From the Queens Courier:Local leaders pledged to stonewall Walmart amid rumors the retail giant is eyeing Ridgewood for its first New York City location.
The company has tried to open a location in the city for years, but resistance from public officials and civic leaders has forced it to reconsider. Recent reports have hinted that the company is looking at vacant lots and sites in Ridgewood, and public officials and community leaders are not happy.
“Walmart has a long, documented history of mistreating its workers and driving out local small businesses,” said Councilmember Elizabeth Crowley, whose district includes Ridgewood. “Bringing in this store would negatively impact both the commercial and residential areas in Ridgewood.”
Walmart’s opponents say the retail giant provides low-income, part-time jobs and forces small businesses to close because they cannot compete with the chain’s low prices.
Bertha Lewis, president of the Black Institute, a nonprofit organization that advocates for minority communities, said her group is gearing up for a war against Walmart to prevent a store from opening anywhere in the city. The group is planning to rally and boycott as well as ask public officials to step up pressure against the mega store.
Nevertheless, a 2011 NY1-Marist poll showed that 64 percent of Queens residents would like a Walmart in their neighborhood, with 76 percent of those supporters saying they would be likely to shop there.
17 comments:
And Target, BJs, CostCo, K-Mart, etc don't do the same thing??? Politicians use WalMart as a bogus scapegoat to get votes. That's the real reason.
I wish that a Walmart would open up in downtown Flushing and flush out all of those cheap Asian discount crap stores.
That's what's really needed there, and it would be a highly successful enterprise.
But of course, Dian Yu (BID director) would oppose it.
Nobody in the Flushing business community really wants to improve Flushing. They just want to keep it the "vibrant" mono cultural Taiwanese ghetto that it is.
Queens residents, in general, don't care about workers' rights or mom and pop stores or quality of life for that matter - they just want lots of cheap shit from China.
It's only educated, upscale liberals that give a shit about anybody else.
Ask any Republican - they usually think that Walmart is a great employer - you would think they all own stock in the company!
If you still think Walmart will be an asset to Queens (or the planet!) then check out these two sites - only after you've finished with this one, of course!
Walmart Watch - how Walmart mistreats its employees
Walmart Sucks - how Walmart mistreats its customers
So rich white liberals feel better paying 4 times as much for the same made in China crap that everyone else is buying at Walmart?
What "mom and pop" stores? Do you mean...all of those shitty "99 cents" stores? Everybody, "White liberals" and "people of color" alike, are getting shoddy goods from China rammed up their asses...EVERYWHERE! At least "Walmart" can upgrade an area like that shit hole Floo-shing. What kind of health insurance policy is a Taiwanese crap shop owner providing for his employees? At least Walmart gives back something, even if it's minimal, to workers.
Everyone hates Walmart . . . except the public.
Walmart is not unionized, thus Dem politicians can't take their vig, so they oppose it.
Obamacare is forcing a part time workforce upon the country.
The majority of people who work at Walmart are also on goverment assistance, let it be foodstamps, housing, or welfare.
We pay their employees so Walmart doesnt have to!!!
Why must the politicians dictate whether we can have a Walmart in Queens? Whatever happened to free enterprise? If you don't want to shop at Walmart -- then DON'T. Let the people decide. When do we get a vote? Their prescription drugs alone would save lots of seniors lots of money. The politicians should mind their own business. So tired of dictators and the city council.
A lot of those 99 cents stores are completely clueless or don't care what people actually need to buy. Sometimes I think they just buy junk for a few pennies and slap a 99 cents sticker on it and wait and wait and wait - 25 linear feet devoted to plastic buckets varying in size and color. They have to be waiting a long time to sell all those buckets.
Wal Mart has a different business model.
Hey George... "Except the public" is MY line! My lack of god!
Unasked question: how much money does Bertha's group get from the UFCW?
I like how Wal-Mart is constantly a scapegoat, yet places like Target open up everywhere and no one has a problem with them. And don't kid yourself people, almost everything is made in china and has been for a few decades. A few missteps in the recent past and everyone jumps on the hating train. Why don't you tell you're own country to start producing and see how much better it is. Bunch of angry Mother F'ers
The City Council should have no say whatsoever in whether a private business opens here. New York is nothing but a communist city-state.
Better Walmart than the filthy local fart
Walmart is different from target or other large retailers. The low prices in target are because they buy in bulk. Walmart gets cheaper prices because they contact manufactures to make and package an item for them that is within the price range they want. In most cases the product sold in Walmart is a lower quality than what you get in other big box stores.
Regular big box stores get lower prices by buying in bulk. Walmart gets it lower prices by contacting the manufacturer and having them make a product that will fit into their price range. You think you're getting the same product at a lower price but you are just getting a cheaper product for a cheap price.
The problem with Walmart that isnt with other bix box retailers is they are in bed with the Red Chinese. They hire a NJ manufacturer and then tell them to get cheaper stuff from China.
Post a Comment