Why Do Vile Progs Hate Walmart?


Here we go again. From Ezra Klein’s Wonkblog:

Wal-Mart’s threatening to pull out of D.C. if it has to pay a higher minimum wage. So what?


But the company cut its real estate deals such that local politicians had little leverage, and most didn’t want to use it anyway, lulled by promises of thousands of jobs and retail for some of the neighborhoods that need it most. Ultimately, Mayor Vincent Gray signed a “community partnership agreement” that contains goals for the hiring of local residents, but no enforcement mechanism whatsoever.

At long last, however, the D.C. Council may have found a way to squeeze something more out of the world’s largest retailer: passing a bill that requires all corporations in the city with more than $1 billion in global sales to pay a minimum wage of $12.50, with exceptions for companies with collective bargaining agreements. That means that Wal-Mart, along with other big chains such as Home Depot, Costco and Macy’s, would have to pay nearly 50 percent more than D.C.’s existing $8.25 minimum wage.

Why do Vile Progs hate Walmart? They provide jobs and a low-cost source of food, clothing and household supplies. They have been pretty damn successful at it too.

I have never worked at Walmart, but they did offer me a job once when I was still in college. At the time I was working at a competitor. I know from experience that the “big box” retailers all use the same basic business plan. As far as I can tell Walmart is just better at it.

But Walmart is the one the Vile Progs obsess about. Is it because they are headquartered in Arkansas? Is it because they are synonymous with the disgusting proles that shop there? (Face it, shopping at Walmart is as unhip as it gets.)

As for those studies that claim that forcing Walmart to give all their employees a huge raise would result in a negligible increase in prices I think they are full of shit. Labor costs are not that small a fraction of retailers’ budgets.

If you don’t like how Walmart does business, don’t shop there.


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20 Responses to Why Do Vile Progs Hate Walmart?

  1. myiq2xu says:

    For a lot of people in this country (myself included) the money they save by shopping at Walmart makes the difference in making ends meet.

  2. driguana says:

    You said it, it is unhip to shop there. It’s better to spend more and shop elsewhere. That makes such good cents.

    Sent from my iPhone

    • myiq2xu says:

      Once upon a time when I still had good credit I received a Macy’s card in the mail. I didn’t apply, they just sent it to me. It came with a $500 pre-approved limit. All I had to do was sign the back of the card and start using it.

      So I went to Macy’s and started shopping. When I saw their prices I went home and cut the card into little pieces and threw it away.

  3. myiq2xu says:

    None of my exes would have hired a hit man. They would have done it themselves.

  4. mothy67 says:

    Heard many times on local tv about the paucity of grocery stores in the urban markets and the conclusion that it is what causes a dependence on fast and processed foods . Walmart provides affordable fresh food and are willing to locate their stores in areas plagued by theft so you’d think people like klein would welcome them.

  5. DeniseVB says:

    Thank goodness for entry level/min.wage jobs where if you work hard, loyal,dependable and a great team player, you don’t get stuck there for very long. It’s called opportunity. Here’s a fun list of celebrities’ “before they were famous” jobs, though I don’t agree they’re horrible, somehow they moved on up 😀


  6. Mt.Laurel says:

    I have been to a couple Walmarts in West Virginia and other areas that look like they are used for their commercials. Spotless, well stocked, filled with light and not because they are new. The employees just seem happier. I think a lot has to do with regional attitudes, location, and so forth.

    We only have one in Montgomery county and it is the poster child for why people berate Walmart. I rarely go there as I do not find the store easy to navigate or well stocked. The prices are not all the great except on a few items and it is not worth the cost of gas unless yo can not find an item anywhere else. The employees often seem even more depressed than expected but I have found them amenable and often helpful. Having worked retail – I know how it can wear you down so I always try and keep that mind.

    I have talked with staff at Target who have worked at Wally World (in our county) and they say that Target and even the Big K are better in terms of work environment (same pay). However, from what I have read, Walmart is a far better place to work than many other places such as Dollar General.

    I sometimes go to Target as it is closest both at work and home. But it is not all the great and they are often low on stock and just do not carry things you expect in a big box general retailer. Trying to hard to look trendy.

    As to DC, this actually popped up as an alert in my phone. DC always shoots itself in the foot as they love playing the indigent card and threating to take their marbles and leave the room. Either you want the stores or you don’t. Yes, they put a lot of Mom and Pops out of business but then DC (and other cities) claim the Mom & Pops charge too much and are offer poor service. They say they want jobs and better access to staples such as groceries but they want them only on DCs terms. Why Wally World should just be grateful they would even allow such stores within the city limits.

    And no, DC, nor any of the progs understand that , by doubling the wages for the workers at the big boxes, that even if they do build any stores, they will be charging higher prices. Or once again leaving for cheaper digs in the burbs.

  7. Jadzia says:

    DC can pass its law and Wal-Mart can decide whether it still makes economic sense to do business there. I suspect that if Wal-Mart doesn’t go there, another retailer will eventually step in. Couldn’t it be that the paucity of superstores in many larger cities more related to the high cost of land (for example, NY or SF) or tax issues (LA — most of the big stores seem to sit RIGHT outside the city border) than it is to payroll?

    My masters degree holding brother is a clerk at WM and pretty much hates his life, but that’s just the way it is in the Bush Recession(TM), right? He *is* glad that he has a job (as opposed to being unemployed and hating his life) and he does work hard, but he just can’t seem to launch.

  8. mothy67 says:

    Know a manager for a Family Dollar store in a very depressed small city outside of Pittsburgh. There are no buses and no grocery stores. If you don’t have access to a car its FD or 7-11 for all of your needs. Stores have opened in the past but closed due to hefty losses. Thirty some years ago when I was growing up it was a nice safe place. No more. Every other home is Section 8 and is in disrepair. The blight of abandoned buildings is everywhere. Place voted like 120% for the 0 and company.

  9. helenk3 says:

    it only took two days to get wordpress to let me log in so I can comment

  10. The “hate Walmart” movement was started by the unions since Walmart has been impervious to union organizing. Once the unions (lead by UFCW—United Food and Commercial Workers) started to build their case, the vile progs and other constituent groups on the left took the ball and ran with it.

  11. myiq2xu says:



    The retail giant on Tuesday linked the future of at least three planned stores in the District to the proposal. But the ultimatum did not change any legislators’ minds. The 8-5 vote, which came after a hour-long debate in a packed council chamber, matched the outcome of an earlier vote on the matter.

    “The question here is a living wage; it’s not whether Wal-Mart comes or stays,” said Vincent Orange (D-At Large), a lead backer of the legislation who added the city did not need to kowtow to threats: “We’re at a point where we don’t need retailers. Retailers need us.”

    I’m guessing they are about to find out that Walmart doesn’t need them.

  12. t says:

    …but, but, but Whole Foods has a cooler form of predatory practices. Dig it?

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