[spinestein]

In the early 90s I lost a decent job and immediately took a part time job (25 hrs/wk) as a "WalMart associate" until I located another "real" job. I worked there for about 5 months and the work was pleasant and easy (which is why it doesn't pay very much) and that steady income, small as it was, saved my butt in a town which had an unemployment rate of 11% at the time, and allowed me to pay my family's bills WITHOUT having to resort to taking money from the American taxpayer.

WalMart employs more than a million workers to stock shelves and operate cash registers and mop floors. Most of these positions are filled by people who are working there temporarily to pick up some steady cash either between "real" jobs or as students working part time, or they're not the major wage earners in a household but are just picking up "extra" cash. In any case, the type of work required doesn't deserve to be paid higher than it is and the type of socialist thinking that says companies should pay people more than their free market value as workers may be dripping with compassion and may make its believers feel good about themselves for their generosity with other people's money, but it ALWAYS comes at a cost to the people it's intended to help.

All those still supporting the outdated ideas of government managed wealth redistribution through mandated arbitrary wages and benefits need to gain an understanding of what REAL compassion means, and learn how free markets best help the poor as well as the rich.

[bitt]

I agree with you ...it is a good stop-gap for upwardly mobile young workers, in-between jobs workers, people just learning to work (high school, ex-welfare recipients) and people who just want to make some money for the family bills, but don't want full-time comittments.

and ex-texan, ...
'People in Oregon hate WM.'

makes me stand up for Wal-Mart even more....