Wal-Mart Paper

Wal-Mart, Rolling Back America

By Luke Lashbrook

Most people would assume that any place you can get milk, shampoo, your oil changed and pretty much anything else you can think of at one spot would be the best shopping store in the world. For most people it is a one stop shop. Wal-Mart saves time and money. Most Americans believe that this store is the best ideas since sliced bread. But the majority of people do not know is that Wal-Mart has put numerous Americans out of jobs.

Wal-Mart has destroyed more jobs that it has created. A new Wal-Mart destroys jobs by putting local merchants out of business. The jobs that it does create are fewer, lower paying and mostly part time. Wal-Mart has made public health care programs have problems. Most people who work at Wal-Mart have little or no health benefits. Wal-Mart actually encourages its employees to seek public assistance for their health care. That’s not the only way they take advantage of their workers. The average hourly wage of a Wal-Mart employee makes about $18,000 per year, which is below the poverty level. That’s interesting considering that Wal-Mart makes about $10 billion in profits every year. For years they have known that many stores violate child labor laws and state regulations requiring work breaks, but have done nothing to change it. Wal-Mart does have one thing, and that is purchasing power over consumers and suppliers. But they are able to provide low prices because they are heavily sponsored by us, the taxpayers. In addition to relying on public health care for their employees, Wal-Mart has benefited from over $1 billion in economic development subsidies.

Have you ever heard of Vlassic Pickles? Well Wal-Mart priced it at $2.97 for a year’s supply of pickles for less than $3.00. they were using it as a “statement item,” says Pat Hunn, who calls himself the “mad scientist” of Vlassic’s gallon jar. “Wal-Mart was putting it before consumers, saying, this represents what Wal-Mart’s about. You can buy a stinkin’ gallon of pickles for $2.97. And it’s the nation’s number