Wal-Mart Relies On Taxpayers To Subsidize Low Wages

Business Insider ^ | June 1, 2013 | Emily Coyle

[steelhead_trout]

According to The Huffington Post, Congressional Democrats released a study Thursday that demonstrated how Wal-Mart’s wages are so low that many of its workers must rely on food stamps and other government aid programs, costing taxpayers as much as $900,0000 at just one Wal-Mart Supercenter in Wisconsin.

The report, “The Low-Wage Drag on Our Economy,” was produced by Democrats with the House Committee on Education and the Workforce.

[Mase]

considering that real wages *adjusted for for inflation* haven’t gone up all that much for most people for 1973

This is unmitigated crap. It was crap when the left first made the claim and it is still crap today. All anyone has to do - who was over 12 in 1973 - is look around them to know that we are a lot better off today than we were back in '73.

[refreshed]

There is. It is paid quarterly. Helpful experience would include 2 years of previous retail, an associate’s degree in criminal justice, open availability, and 6 months prior experience at another retailer in the same position.

[C. Edmund Wright]

You are using a circular argument…..of course steelhead has the right to voice idiotic socialist Marxist opinions on here….and we have the right to call him idiotic, Marxist, socialist….and suggest he go elsewhere…..

Rights work both ways in this First Amendment thingie……steelhead, and yourself, are not protected from having your panties in a wad.

[Dare Tuitt]

Mark 14:7

“For you always have the poor with you, and whenever you wish you can do good to them; but you do not always have Me.”

Since we can’t dictate how Wal-Mart pays its employees, and yet we all already benefit from the jobs and taxes they pay in thousands of locations, look upon a Wal-Mart job as a stepping stone. You will never get rid of poverty and the poor, but you can incentivize someone to better themselves. That’s why subsidizing laziness is not a good idea.

[refreshed]

I’m attempting to accomplish the two words in caps in your post.

[khelus]

Perhaps if gubmint did NOT provide any benefits then the workers would move on to wages that were capable of supporting their families, Walmart wouldn’t have any workers so if they wanted to stay in business would offer higher wages.

That troublesome freemarket thingy.

There are at lest two erronious assumptions behind your post

1. That there are better jobs to move to.
2. That the government does not interfere in the job market ala flooding the country with guest workers and illegals who often pay no or very marginal taxes and are quite comfortable with being subsidized by government hand outs. After all our statist government hands out much more than the one they left behind.

We are at the point where STEM professionals compete with illegals who suppress wages and job opportunities.

[nascarnation]

them to know that we are a lot better off today than we were back in '73.

True, but much of it is based on fake money. Without the trillion dollar deficits that allow the govt to pay entitlements, America would look much poorer.

[steelhead_trout]

Pike is probably working at Wal Mart now, since he lost his nice campus cop gig going all WMD on some students. But that's OK. With his experience he's probably working loss prevention, and I guess those guys make more than minimum. With any luck, he won't have to apply for Obamacare either. Even he doesn't deserve that torment.

[COBOL2Java]

"Look everyone! The DemocRATs have sent the "Income Inequality" Trolls to FreeRepublic early this year!"

"That's right, Mabel. They're trying to distract us from the mess they've made with the ObamaCare rollout."

[PeterPrinciple]

Some conservative positions?

social and fiscal conservatism are related, they cannot be separated.

Big business and Big government are the worst of combination.

Big business needs to be restrained like big govt. Usually it is the market that restrains big business if big govt is not involved. At one time we had the 3 big retailers, sears, penneys and Montgomery wards. They reached a zenith and declined. Reducing govt, will create more competition and innovation.

Conservatives and liberals need to realize the connection between big govt and big business. I once had a lib tell me he could vote with big govt but not with big business. Stock holders vote also in theory.

My perception is that Walmart is still market driven mostly.

[Alas Babylon!]

I believe it is called the “Alinsky Method” from Saul Alinsky's book, Rules for Radicals:

Step 13.“Pick the target, freeze it, personalize it, and polarize it.”

This book has a premier place on Obama's bookshelf.

[khelus]

Steelhead is a noob liberal troll…..reading his comments in the forum, he is nothing but pure Occupy Wall street class envy personified…

Those who lack facts resort to insults.

[Lazamataz]

Hello, Willie Green. Long time no see. You are still not welcome here.

[Alas Babylon!]

I thought slave catchers got bounties rather than wages?

[C. Edmund Wright]

I lack no facts at all…..I reviewed his posting history, and there are a lot of class envy anti market rants. It’s a fact dude….get over yourself.

[Alas Babylon!]

And in the end it is the consumers who reward Walmart for this business model.

If folks don’t like Walmart, don’t shop there. The shoppers that do shop there is who Walmart is catering to and why they pay what they pay.

In other words, blame the shoppers, not Walmart.

[steelhead_trout]

“I worked at Walmart for awhile. The long term employees always ran in zig-zag paths to their vehicles after their shift.”

---

If it was in an “Amish” area, and at night, serpentine running might be a good idea!

[khelus]

World poverty isn’t the issue, American poverty is.

yeah, the American poor…have two cars ,air conditioning, multiple tv's, multiple devices like iPhones and laptops, three digit sneakers, jewelry, food out the wazoo……etc….

You are describing many illegals, many brandy new immigrants, and generational welfare, not the 'working' poor who gross $10.00 per year over the income limits for many freebies.

[Shelayne]

You know what make me the most angry about Walmart wages and practices? It's the Walmart paid rooftop snipers, ready to pick off any employee who dares to leave for a better paying job. If they were only free to leave, I might be more sympathetic, but no, they have to chose between continuing to work at Walmart, or dying.

I truly did LOL! :^D

[Blue Collar Christian]

So, you’re a Christian Communist?