What the libs don't want you to know about Wal-Mart

[R-Tex]

How about some postive comments about WallyWorld for a change? I've seen lots of negative remarks regarding Wal-Mart (and am not entirely innocent, myself

), and found this info enlightening. I did see the photos of all the WM 18-wheelers lined up with aid for Katrina victims, but didn't know how much the company regularly donates to the various charitable organizations and causes. I didn't find the precise link for the article below, but this one's pretty close:


http://mjperry.blogspot.com/20...ers-400-million.html

April 4, 2009

Wal-Mart Facts

By Dr. Mark J. Perry, Professor of Economics and Finance in the School of
Management at the Flint Campus of the University of Michigan

According to Forbes, Wal-Mart was the most generous corporation in America
in 2007 (probably the world too), giving away $301 million in cash gifts
to the Children's Miracle Network, Feeding America, The Salvation Army,
the American Red Cross, the United Way of America, National Fish and
Wildlife Foundation.

This week, Wal-Mart announced that it: Stepped up charitable giving
globally from February 1, 2008 through January 31, 2009 with more than
$423 million in cash and in-kind gifts, an $85.6 million increase over its
global giving in the previous year.

Last year, Wal-Mart and the Wal-Mart Foundation gave millions of dollars to
numerous national and local charities including the Institute for Higher Education Policy
($4.1 million), YouthBuild ($5 million), Children's Miracle Network ($4.7 million),
The Salvation Army ($3 million), Special Olympics ($3.6 million), the National Urban
League ($1 million) and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation ($3.4 million).

Other Wal-Mart Facts:

1. Wal-Mart directly employs more than 2 million associates worldwide,
including more than 1.4 million in the United States. Through its
relationships with 56,000 U.S. suppliers, Wal-Mart spent $200 billion on
merchandise in 2007 and indirectly supported more than 3 million American
jobs. The 4.4 million Wal-Mart-related jobs represented 3.2% of total U.S.
payroll employment in 2007.

2. Wal-Mart is a diverse employer, employing more than 165,000 Hispanics,
251,000 African Americans, 39,000 Asian Americans, 5,000 Pacific
Islanders, 16,000 Native Americans, 355,000 associates age 50 or older,
and 856,000 women (61% of Wal-Mart's workforce).

3. Wal-Mart insures more than 1.1 million associates and family members
making it among the nation's largest providers of private sector health
insurance.93% of Wal-Mart associates reported having some form of health
coverage – either through Wal-Mart or another source.

4. Wal-Mart offers the opportunity for a career: More than 75% of
Wal-Mart's store managers started as hourly associates.

5. In 2007, independent research from Global Insight shows that the
reduction in the price level due to the presence of Wal-Mart translates
directly into savings for consumers amounting to $287 billion in 2006.
This corresponds to savings of $957 per person and $2,500 per household,
regardless of where consumers choose to shop. That is, even consumers who
shop at Target, Best Buy or Office Depot save money from the presence of
Wal-Mart, due to the competitive pressure of Wal-Mart's "Everyday Low
Prices."

 

[VM]

Thanks for the positive post Rick - it is refreshing.
Another Factoid:
There are also MANY (non - Walmart employee) vendors who make a living because of this Company.

 

[Sputnik]

Sam Walton and his creation of Walmart are a great example of the American dream.

 

[smith revolver cop]

I shop at Wal-Mart all the time. No matter which one I go to, I usually see Americans employed there, and Americans shopping there. Sure, all the products aren't made in America, but I'm pretty sure an American railroad and/or trucker got them there, and the sales tax they're collecting at the cash register goes to my state. I work an evening shift, so on my way home, I can buy groceries, magazines, clothes, ammunition (when they have what I need- and way cheaper than Gander Mountain's inflated prices!), tools, and lots of other stuff. I've never understood all of the Wal-Mart bashing. If they don't pay well, and their benefits suck, then why do people keep working there? If they're so horrible, then based on the "invisible hand" of the capitalist, free-market system (which I firmly believe in), they should be going out of business pretty much any day now... want to make any bets? (Okay, from other posts on this forum, you know I'm a conservative, but I also happen to have a degree in finance and economics- I'm not just some crazed Wal-Mart fan!)

 

[rburg]

What upsets many is they resist unionization. While Sam Walton was alive, he rejected the notion that his chain should sell junk from Red China. That little ban has clearly fallen by the wayside.

Still, like them or hate them, they've probably done more for the average American family than all the liberal politicians combined.

Disclaimer: I do shop at Wally World. I buy ammo there, and also my motor oil. You'll be able to witness my excursion for that on Fathers Day, when I attempt to stock up for the next year on Mobil 1, in 5 quart jugs.

I hate fat women in pink nightclothes and slippers. Worse when they have unruly brats in tow. Out west I encounter snakes/scorpions/mountain lions in the desert. In the gulf coast, they have snakes and gators. In WalMart, you have the obese (male and female). I find the critters less offensive.

 

[ladder13]

I'm willing to bet a great many libs shop at Walmart.

 

[deralte]

I had a young lady work for me back in the 90s. Long after I left the company she got laid off. Several years later while in WM she came up to me and let me know she worked there. After hearing all of the bad remarks about WM and how they treated their employees I stopped in and asked her how they treat the employees. She said most of the complaints that are spread are from disgruntled employees who don't want to work. Last year when they opened a new store just down the road she was promoted to the Personnel Mgr. and dearly loves the company.

 

[Jerry in SC]

For me it's a love/hate relationship. I love getting a good deal, but loving those good deals has probably helped drive some manufacturing out of the US forever.

Big corporations have a way of getting stupid. Walmart isn't immune from it.

It's pretty interesting to me that the two Publix stores in town stay very busy. I guess it's because of some of the ugly/scary folks I see shopping in Walmart, reminds me of Halloween.

 

[2Loud4You]

FWIW, the customer donates to CMN, such as I did yesterday at the register. It's a helluva tax write off to donate their customer's donation as their own.

 

[BLACKHAWKNJ]

I stopped buying at Wal Mart some years ago, I didn't like the way they treated their employees, they had abandoned Sam Walton's "Buy American" policy, etc. If they have changed and made changes it is because THEY heard from THEIR
customers-or lack thereof-NOT because the government TOLD them what to do.

 

[rundownfid]

Shopped at Wal-Mart a couple hours ago. They are a remarkable company with logistics their competitors can't even dream of matching. The reason the libs hate Wal-Mart is because they are relentlessly competitive and resist unionization, quotas and numerous other PC ideas that the enlightened deem important.

It is sometimes a bit shocking to see some of the people that shop there, but that is America too we can't all be beautiful and S&W aficionados. Although that would be excellent.

 

[SmithEC]

Originally posted by rburg:
In WalMart, you have the obese (male and female).

I got a bit of a chuckle out of the sight of a woman walking into Wal-Mart today. She was not pretty and she was quite large. She was weaing a t-shirt that read "Well, here I am. What are your other two wishes?"

When I moved into the place I'm living in now, I went there to buy a lot of stuff for my kitchen. My goal was to see if I could by all American. Was able to do that for not a whole lot more than if I had bought Chinese crap.

These places are all about management. The one in Calallen TX that I will sometimes go to to watch women on Sunday afternoons is managed by a guy who I think must be Indian or something from his name. Indian like from India. You see him out quite often. It is a really good store. But then, some stores aren't, right?


.

 

[Capt Steve]

I am not, and never have been a Walmart fan. I could not give a rats bladder about the unionization issue. I do resent the untold number of mom and pops that Walmart has driven out of existence. Walmart has cost many states, California for one, millions perhaps billions, by not providing decent health care benefits to their employees. These folks all end up on the public dole for their health care. Walmart pays as little as they can get away with and due to the number of desperate unemployed Americans out there they will always have plenty of applicants.

Having said that, I will buy ammo there, when it is available and if it is cheaper. I shop where I please and if I have to hold my nose to get a deal on ammo so be it. Their image of being good ole folks just like Sam is BS.

 

[SWID]

I find it interesting when somebody remarks about Wal-Mart putting Mom and Pop out of business. In Roseville Ca Mom and Pop where put out of business by Safeway and Raley's and their unions long before Wally (and Winco) showed up.

And where is it written that your employer is responsible for your health care? Why can't we buy that like we buy everything else? People that think nothing about dropping $100.00 on a football game scream and complain no end if they have to pay $30.00 to see a doctor. Catastrophic coverage OK, but this business of involving insurance or the givement every time you sneeze is a bit much I think.

 

[Bassamatic]

Yup, Wal Mart is the business we love to hate, especially here on the forum. I've lost count of the Wal Mart bashing threads I've seen here. Never could relate to them, because I've had so few bad experiences there.

This is a small, rural community and every hick town has a WalMart somewhere in them. Every single one I have been to, I've met my neighbors. The cashiers call me "hon" without fail and the greeters never forget to say thank you or hello.

Nice people...I like them.

 

[ArcticFox]

One thing that is not mentioned enough is that WM will often hire the less able worker or the handicapped, giving the worker a sense of pride and purpose. There may be tax incentives and public training money available to WM for this purpose but, regardless, WM employs these workers for years past the incentives and from my observations will hire extra workers to make up for the slower productivity of the disabled. Other than fast-food establishments I am not aware of other chains hiring the disabled to the extent WM does.

 

[feralmerril]

I cant knock walmart. We have one here in cedar city, utah. Another 50 miles away in st george, also one in mesquite, nevada. But outside of them you would have to travel at least 200 miles in any direction to find another. You see many ranchers from arizona and nevada come here to stock up. I bet lot of them drive a 150 miles to use this one! If I drew a line from here NW to reno it would be 400 miles with any big stores!

 

[rburg]

Originally posted by Bassamatic:
and the greeters never forget to say thank you or hello

I tease my wife by telling her after I retire, I'm going to get a job at WallyWorld as a greeter!

I'm such a grouch, I'd tell them to go to hell, or ask them why'd they come here today. Clearly I don't have the attitude to welcome slobs, fools, or the unwashed. Oh yeah, I'd tell them to go take a bath, or go back home and put on clean clothes. Worse, the women in their PJs would just get told how they look! Yep, its the job for me!

 

[rundownfid]

Something to consider about putting "Mom and Pops" out of business. My small town decided to block a Wal-mart coming in, largely because it wanted to preserve the existing small businesses. Now one sees the local population at Wal-Marts located over 30 miles away. Most of the small business are closed, traffic is so light in the down town "shopping district" that if we had tumble weeds in Pa. you'd expect to see them. Had we allowed a Wal-Mart 15 years ago there would be traffic coming to the Wal-mart and some of those people would have found reasons to shop and or eat at the local business. So my take is that by stopping Wal-Mart we really stopped commerce. The considerable taxes Wal-Mart would have paid is going to other towns and different school districts.
Sometimes the unintended consequences are much more powerful than the intended ones.

 

[Farmer17]

I'm no Walmart lover but I think we should turn the U.S. Government over to them. They know know how to stay lean and run an efficient business and no matter how big they get, they keep overhead and expenses down and their managers and Pharmacists are still paid pretty well. The lower tier employees may not get high wages or health care but those positions probably don't deserve it, and you have to pay employees what they are worth, not what they think they are entitled to. Walmart never seems to get in financial binds and always has a little money "saved for a rainy day". By keeping their prices low they have given Americans a lot of "buying power" which is a about the same thing as getting a pay raise, and if we could fire all the politicians and let Walmart run the country maybe we could balance the budget and eventually get out of debt. I really a truly don't ever see that happening with our current political system and the end result is very scary!