Posted on 07/01/2009 7:30:55 PM PDT by SeekAndFind
On Tuesday the CEO of Wal-Mart, long the bête noire of the American left, issued a joint statement with SEIU head Andy Stern and Center for American Progress President John Podesta, two close allies of Barack Obama, supporting the administration's health reform efforts. The letter called for bipartisan reforms that include an employer mandate to purchase health insurance for their employees.
An odd alliance? Maybe. But when two camps eye the same goal for separate reasons, they can become unlikely bedfellows.
For the Obama administration, this announcement comes at a particularly convenient time. The president's health reform effort has hit some speed bumps, including problematic scores from the Congressional Budget Office and more vocal opposition to a government-run "public plan" than the Obama team appears to have expected.
With Congress out of town this week, White House has been actively looking for a shot of adrenaline for their initiative. In this respect, the Wal-Mart endorsement may be just what the doctor ordered.
From Wal-Mart's perspective, the move is strategic. The carefully worded letter does not commit Wal-Mart to anything other than support of a bipartisan effort to reform health care. Nevertheless, the blessing from Wal-Mart, America's largest private-sector employer, is definitely a boon for the White House. They can now claim the support of not only a company with 1.4 million employees--or "associates," as Wal-Mart likes to call them--but also a company that for many years, fairly or unfairly, has been seen as the cause of the employed but uninsured worker phenomenon.
That reputation, however, is out of date. Wal-Mart currently claims that almost 95% of its employees are insured. It's clear the company has devoted some resources to this cause, since over the past two years the number of uninsured employees has dropped by over 40%.
(Excerpt) Read more at forbes.com ...
With these big companies like GE and WalMart it's all about crushing competitors and making it harder for upstart companies.
Cut off the money and you starve the beast.
Looks like I’ll be saving a lot of money by not shopping at Walmart.
I say crush competitors like the French Company Target!
I’ll be shopping at shopping at Walmart.
Wal-mart doesn’t want to be challenged by underfunded rivals who will do to wal-mart what wal-mart did to sears. Truth is, though, they are right. The race to the bottom needs to end in this country or we will end up where Marx said we would, with all wages heading towards subsistence levels.
Competition needs to be on efficiency and value, not on how much a company can pass its employee costs onto the taxpayer.
parsy, who has seen too much of the screw the employee business plans
I’m starting to starve Wal-mart tomorrow. And I’m going to have a little talk with the local manager and explain to him/her why.
I’m pretty sure SEIU made the Walmart execs an offer they couldn’t refuse.
I find this hard to believe.
Are we sure the lamestream media isn’t mis-reporting?
Look at TENNCare for an example.
No, this is payback from Walmart to its competition that covertly funded the “unionize walmart” groups and those protesting Walmart’s then-lack of healthcare coverage for employees.
Payback is a bi**h.
Peace through victory.
Victory through superior firepower.
Wal-mart wins again. They will ALLWAYS win on a level playing field. This legislation sucks for everyone equally. As long as their competitors have to do it too, there’s no competitve advantage for them.
I love Wal-mart. I will be buying more stock next payday!
Your sights need to be set on the fedguv, not WalMart.
The fact that this is even being dixcussed is a travesty.
The fedguv has no authority to engage in health care or medical care insurance discussions.
This is payoff for not trying to unionize Wal-Mart.
Eff ‘em.
How is that possible. WM has probably twice the employees. Or, is it by choice that WM doesn't want to insure any employees?
Walmarts is one of the few stores around here that we can easily get to and purchase what we need. Prices are best, too. Hubby has begun shopping for some groceries at Aldi’s, which sells them pretty reasonably. Not much choice in rural NY.
Why are FReepers upset over Wal-Mart on this? Hell, if I was the CEO I’d do the same thing. I disagree with this of course, but you have to look at it from a tactical standpoint.
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