The Wal-Mart Tax - from the AFL-CIO

[Coexist]

http://www.aflcio.org/corporatewatch/walmart/upload/walmartreport_031406.pdf

The Wal-Mart Tax: Shifting Heath Care Costs to Taxpayers
AFL-CIO
March 2006

"To shine a light on large employers forcing others to pick up their health care tab, the AFL-CIO developed the model Health Care Disclosure Act, which requires states to report which employers’ workers are forced to rely on publicly funded health care. In 2005, legislators in nearly 30 states introduced the model bill. Five state legislatures (Colorado, Hawaii, Illinois, Massachusetts and Washington) passed the bill, and three states (Hawaii, Illinois and Massachusetts) enacted it into law."

<snip>
That Wal-Mart should play such a prominent role in the Medicaid crisis is unjustifiable by any measure. The company rakes in profits at the rate of more than $21,000 per minute; its 2005 profits were $11.2 billion.3 The 2005 compensation package for Wal-Mart CEO Lee Scott was more than $17.5 million.4 Five members of the Walton family—all are major company stockholders— have a combined net worth exceeding $90 billion, putting all five on the list of the 10
wealthiest Americans.5

On top of its health care subsidies, Wal-Mart has wrung at least $1 billion in economic development assistance from state and local governments over the past 20 years.6

<snip>
As AFL-CIO President John Sweeney wrote in The Washington Post in January 2006, “Wal-Mart complains that it’s being singled out in Maryland, but Wal-Mart isn’t the only company affected by the Fair Share Health Care bill. It’s just the only company that thinks its workers don’t deserve any better.”8

Well said. Well said.

[Momgonepostal]

1. I love this quote:

As AFL-CIO President John Sweeney wrote in The Washington Post in January 2006, “Wal-Mart complains that it’s being singled out in Maryland, but Wal-Mart isn’t the only company affected by the Fair Share Health Care bill. It’s just the only company that thinks its workers don’t deserve any better.”

:applause:

[redqueen]

2. Three states...

We need a federal law checking that... doesn't it behoove the government to know which corporations are cheating it out of funds?

[Coexist]

3. you would think!

[redqueen]

4. But you'd be wrong... because

those that guard the henhouse are being paid off by the foxes.

:banghead: