Maryland Stands Up To Wal-Mart

[Yurt]

Sweet Victory: Maryland Stands Up To Wal-Mart

With the federal government content to let Wal-Mart run amok,it has been left up to the states to protect workers from the retailbehemoth's excesses. This past Saturday, April 9, Maryland showed America'slargest corporation who's boss.



Maryland's House of Delegates voted 82 to 48 to approve a bill thatwould require all businesses in the state with more than 10,000employees to spend at least 8 percent of their payroll on healthbenefits for workers (or, alternatively, donate the funds to thestate's Medicaid program). Wal-Mart, with its 15,000 employees, is theonly such company that does not already spend 8 percent on health care foremployees--and thus, the direct target of the bill. Spearheaded byMaryland for Health Care, the legislation was supported by a coalition ofover 1,000 organizations representing Maryland's health, business, andcommunity interests.


"We're looking for responsible businesses to ante up...and provideadequate health care," said Sen. Thomas M. Middleton (D-Charles). Republican Governor Robert Ehrlich Jr., who is expected to veto the bill, lashed out atDemocratic legislators. Cowed by Rush Limbaugh's criticisms of themeasure, Ehrlich claimed the bill had made a mockery of Maryland.[Note to Marylanders: when your Governor cares more about Rush'sopinion than yours, you're in trouble. Thankfully though, with a widemajority of the Senate having approved the bill, Ehrlich's vetodoesn't stand a chance.

Link

What do you make of this?

 

[SmarterThanYou]

I hate walmart and I hate health insurance companies. The health insurance companies are directly responsible for high health care costs because of their bought and paid for legislation that prevents doctors from setting prices on their own for individuals without insurance or those that wish to use medical services without using insurance benefits.

 

[Yurt]

I hate walmart and I hate health insurance companies. The health insurance companies are directly responsible for high health care costs because of their bought and paid for legislation that prevents doctors from setting prices on their own for individuals without insurance or those that wish to use medical services without using insurance benefits.

hmm, had not thought of that. so then, should doctors be allowed to set the "market" price for their services? I think some already do. At least the people my dad knows in LA. For they go to the most expensive doctors, because they believe they are getting the best treatment. look at the services movie stars get when they go to hospitals, I certainly never had that when I was in the hospital for five days (though the in bed baths by the female nurse when I was sixteen were in my mind, pretty damn HOT!).

 

[SmarterThanYou]

I have regular discussions with a doctor about the state and federal regulations concerning medical care and insurance companies. Doctors cannot set their own prices UNLESS its with a patient that has absolutely NO insurance. If the patient has insurance but doesnt want to use it, or is a medicare/medicaid recipient then the doctor MUST set the price at what the health insurance company pays the doctor. This is a federal regulation. Now, it seems ODD to me that this regulation would exist because cheaper would always be better for the consumer, but this regulation was implemented at the behest of insurance companies....why? where do the insurance companies garner their income from? why do business' have an insurance package? what is the one constant so far when it comes to employment, income, and benefits?

now, some people would call this a conspiracy theory, but think about this.......if companies were no longer required to provide health insurance benefits and doctors were allowed to set their own rates and not deal with insurance companies because of regulations......where would insurance companies go and what would happen to the cost of medical insurance?

 

[freeandfun1]

Why does everybody hate Wal-Mart and Sam's Club, yet nobody complains about Costco? Could it be because Costco is a HUGE DNC contributor?

 

[Shattered]

I don't hate either Walmart, or Sam's club. In fact, with a few exceptions (clothing mostly), I'm rather fond of them.

 

[freeandfun1]

I don't hate either Walmart, or Sam's club. In fact, with a few exceptions (clothing mostly), I'm rather fond of them.

Okay, not EVERYBODY, but just about everybody - at least in the media - as they do get the most bad press. Again; why? I honestly think it does have something to do with their political persuasion.

 

[SmarterThanYou]

Why does everybody hate Wal-Mart and Sam's Club, yet nobody complains about Costco? Could it be because Costco is a HUGE DNC contributor?

they are? news to me.

 

[freeandfun1]

they are? news to me.

Yup, they are.

Wal-Mart = Bush. Costco = Kerry.

On the left: Costco Wholesale Corp. Last week, Jeffrey Brotman and James Sinegal, chairman and chief executive office of Costco, respectively, joined the list of executives who endorsed John Kerry for president. The company is based in Washington (a blue state in the past four elections, and one that Kerry leads, by a 53-45 margin according to the Aug. 2 Zogby poll), and a list of its locations bears some resemblance to the Kerry-Edwards campaign: strong on the affluent coasts and virtually nonexistent in the comparatively poor Great Plains and in the Old Confederacy. (Here are some basics on Costco.)

Like today's Democratic Party, Costco favors highly trafficked urban and edge-city locations—it has three stores in New York City. And it caters to a decidedly upscale crowd. As John Helyar reported in this excellent Fortune profile, the average salary of a Costco member is $95,333. The company's merchandise mix reflects the fact that its customers shop at discounters by choice, not by necessity. They're New Luxury suckers who like to save on staples, more Jean Chardonnay than Joe Six-Pack. As Helyar notes: "Costco is the U.S.'s biggest seller of fine wines ($600 million a year)." (Needless to say, "Moneybox" has been a member since 2000.)

From Bloomberg

Shop at Wal-Mart; Cut Costco

Wal-Mart, the world's largest retailer and owner of Sam's Club warehouse stores, gives more money to Republican candidates than any other company. Its top three managers, including Chief Executive Officer H. Lee Scott, donated the individual maximum $2,000 to President George W. Bush, and Jay Allen, vice president for corporate affairs, raised at least $100,000 to re-elect the president, earning him the Bush campaign's designation of ``Pioneer.''...

Costco CEO Jim Sinegal, 68, is a Democrat who says Bush's $1.7 trillion in tax cuts unfairly benefit the wealthy. He opposed the Iraq war and supports Senator John Kerry of Massachusetts for president. And he's the only chief executive of a company in the Standard & Poor's 500 Index to donate money to independent political groups formed to oust Bush, Internal Revenue Service records show....

IRS disclosure records show that Sinegal and Costco Chairman Jeffrey Brotman each gave $95,000 last December to the fund- raising arm of America Coming Together, a group organizing voters against Bush, and the Media Fund, which is running anti-Bush advertisements. The two Washington-based groups, known as ``527'' organizations after the tax-code provision under which they were created, report to the IRS, not the Federal Election Commission.

Wal-Mart's political action committee, the biggest company PAC, gave Republicans 81 percent of its $1.3 million in donations in the past two years, a higher proportion than any of the top 25 corporate PACs, according to PoliticalMoneyLine, a nonpartisan, Washington-based group that tracks campaign-finance disclosures....

Sixty-seven percent of Wal-Mart's stores are in the 30 states that voted for Bush and Cheney in 2000, according to a comparison of store-location figures in the Wal-Mart 2003 annual report and election results. Costco's stores are mostly located on either coast, with 208 of its 321 stores in the higher-wage, more union-friendly 20 states that voted for Democrat Al Gore in 2000.

Investors have profited more from Wal-Mart than Costco. Wal- Mart shares, with dividends reinvested, returned about 11 percent during the past five years, or 2.1 percent a year, compared with a 1.3 percent annual loss for Costco in the same period.

Sam's Club, the Wal-Mart unit that directly competes with Costco, had an operating profit of $1.1 billion on U.S. sales of $34.5 billion in the year to January 2004. Costco's operating profit in the year to August 2003, including international operations, was $1.2 billion on sales of $42.5 billion. Its U.S. sales were $35.2 billion last year....

Kerry supports a bill in Congress that would allow unions to represent workers after a majority of employees sign cards asking them to join. Under current law, unions can only represent workers after an election, which can take weeks to arrange and be influenced by consultants brought in by the company to oppose the measure, said Marco Trbovich, 62, Kerry's director of labor policy.

Just google "Costco DNC donations". There are tons of articles, written by democrats and on democratic blogs, bragging about it.

 

[SmarterThanYou]

well, thats not why I hate walmart, hell I only mildly like costco.

 

[freeandfun1]

well, thats not why I hate walmart, hell I only mildly like costco.

I am just pointing out how the libs and the unions especially, go after Sam's Club and Wal-Mart, yet leave Costco alone. Costco's stores here in Vegas are HUGE and they put mom and pop businesses out of business too. But they get a pass.... this is the only thing I can attribute it to.

I didn't mean you, for the record! :mrgreen:

 

[Merlin1047]

I am just pointing out how the libs and the unions especially, go after Sam's Club and Wal-Mart, yet leave Costco alone. Costco's stores here in Vegas are HUGE and they put mom and pop businesses out of business too. But they get a pass.... this is the only thing I can attribute it to.

I didn't mean you, for the record! :mrgreen:

Frankly I doubt it. I think it has more to do with the fact that there are about ten Wal Marts for every Costco. I also think it has to do with Wal Mart's personnel policies. Wal Mart is a retail predator who is disliked not only by its own employees, but also by many of the people who shop there.

 

[freeandfun1]

Frankly I doubt it. I think it has more to do with the fact that there are about ten Wal Marts for every Costco. I also think it has to do with Wal Mart's personnel policies. Wal Mart is a retail predator who is disliked not only by its own employees, but also by many of the people who shop there.

First off, the employees are not slaves and if they don't want to work there, they can leave. Secondly, I doubt you can provide any support of your claim that the customers that shop there dislike them. I would suggest the opposite. Thirdly, if one really compares prices, Wal-Mart isn't always the cheapest around. But people are lazy and they want to go to one place to buy everything so they shop at Wal-Mart.

Wal-Mart gets a bum rap and most hate it because they didn't come up with the idea of bulk-purchasing first. There are LOTS of businesses that use bulk purchasing as a means of saving money and increasing profits. Manufacturers do it too, not just retailers.

You all can bitch all you want about Wal-Mart, but I give em kudos.

I hear jealousy more than anything else.

Let's say Wal-Mart wasn't around.... well, then the mom and pop store would have to sell the same products for probably at least 2/3 more. Yeah, cheaper prices are bad for the consumers.

The majority of Wal-Mart's customers are poor. What do you suggest they do if all there stores were closed? Just "suck it up"?

 

[SmarterThanYou]

so you support wal marts monopolistic and predatory practices?
are you a shareholder by chance?

You talk very glibly about the employees not liking it they should just leave and about kudos for cheaper prices for consumers...how do you think that happened? brilliant marketing or economic terrorism?

If you think I'm in any way jealous because I didn't think of bulk purchasing and wish to blame the hatred of walmart on that, and that alone, then I have to wonder if you know much about the whole wal mart deal.

 

[freeandfun1]

so you support wal marts monopolistic and predatory practices?
are you a shareholder by chance?

You talk very glibly about the employees not liking it they should just leave and about kudos for cheaper prices for consumers...how do you think that happened? brilliant marketing or economic terrorism?

If you think I'm in any way jealous because I didn't think of bulk purchasing and wish to blame the hatred of walmart on that, and that alone, then I have to wonder if you know much about the whole wal mart deal.

I don't own a penny of their stock and I know enough to know that consumers get what they ask for. I never shop at Wal-Mart..... I don't have to. But I did when I was young and poor and they offered a good alternative to more expensive stores.

Call it whatever you want. They created a good business model and executed it. So hate em all you want - for their success.

I know plenty of people that work and shop there and I have never heard one complaint (other than employees bitching about other employees which you will find in EVERY business).

Basic economics tells you why their stores work. If you can't figure that out, then that is your problem, not mine.

Like I said, Wal-Mart is most beneficial to the poor. What would you suggest the poor do if their prices are raised 2/3 over-night because people like you get your way? Seems to me like you are saying you would rather see a few people employed than many. That you would rather see more expensive goods than lower cost goods. If that is what you want, then hey, you have that right.

Why aren't you complaining about Dell and the other large retailers that have put lots of mom and pop businesses out of work? Sounds to me like you just like picking on success.

Give me a valid example of how Wal-Mart has killed any community.... Are you suggest Wal-Mart is stupid enough to build stores where there are no customers or demand for their services?

I just all this "hate Wal-Mart" crap is just that - crap.

 

[SmarterThanYou]

Basic economics tells you why their stores work. If you can't figure that out, then that is your problem, not mine.

If they operated on basic economics I would have no issue. It's what they do outside of basic economics, like pricing fixes for their competitors/suppliers that breaks the system, thats where I hate them. If you don't understand that, thats your problem, not mine.

Why aren't you complaining about Dell and the other large retailers that have put lots of mom and pop businesses out of work? Sounds to me like you just like picking on success.

I don't buy dell, HP, compaq, or toshiba. I make all my own PC's with seperate components. You also seem to be unaware that its not the PC makers that put mom/pop shops out of business, that was microsoft with their licensing deals WITH the PC manufacturers.

Give me a valid example of how Wal-Mart has killed any community.... Are you suggest Wal-Mart is stupid enough to build stores where there are no customers or demand for their services?

Why would walmart build 3 superstores in a town with a population of 10k? to put the smaller stores OUT OF BUSINESS. I'm smart enough to know, and experienced enough to have seen, the results of running other business' out of town. Once walmart becomes the 'place to shop', theres no need for them to be 'the best' out there. They OWN the retail market in that area now.

 

[dilloduck]

If they operated on basic economics I would have no issue. It's what they do outside of basic economics, like pricing fixes for their competitors/suppliers that breaks the system, thats where I hate them. If you don't understand that, thats your problem, not mine.


I don't buy dell, HP, compaq, or toshiba. I make all my own PC's with seperate components. You also seem to be unaware that its not the PC makers that put mom/pop shops out of business, that was microsoft with their licensing deals WITH the PC manufacturers.


Why would walmart build 3 superstores in a town with a population of 10k? to put the smaller stores OUT OF BUSINESS. I'm smart enough to know, and experienced enough to have seen, the results of running other business' out of town. Once walmart becomes the 'place to shop', theres no need for them to be 'the best' out there. They OWN the retail market in that area now.

So you would be happier if everthing was more expensive? The citizens of the town have a choice in where they shop. Blame them for not supporting local businesses.

 

[freeandfun1]

If they operated on basic economics I would have no issue. It's what they do outside of basic economics, like pricing fixes for their competitors/suppliers that breaks the system, thats where I hate them. If you don't understand that, thats your problem, not mine.

I have news for you.... lots of businesses give discounts at various levels to various customers depending on how much products they buy. Blame the suppliers for agreeing to give Wal-Mart discounts, don't blame Wal-Mart for asking for them. I ask suppliers for better prices all the time. Sometimes I get it (if justified) and sometimes I don't. Sometimes my business will "committ" to a certain level of business over a certain period of time to get better pricing. There are too many variables for you to rely on this as a reason for hating Wal-Mart. They aren't doing anything other businesses haven't done and aren't doing.

I don't buy dell, HP, compaq, or toshiba. I make all my own PC's with seperate components. You also seem to be unaware that its not the PC makers that put mom/pop shops out of business, that was microsoft with their licensing deals WITH the PC manufacturers.

Lucky you that you can build your own. Not everybody can. And many cannot afford to buy what a small PC maker would charge. Nobody forces people to use MS. Lynux is a good system and more and more businesses are starting to use it.

Why would walmart build 3 superstores in a town with a population of 10k? to put the smaller stores OUT OF BUSINESS. I'm smart enough to know, and experienced enough to have seen, the results of running other business' out of town. Once walmart becomes the 'place to shop', theres no need for them to be 'the best' out there. They OWN the retail market in that area now.

If they are doing that, there is a reason and it isn't to just put mom and pops out of business. That would make no sense at all considering one store could do that. There must be other variables involved. Likely they have to do with zoning. Let's say you have a town of 10K people surrounded on four sides by towns of 100K but that have strict zoning laws. I would be willing to bet Wal-Mart would put one store on each side of town to cater to the 100K towns. Makes sense to me. And you know what? The town of 10K is making a lot of dough off people coming into THEIR town to shop there. I am sure the town of 10K can use the revenue from property taxes, etc. that they get.

 

[green lantern]

Frankly I doubt it. I think it has more to do with the fact that there are about ten Wal Marts for every Costco. I also think it has to do with Wal Mart's personnel policies. Wal Mart is a retail predator who is disliked not only by its own employees, but also by many of the people who shop there.

i shop there as little as possible....i would agree, they are a retail predator.

 

[SmarterThanYou]

I have news for you.... lots of businesses give discounts at various levels to various customers depending on how much products they buy. Blame the suppliers for agreeing to give Wal-Mart discounts, don't blame Wal-Mart for asking for them. I ask suppliers for better prices all the time. Sometimes I get it (if justified) and sometimes I don't. Sometimes my business will "committ" to a certain level of business over a certain period of time to get better pricing. There are too many variables for you to rely on this as a reason for hating Wal-Mart. They aren't doing anything other businesses haven't done and aren't doing.

when you tell your supplier that you'll buy this much more than anyone else SO LONG AS you only make it this way, thats subverting the market.

If they are doing that, there is a reason and it isn't to just put mom and pops out of business. That would make no sense at all considering one store could do that. There must be other variables involved. Likely they have to do with zoning. Let's say you have a town of 10K people surrounded on four sides by towns of 100K but that have strict zoning laws. I would be willing to bet Wal-Mart would put one store on each side of town to cater to the 100K towns. Makes sense to me. And you know what? The town of 10K is making a lot of dough off people coming into THEIR town to shop there. I am sure the town of 10K can use the revenue from property taxes, etc. that they get.

some people just refuse to see i guess.