Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

In Wal-Mart We Trust
National Post ^ | 2008-03-28 | Colby Cosh

Posted on 03/28/2008 5:26:14 AM PDT by Clive

click here to read article


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-59 last
To: Gabz

Ping to the good Wally World


41 posted on 03/28/2008 8:04:29 AM PDT by metesky ("Brethren, leave us go amongst them." Rev. Capt. Samuel Johnston Clayton - Ward Bond- The Searchers)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: jmc813
See my post #34. Religion aside, I just feel like self-congratulatory advertising insults my intelligence. Wal-Mart has plenty going for them that they could advertise legitimately. I’m a lot more likely to go somewhere that advertises dirt-cheap prices over charitable works. Then again, most people are stupid, and this sort of advertising must work, otherwise they wouldn’t do it.

Wal-Mart does advertise their dirt cheap prices, and those dirt cheap prices do a lot to advertise themselves.

However, Wal-Mart is facing a dedicated and well organized smear campaign by labor unions, and they do need to take steps to counter it.

The liberals in both the federal and state legislatures have proposed and even passed a number of laws that were specifically designed to hurt Wal-Mart so that unionized companies could be more competitive.

Wal-Mart does need public support to keep the government in line, so they can compete in an honest market.

42 posted on 03/28/2008 8:09:34 AM PDT by untrained skeptic
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 36 | View Replies]

To: untrained skeptic
However, Wal-Mart is facing a dedicated and well organized smear campaign by labor unions, and they do need to take steps to counter it.

I hear ya. I think it goes back to what I was saying about people in general being dumb. Since we hang out on forums generally populated by people of above-average intelligence, it's easy to forget this. I see those stupid union ads all the time and could never dream of my buying power being affected by them one way or the other. But, there must be people mindless enough to lap 'em up, otherwise they wouldn't spend the money to do so.

The ones I really can't stand are the tobacco companies putting out these politically-correct, self-congratulatory ads about how horrible it is for children to smoke and how you can go to their web site for tips on smoking cessation. I'm a smoker and I would totally switch brands if a company balled up and put out advertisements calling out the anti-smoking idiots.

43 posted on 03/28/2008 8:18:07 AM PDT by jmc813 (You guys wanna go cheese?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 42 | View Replies]

To: Clive

bump for later read


44 posted on 03/28/2008 8:48:42 AM PDT by IGOTMINE (1911s FOREVER!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: A Strict Constructionist

Wal Mart headquarters= Bentonville, Arkansas.


45 posted on 03/28/2008 8:59:12 AM PDT by Hardcorps
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 38 | View Replies]

To: jmc813
Those tobacco-company ads are part of the extortion tobacco MSA, where billions were stolen from the tobacco companies, and they were forced into this self-flagellation.

I rarely go to Wal-Mart, but appreciate that they show a genuine concern when difficulties occur in the communities they serve.

46 posted on 03/28/2008 10:01:44 AM PDT by Don W ( Did you hear about the guy whose whole left side was cut off? . . . He's all right now...)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 43 | View Replies]

To: Clive

Proves the inadequacy of FEMA... why are they still around?

Oh yeah...


47 posted on 03/28/2008 10:25:47 AM PDT by wastedyears (The US Military is what goes Bump in the night.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: A Strict Constructionist
It ain’t DC and it ain’t NYC so “do the right thing” is allowed to override the quarterly report.

Explain that to the lady they're suing to recoup health care expenses. She may have a problem believing it.

48 posted on 03/28/2008 10:41:38 AM PDT by Non-Sequitur
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 38 | View Replies]

To: Clive

I’m not a big fan of Wal-Mart, but I do shop there periodically. The reason why I’m not a big fan is strictly service related: I’ve never been in any other store where any time you go there, you can be guaranteed to wait in line for a significant time to check out. The stores also trend towards to the dirty, and the staff is usually hopeless. But the prices are great.

I wish that Wal-Mart would further empower their local managers to provide something approaching decent customer service. A survey from the University of Michigan I heard recently rated the *worst* company for customer service (retailer and grocer categories) to be Wal-Mart.

I guess you get what you pay for. If Target were to ever get it’s prices down to where Wal-Marts are on a consistent basis, they’d give them a real run for the money.


49 posted on 03/28/2008 11:10:07 AM PDT by RKBA Democrat (Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: shrinkermd
I go to the Wal Mart in St. Anthony, Minnesota. What strikes me about the store is it looks like the United Nations. It provides and trains more people than any of the local government programs. Besides that, it cultivates and hires minorities and the disabled. It is a successful capitalistic enterprise run by fine Christian people.

I've noticed that about ours, and it's commendable. Some of the, what I would call "better motivated" employees there seem to move on to Home Depot, down the street- and I seem to recall that Home Depot sent a lot of aid, as well.

Capitalism has its faults and excesses, but unlike the government, your participation with it is voluntary-- you can always choose another business if you don't like the one you are dealing with.

50 posted on 03/28/2008 2:13:42 PM PDT by backhoe (-30-)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 30 | View Replies]

To: Hardcorps

Write that mistake to driving 14 hours yesterday. I passed a lot of the Wal-Mart vehicles. Thanks for the correction.


51 posted on 03/28/2008 7:22:51 PM PDT by A Strict Constructionist (We have become an oligarchy not a Republic.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 45 | View Replies]

To: Non-Sequitur

I read it as a contract dispute. I don’t hear anyone complaining about the lawyer getting his half. What about complaining abut his lack of charity. His half came as a result of a contract.


52 posted on 03/28/2008 7:35:40 PM PDT by A Strict Constructionist (We have become an oligarchy not a Republic.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 48 | View Replies]

To: A Strict Constructionist
I read it as a contract dispute. I don’t hear anyone complaining about the lawyer getting his half. What about complaining abut his lack of charity. His half came as a result of a contract.

Yes let's discuss this as a contract. If I agree to purchase health insurance through my company and I pay premiums for that coverage then I expect my medical expenses to be paid under the terms of that agreement. And if Wal-Mart is now suing for the recovery of those expenses I paid insurance to cover the shouldn't my premiums be refunded? Since I paid for services that Wal-Mart is now refusing to pay? Or if I pay premiums for the year and don't make a single claim then should those premiums be refunded to me?

It looks to me like Wal-Mart wants it's cake and to eat it to. It expects it's employees to pay for insurance out of their crap wages and then pay for medical expenses as well. No wonder it's making all that money.

53 posted on 03/29/2008 5:58:40 AM PDT by Non-Sequitur
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 52 | View Replies]

To: Non-Sequitur

I read that one of the conditions to the contract was that if any monies are obtained from a lawsuit relating to the reason for the medical care that the insurance carrier would be repaid. I don’t like it but the courts ruled on the contracts terms which the employee agreed to. If the atty. didn’t take such a big share then the employee would have a lot left over. I see the atty. in the same light as you see WM.


54 posted on 03/29/2008 7:20:21 AM PDT by A Strict Constructionist (We have become an oligarchy not a Republic.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 53 | View Replies]

To: A Strict Constructionist
I read that one of the conditions to the contract was that if any monies are obtained from a lawsuit relating to the reason for the medical care that the insurance carrier would be repaid. I don’t like it but the courts ruled on the contracts terms which the employee agreed to.

Nobody is denying that what Wal-Mart did was legal. It's just a cheap shot that screws their employees. The company charges them health insurance premiums and then makes the employee still pay the bills, so in effect the company makes out twice. I work with HR people at all levels and I've asked a few of them about this clause and except for one individual none had ever heard of the like. That sole exception knew that Wal-Mart did it, and also said that Wal-Mart was the only company they had heard of with such a clause.

If the atty. didn’t take such a big share then the employee would have a lot left over. I see the atty. in the same light as you see WM.

If there was more left over then that would mean there was more for Wal-Mart to seize, right?

55 posted on 03/29/2008 7:31:21 AM PDT by Non-Sequitur
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 54 | View Replies]

To: Non-Sequitur

At least it would be spread around to the shareholders not some “Edwards” wannabe.


56 posted on 03/29/2008 9:07:42 AM PDT by A Strict Constructionist (We have become an oligarchy not a Republic.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 55 | View Replies]

To: A Strict Constructionist
At least it would be spread around to the shareholders not some “Edwards” wannabe.

And in the end the poor woman still get's screwed. By Wal-Mart. By the attorney. Nobody seems to care about her. I'll bet when she all those smiling, happy employee faces on the Wal-Mart commercial she actually believed it.

57 posted on 03/29/2008 10:15:30 AM PDT by Non-Sequitur
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 56 | View Replies]

To: A Strict Constructionist
At least it would be spread around to the shareholders not some “Edwards” wannabe.

Oh, and when Wal-Mart has taken all her money the woman will still need long term care. So Medicaid and the U.S. taxpayers will foot that bill. But that's OK. Wal-Mart has their money, they have her insurance premiums, they make out like a bandit. The attorney will have his money. The woman will still be screwed, and so will the taxpayers.

58 posted on 03/29/2008 10:18:22 AM PDT by Non-Sequitur
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 56 | View Replies]

To: Non-Sequitur

“And in the end the poor woman still get’s screwed. By Wal-Mart”

On that we agree. I see the problem this way. Your damned if you do and damned if you don’t. If Wal-Mart gives her a bye then every atty in the country will be suing them because they didn’t do it for their client. This poor lady just happens to get screwed. If I was Wal-Mart I would make an anonymous donation to her care, but I be their lawyers are against something like that as well.

You see evil corporations and I see evil lawyers. Different viewpoints with a common cause. Lawyers!


59 posted on 03/29/2008 12:19:12 PM PDT by A Strict Constructionist (We have become an oligarchy not a Republic.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 57 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-59 last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson