Wal-Mart Names 9 Cities for Jobs Plan

[OhioChick]

02.19.07, 10:47 AM ET

Wal-Mart Stores Inc. announced Monday its plans for nine stores in areas in need of economic revitalization and said it will use those stores to help other businesses in the area develop.

Wal-Mart (nyse: WMT - news - people ) Vice Chairman John Menzer, who heads the company's U.S. operation, was traveling to Indianapolis and Pittsburgh to announce that the company is moving into neighborhoods in each of those cities where commerce has faltered.

Menzer said Wal-Mart is working with local chambers of commerce, business groups and minority-owned businesses with the goal of guiding new suppliers and helping new or existing shops thrive.

"We're looking at working families that need us the most," Menzer said. "That's where we want to go."

http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2007/02/19/ap3442011.html

<snip>

Other stores announced Monday:

_Cleveland - a Supercenter is to open in the fall at the site of a former steelyard. Other retailers are to have storefronts in the development.

_Decatur, Ga. - the community outside of Atlanta is to get a Supercenter in early 2008 at the site of a former mall.

_El Mirage, Ariz. - a Supercenter is to open during the summer near Luke Air Force Base.

_Landover Hills, Md. - is to be the site of the first Wal-Mart store to open inside the beltway of Washington, D.C. The store will be in Prince George's County at the former Capital Plaza Shopping Center.

_Portsmouth, Va. - a Supercenter opened last month in the city's midtown at an area targeted for redevelopment.

_Richmond, Calif. - a Wal-Mart is to open in the spring at a former department store location in the Bay Area community.

_Sanger, Calif. - A Supercenter is to open in the spring at a former commercial building in the community near Fresno.

[Deja Q]

1. "Lean on us" says the company to the people whose legs they broke

Notice:

Former dept store
Former commercial building
Former mall
...

That F-word really is getting ubiquitous... and having gone through the hoops to work there, it's a real joke... need? If walmart is a benefactor... :scared:

[ohio2007]

3. Does the "company town" have a "company hospital" for them ?

It's like that old song about digging coal.

"16 ton
and what da ya get
another day older and deeper in debt
st. Peter don't ya call me cuz I can't go.....

I owe my soul to the "company store"


anyway, from the article ;
_Cleveland - a Supercenter is to open in the fall at the site of a former steelyard. Other retailers are to have storefronts in the development.


I've been watching this site develop ever since the west bank mini mills were torn down.
yep, those steel jobs are gone and they're never coming back.
The Japanese dumped steel on us and now CHina will dump cheap crap on us where steel workers once made a decent wage.

[Sadie5]

2. Is the Chinese trade still being investigated

I saw a rather long post at DU about a week ago which said one of the Democratic led committees were preparing to investigate Chinese trade. If this happens won't that put an end to WMs cheap Chinese junk invasion as they would have to raise prices and compete with others for business.

[Joe Bacon]

4. Who owns our debt?

China does.

There will be no investigations to upset our financial masters.

[ohio2007]

5. I saw Wal-Mart was forced to stop selling "lead tainted" childrens lunch boxes

I wonder if that is as far as it goes.
/sarc

[Pugee]

8. I am convinced that they still sell lead stuff from other countries.

Last year (2005) my mom bought a tabletop Christmas tree there. We live in one of those towns where WM has NO competition. When she got home (my mom is the type that reads all the small print on the instructions, most people don't) It said "this tree is coated with lead. Do not let small children touch it" Well, who has a tree that children wont touch! She took it back, but they did not remove them from the store.

[liberal N proud]

6. Cleveland - from good paying jobs producing product made in America

To low paying jobs selling products made in China and other third world nations.

Yeah, that is real neighborhood improvement.

[Double T]

7. Wal-Mart, Creating a third world nation one SuperCenter at a time........

wonder when THEY will start selling shanties and thatched roof huts for their customers and employees to live in.

[youngdem]

9. Is this from the Onion?

The ABSOLUTE WORST thing a Wal-Mart can do for small businesses is locate anywhere near them.

Walmart is engaging in Orwellian speak here.

'We are coming to help the small businesses of impoverished communities!?!?! '

LOOK. THE. FUCK. OUT. Richmond, Sanger and Portsmouth.

Revitalization Walmart style.

I suspect this will be sort of like 'Iraqi Democracy American Style'.

[Solon]

10. ...and the fox said to the hen, "trust me." n/t

[eagler]

11. What the hell ever happened to the Anti-trust laws?