Adrianne Shropshire

The Full Court Wal-Mart Press

Is this it? Is the battle about to be joined? Is Wal-Mart now fully prepared to force New York City to accept them warts and all? Well if the motion over the last couple of days is any indication the answer is yes.

NY 1 quotes Council Speaker Christine Quinn, being always consistent in her position that Wal-Mart is bad for NY, at a Crain's Business Breakfast yesterday. And apparently Wal-Mart has been doing its rounds to Council offices in an effort to gain support for a store in all five boroughs.

But most disturbing is the release of a survey reported in Crain's that essentially says that 60% of New Yorkers want a Wal-Mart in the city and 62% of those would like one in their neighborhood. The survey by Voter Consumer Research also reveals the greatest support, 75%, comes from low-income communities. I'm certain that there are any number of groups that could conduct their own survey and get different results. But none-the-less, these numbers suggest that those who understand the negative impact that Wal-Mart has on communities, simply are not reaching the right constituencies with the right message.

Wal-Martss business model of low-prices, low-wages, and low-benefits has had the effect of driving out competition (meaning local business), increasing poverty in the neighborhoods where they operate, and forcing huge numbers of their employees on to public assistance programs. The long-term damage to workers and our economy far outweigh the immediate need for cheap stuff.

What NYC needs is a good organizing drive. One that focuses on organizing low-income and working-class neighborhoods around a community standards platform. One that brings neighborhood people together to analyze the clear implications of Wal-Marts model. And one that builds a unified front that will not accept poverty jobs in exchange for a smiley face and company cheers. It won't take much to turn those public opinion numbers around, we can't be duped so easily. But we are a bit behind on this and before Wal-Mart spins it into a story about how unions are thwarting the destiny of low-income communities of color, we better get busy.

Adrianne Shropshire: Author Bio | Other Posts
Posted at 6:00 AM, Apr 19, 2006 in Cities | Community Development | Employment | Wal-Mart
Permalink | Email to Friend