspirin Is Not for Everyone, Study Suggests 
By TARA PARKER-POPE 
Nearly a third of middle-aged Americans regularly take aspirin in the hope of preventing a heart attack or a stroke, but in some patients this so-called wonder drug is doing more harm than good


Fortunately a solution is quickly available.  The same doctor who developed the "aspirin-a-day" regiment capitalized on his research to develop a health healthy nutritional supplement that is more effective than aspirin and does not have the side effects of aspirin.  This supplement was developed by a wellness company that manufactures and promotes safer, healthy products for people, homes and the environment and has a patent to ensure quality.  Contact me at www.livetotalwellness.com/nanb or www.findingfreedomteam.com/nanb and I can give you the complete information on this incredible product and company.

Join the Good News Club

The Good News Club is being organized as an on-line place to counteract the “Wal-Mart Effect.”

The Wal-Mart Effect has many factors, but the most troubling is the effect that forces businesses to manufacture  consumable products with the lowest quality (and often un-safe) ingredients by people being paid the lowest wages so that these stressed businesses can make a profit . . . pennies in profits.

This effect results in:

·         Less to non-effective products

·         Unhealthy homes full of toxic products made with less expensive synthetic and cancer-causing chemicals

·         U.S. wage-earners losing their jobs

·         Wage-earners in other un-regulated countries being paid pennies to produce these  sub-standard products

·         A cheapened, coarser, polluted world

Now for the Good News!

I thought I would have a difficult time finding ways that businesses were working against the grain and deciding on their own to take a stand against ” low prices at all cost” in their quest for a piece of the market.

But, happily, I am wrong for two reasons:  

1.       Businesses are taking a stand against the Wal-Mart Effect and producing quality products  

2.       They are easy to find once we take the time to start looking.

BUSINESS HIGHLIGHT OF THE WEEK:    APPLE

Apple has always stood their ground on prices.  Wal-Mart has had no effect in convincing Apple to tow the line and offer sales to its customers.  Of course, when you are Apple you have a lot more say than a start-up or Mom and Pop, but still kudos to them.

The bigger news to announce this week is that Apple is making another stand by joining the Fair Labor Association.  I applaud their realization that they have the power to demand that their overseas suppliers pay their employees decent wages, provide adequate work environments and conditions.

The Good News Club Challenge:

1.       If you have a “shout out” of businesses who are putting quality first, we want to hear about it and spread the Good News. 

2.       As consumers we have power.  Refuse to buy the lowest priced product if you have any suspicions that the product is of sub-standard quality and cheapens society with its production. 

3.       Find another company that sells a better quality mouse-trap and tell us about it.  Welcome to the Club