Walmart lets the community down - Blackout Heroes vs. Goats

[Lefty48197]

It happened during the blackout in the Detroit area this week. About 5 million of us lost power in the Detroit area. There was a scramble to buy gasoline, ice, flashlights, coolers, batteries etc. Many of the smaller stores stayed open as long as possible using flashlights to guide customers through the store. Even some larger grocery stores (Krogers) led customers through darkened aisles, in order to help fulfill their emergency needs.
Walmart, on the other hand, was nowhere to be found. Their stores were dark, the doors were locked, and there were no employees to be found. The Walton family sat in their villas counting their billions of dollars in wealth, while doing nothing to help those in need. This from the group that tries to claim that they are America's store. America's store my ass. This company fights to keep the wages and benefits of their employees just high enough to keep their executives out of jail. When we finally NEED Walmart, they are a no show.
The true heroes of this mess were the people of Meijers.
Meijers is a Michigan corporation, who truly cares about the needs of it's citizens. Unlike Walmart, the doors at the Meijers stores were open, and serving the needs of the community. Meijers had installed generator back-up systems in their stores, so that they could stay open during emergencies, and fulfill the public need.
Meijers pioneered the new form of retail that combined the selling of both groceries and housewares. Walmart is now getting into the same market, and they are trying to run Meijers out of business.
If you needed help during this crisis, Meijers was the place to turn. Walmart was of no help. They were just a big building full of batteries, ice, flashlights, candles, etc. etc. etc., that no on could get their hands on. Thank you Sam Walton for NOT being their to help the people in need. You and you stores were absolutely worthless during this crisis. Well, at least you didn't waste your money on generators for your stores. Now your unborn great great great grandchildren can have their college educations funded. The rest of us just wanted batteries.
It's well known that Walmart has declared war upon the wages of American workers. Meijers, on the other hand, has treated it's employees with dignity. Just last week, the United Food and Commercial Workers Union signed a new contract with Meijers, making their employees the highest paid grocery store workers in the midwest.
Meanwhile, the Walton family continued to count their billions (five of the family members are among the ten most wealthy individuals in America).
GO TO HELL WALMART. You suck.
GOOD JOB MEIJERS! You are heroes!

[Democrats unite]

1. Very well written...

Thanks for sharing. BTW, I have always hated Wallmart!

[tsipple]

2. Meijers Runs Well

I like the mix of products they stock. I will say one thing negative about them, though, which they share with Wal-Mart: contribution to urban and suburban sprawl. We're destroying the Main Streets of so many towns with the megastores. I much prefer shopping in a variety of little shops right next to each other along a sidewalk. (No, the mall doesn't count.)

[ima_sinnic]

3. I hope you will refine this and send to your local newspaper

With some editing to condense and tighten, this should be sent to the editor of your local paper. Excellent stuff. I haven't shopped at Wal-Mart for about 1-1/2 to 2 years, ever since reading Jim Hightower's piece on it: http://www.thecriticalvoice.com/walmart.html

[liberalmuse]

5. I was going to suggest the same thing

Wal-Mart is largely responsible for putting smaller stores out of business in every community they move into. They remind me of every other big corporation. They benefit greatly from free enterprise and tax breaks in the U.S., but when it comes to putting money and resources back into the the country/community that helped them become so successful in the first place, they move jobs elsewhere and all their money goes into off shore accounts.

[Lefty48197]

7. I already wrote to the Detroit Free Press

(Ironically called 'The Freep' around here). I did condense the letter, and changed the tone to one of thanking Meijers for their part. The digs at Walmart were included, but I eliminated the profanity.
I couldn't find an address on the Detroit News website. I did write to them and ask for the 'letters to the editor' address. The News is a right-wing sh*t wipe, so I wouldn't really expect them to print the letter, but I bet the Free Press will.

[dmr]

11. Link to the Detroit News online feedback forum

http://info.detnews.com/feedback/lettersindex.cfm

[Lefty48197]

13. Thanks, but...

that link was to their unregulated, online rant-fest. I want to get a letter printed in their newspaper. The Detroit News' website is worthless, if you're looking for a "letters to the editor" link.
In the meantime, I have written to the Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti and Belleville papers. They might both run the letter.

[donsu]

4. were all Walmart stores closed, or just in Detroit?

thanks for posting. this news should be sent far and wide.

[Lefty48197]

8. Almost all stores were closed in Southeast Michigan

from Lansing to Detroit. The radio stations were reporting that the Meijers stores were open, so I went to the local one in Belleville. Funny, how just down the road apiece, the Walmart was dark and locked. Just a few more feet down the road, there were two gas stations that had power, and were able to open about 1PM on Friday. Walmart was still locked at that time.

[Code_Name_D]

9. The wall-mart stores are run remotly, veia satulite.

Unless a store has backup power, it can NOT function. Prices are not listed on the products, and have to be looked up in the computer by a bar code.

Ironicly, it is the Walmart's "revinew loss" that will contributed signifcently to the economci damige caused by the blackout, and they will likly receave bail out money from the gov becase of it. (To prevent layoffs.)

But I fully agree with the sentiment.

[wryter2000]

6. I love hearing about great companies -- thanks

Unfortunately we don't have Meijers here, or I'd sure go. I do avoid Walmarts. Have never set foot inside one.

[Bamboo]

10. Boule and Butter

WalMart serves a population that has no choice but to shop there,service industry pay is set by giants like WalMart who is the "company store" on a national level.Their happy face ads for people who like a bargain is a cover for a system that keeps wages down creating customers dependent on a bargain.They destroy local retail but much worse they destroy customers of local retail by pushing them into minimum wage budgets.They lower the cost of living so paychecks can go lower also,your reward is in the next life.Why we have so many poor that depend on WalMart is what I think about because I know they do not care,blackout or not.

[Lefty48197]

12. Walmart is an economic disaster

I did the math awhile back and figured that about 2% of all Americans that lacked health insurance, worked at Walmart. That's a pretty sad fact for the corporation that claims to be America's retailer.
I can't overemphasize the difference between the way Walmart treats their workers, vs. how Meijers treats theirs.
Meijers employees get health insurance, and a fair wage, yet Meijers charges about the same for products that Walmart does for the exact same products. We know Walmart isn't spending their income on employee wages, or benefits, or store back-up generator systems. It's no wonder so many Walton (Walmart) family members have personal wealth counted in the billions.

[lanlady]

14. lefty48197, have you considered

writing a Letter to the Editor of the Michigan papers with your comments? They're very interesting and thought-provoking.