Walmart Heirs own more wealth than bottom 40%

[hcap]

http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2012/jul/31/bernie-s/sanders-says-walmart-heirs-own-more-wealth-bottom-/

Bernie Sanders says Walmart heirs own more wealth than bottom 40 percent of Americans.

The Waltons, of course, are members of the proverbial 1 percent. But are they really sitting on that much wealth? We decided to check it out.

http://static.politifact.com.s3.amazonaws.com/rulings%2Ftom-true.gif

[badcompany]

The government should seize that wealth and distribute it to every freeloader and deadbeat in the country. :ThmbUp:

[JustRalph]

Good for them! Their old man only created the greatest retail apparatus in the history of the world.

Btw, Your next Liberal savior was a Walmart board member who helped lead them during some of their greatest growth. Bet you won't hold that against her.

[badcompany]

Walmart should be paying the Stock Clerks 100k a year like the Teachers in Chicago get :ThmbUp:

[ArlJim78]

and this is surprising in what way? I hope you didn't think that the lower classes would fair well under Obama's crony socialism, and actually develop positive net worth based on food stamps, unemployment and disability? :lol:

to put things in perspective, lets do the "fair" thing and confiscate the entire wealth of the Walton family, $100 billion dollars, and hand it over to these lower 40% of families which according to the article number 29 million.
each family gets a check for a whopping $3,440.

case closed, problem solved. no more wealth for the Waltons, and each family is now on easy street.

[newtothegame]

But here's the even better part Jim, After you take the money from the Waltons and give it to the rest, where do you think both sides will be a year from now?
I would bet the Waltons would be re-establishing their wealth and the rest would be busted again.....

[badcompany]

Walmart should use nothing but windmills to provide electricity to its stores. :ThmbUp:

[badcompany]

But here's the even better part Jim, After you take the money from the Waltons and give it to the rest, where do you think both sides will be a year from now?
I would bet the Waltons would be re-establishing their wealth and the rest would be busted again.....

Yeah, but if you took all the rich people's money it would keep the poor going for two maybe even three years, and, after that...well, I haven't figured that out yet :(

[Robert Goren]

Soon it will be the grand kids and the greatgrand kids who doing their best Johnny du Pont impressions.

[ArlJim78]

But here's the even better part Jim, After you take the money from the Waltons and give it to the rest, where do you think both sides will be a year from now?
I would bet the Waltons would be re-establishing their wealth and the rest would be busted again.....
exactly because after buying booze, cigarettes and lottery tickets, the 40% would spend what was left at Walmart!

[PICSIX]

But here's the even better part Jim, After you take the money from the Waltons and give it to the rest, where do you think both sides will be a year from now?
I would bet the Waltons would be re-establishing their wealth and the rest would be busted again.....

I have read where several economists figure about 5 years....that's it & all $'s back where they came from.

[BlueShoe]

Bernie Sanders says Walmart heirs own more wealth than bottom 40 percent of Americans.
So what, they earned it, so what's the beef? Oh wait, I know, liberals just cannot tolerate Walmart, one of the great success stories of our time. A business that thrives and makes it's founders wealthy through hard work and initiative is, by the usual warped leftist thinking, evil.

[badcompany]

I'm glad there's no Walmart in my town. Teenagers are much better off hanging out on a street corner than be under the yoke of an evil oppressor like Walmart. :ThmbUp:

[Marshall Bennett]

Liberals despise such success stories. Take from the rich and give to the poor is their theme, whether the fortune was earned through hard work or not.
They should share their wealth with who their told to share it with, not who they want to share it with?
What total bullshit, just like this thread.

[Valuist]

http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2012/jul/31/bernie-s/sanders-says-walmart-heirs-own-more-wealth-bottom-/

Bernie Sanders says Walmart heirs own more wealth than bottom 40 percent of Americans.

The Waltons, of course, are members of the proverbial 1 percent. But are they really sitting on that much wealth? We decided to check it out.

http://static.politifact.com.s3.amazonaws.com/rulings%2Ftom-true.gif

Who made you or Bernie Sanders worthy of determining what was too much money for any person or persons? Why are liberals so opposed to success?

[rastajenk]

I watched part of an American Experience show about John D Rockefeller last night (along with lots of basketball). Apparently hating on the rich is a long-standing American tradition. :p

[classhandicapper]

But here's the even better part Jim, After you take the money from the Waltons and give it to the rest, where do you think both sides will be a year from now?


One side would be reestablishing their wealth, but that's not significant.

The more important point is that other side would be paying a lot more for all their purchases because a great store like Walmart would not longer exist and all the former employees would be on unemployment, food stamps, welfare, medicaid etc.... until someone created a new Walmart. lol

[badcompany]

Soon it will be the grand kids and the greatgrand kids who doing their best Johnny du Pont impressions.

IMO, you should get a piece of the Walmart fortune. Then, Sam Walton could rest easy in his grave knowing that his money is going to a good cause: Slow Horses.

[Mike at A+]

I have read where several economists figure about 5 years....that's it & all $'s back where they came from.
I'm sure Congress will vote for personal exemptions to this for themselves and their cronies.

As for the Waltons, GOD BLESS THEM. They are a true American success story. The amount of money they make, the amount of money they have and the amount of money they hand down to their children is NO ONE'S BUSINESS, especially that of Bernie Sanders and other SCUMBAG DEMOCRATS.

[badcompany]

Props to Hcap for starting this thread and smoking out all the evil capitalists on this forum. When the revolution comes, you're all gonna be sorry.

Walmart is the first place we're gonna go.

Free socks for everybody! :ThmbUp:

[RaceBookJoe]

Congrats to the Waltons...true success story !!!

[Marshall Bennett]

Props to Hcap for starting this thread and smoking out all the evil capitalists on this forum. When the revolution comes, you're all gonna be sorry.

Walmart is the first place we're gonna go.

Free socks for everybody! :ThmbUp:
A regular "Karl Marx" of the racing industry. :lol:

[Greyfox]

Many have become wealthy before.

It usually takes about three or four generations for the offspring to piss it away completely, but they do.

[BlueShoe]

I'm glad there's no Walmart in my town. Teenagers are much better off hanging out on a street corner than be under the yoke of an evil oppressor like Walmart. :ThmbUp:
But of course. Also it is much beter to stay on welfare and keep getting food stamps than it is to take a job at Walmart. Earning $0 an hour on welfare is always better than accepting one of those slave wager jobs at Walmart that only pays $9 an hour to start. Working hard and earning raises and promotions at Walmart is just too demeaning, better to just stay home and let other hard working folks support you.

[Mike at A+]

No mention from hcap about the Kennedy "rum running" fortune.

[johnhannibalsmith]

...
each family gets a check for a whopping $3,440.

...

Oh come on now, you know this is a blatant exaggeration...............

...that only works out if the Waltons themselves decided to cut up their money and distribute it. In the practical world, the families would be fortunate to get a penny of it after it went through the black hole middleman known as the gubbamint.

[Robert Fischer]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Power_law

[JustRalph]

I watched part of an American Experience show about John D Rockefeller last night (along with lots of basketball). Apparently hating on the rich is a long-standing American tradition. :p

Unless of course your subject of inherited wealth plays for the right team. Then you love him/her and elect them over and over to high ranking office


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jay_Rockefeller

[ArlJim78]

Oh come on now, you know this is a blatant exaggeration...............

...that only works out if the Waltons themselves decided to cut up their money and distribute it. In the practical world, the families would be fortunate to get a penny of it after it went through the black hole middleman known as the gubbamint.
if the government handled it my scenario is revised from $3,400 down to a single 50% off coupon good at any Sizzler while supplies last.

[Ocala Mike]

"For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will have an abundance. But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away."

Matthew 25:29

[hcap]

Americans have the highest income inequality in the rich world and over the past 20–30 years Americans have also experienced the greatest increase in income inequality among rich nations. The more detailed the data we can use to observe this change, the more skewed the change appears to be ... the majority of large gains are indeed at the top of the distribution.


http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e8/US_high-income_effective_tax_rates.png/350px-US_high-income_effective_tax_rates.png


http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/45/Productivity_and_Real_Median_Family_Income_Growth_ 1947-2009.png/450px-Productivity_and_Real_Median_Family_Income_Growth_ 1947-2009.png

http://assets.motherjones.com/politics/2011/inequality-p25_averagehouseholdincom.png

[badcompany]

Hcap should be commended for his yeoman-like work in displaying the "Charts of Oppression."

[thaskalos]

Generating wealth is, unfortunately, a skill which few of us possess.

I don't begrudge the Walton heirs' economic standing; I lament the fact that I didn't take the necessary steps to secure my own heir's place among them. :)

[mostpost]

The government should seize that wealth and distribute it to every freeloader and deadbeat in the country. :ThmbUp:
The Waltons got that wealth by stealing it from every man and woman who ever worked for them. They did it by paying substandard wages; by not providing benefits; and by limiting hours. Seizing their money would not be redistribution of wealth it would be proper distribution of wealth.

[Greyfox]

The Waltons got that wealth by stealing it from every man and woman who ever worked for them. They did it by paying substandard wages; by not providing benefits; and by limiting hours. Seizing their money would not be redistribution of wealth it would be proper distribution of wealth.

Rubbish. People freely chose to work at Wal-Mart. Nobody had a gun to their head.
You are of course talking about the importance of Unions.

[mostpost]

Good for them! Their old man only created the greatest retail apparatus in the history of the world.
Based on what? Based on underpaying and mistreating their employees. Based on browbeating and intimidating suppliers; based on bullying and destroying competitors. In other words Sam Walton's success is based on immorality, cruelty and illegality. To me that is failure. I don't care how rich his good for nothing heirs are.

[porchy44]

At least in our town to the tune of 3.6 million in TIF (Tax increment financing) subsidies. "I guess the gubamint can give handouts to someone else other than the poh".

[Robert Fischer]

here's how power laws work

http://www.shespeaks.com/pages/img/review/112879EA-EFD1-9975-742114B383DA8D0A.jpg

1 Large Pizza (10 Slices)
and 10 People

2 People will get 8 of the Slices (avg. of 4 Slices each).

The remaining 8 People split the remaining 2 Slices (avg. of 1/4 Slice each)

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/8a/Long_tail.svg/800px-Long_tail.svg.png

[Robert Goren]

Who made you or Bernie Sanders worthy of determining what was too much money for any person or persons? Why are liberals so opposed to success? Exactly what success did the Walmart heirs have? The only thing they did was hit the lottery at birth.

[TJDave]

I watched part of an American Experience show about John D Rockefeller last night (along with lots of basketball). Apparently hating on the rich is a long-standing American tradition. :p

Average Americans love the rich as long as they think they have a shot.

The 1% will get a beat down. This last recession transferred another 15- 20% to their pockets. The inequality is now stratospheric.

[thaskalos]

Exactly what success did the Walmart heirs have? The only thing they did was hit the lottery at birth.

So, what should old Sam Walton had done; turn his wealth over to the state?

The father does the work, and his heirs benefit. Don't we all say that we are "working for our kids"?

[Robert Goren]

So, what should old Sam Walton had done; turn his wealth over to the state?

The father does the work, and his heirs benefit. Don't we all say that we are "working for our kids"?Actually many of today's billionaires( like Buffett) plan on leaving most of their wealth to charity and leaving a million or two to their kids.

[thaskalos]

Actually many of today's billionaires( like Buffett) plan on leaving most of their wealth to charity and leaving a million or two to their kids.

Yeah...and many mega-million lotto winners claim that they will return to their regular jobs.

Allow me to maintain my skepticism...:)

[Valuist]

Average Americans love the rich as long as they think they have a shot.

The 1% will get a beat down. This last recession transferred another 15- 20% to their pockets. The inequality is now stratospheric.

And even more will be transferred to those who've bought gold and silver when the currency crisis hits.

[Robert Goren]

Yeah...and many Mega-million lotto winners claim that they will return to their regular jobs.

Allow me to maintain my skepticism...:)And some day a billionaire's kid will actually do something useful. I am not holding my breathe.

[thaskalos]

And some day a billionaire's kid will actually do something useful. I am not holding my breathe.

True enough...:ThmbUp:

I guess this is where the "be careful what you wish for..." saying, came from.

Ultimately...we don't know what is really best for us...or for our kids.

[Mike at A+]

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e8/US_high-income_effective_tax_rates.png/350px-US_high-income_effective_tax_rates.png


http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/45/Productivity_and_Real_Median_Family_Income_Growth_ 1947-2009.png/450px-Productivity_and_Real_Median_Family_Income_Growth_ 1947-2009.png

http://assets.motherjones.com/politics/2011/inequality-p25_averagehouseholdincom.png
Two words: SO WHAT?
There is inequality in every measurable human asset. Such as ability. Such as work ethic. Such as motivation. Such as intelligence. No two humans are exactly alike. Results may vary. The rich get richer. Their children inherit tons of money. I have far too much of my own business to mind than to be concerned with how rich someone is or how they got their wealth. It's not my business. It's not your business. All the allegations about how the Waltons obtained their wealth "illegally" are just that - ALLEGATIONS. Grow up and stop whining. They created an empire that anyone would be proud of. What they do with their money is their business. All your graphs and complaints mean absolutely nothing. They're rich, you're not. Deal with it.

[TJDave]

And even more will be transferred to those who've bought gold and silver when the currency crisis hits.

There won't be a currency crisis. If necessary, we'd go to war with the entire world to prevent it.

[Valuist]

There won't be a currency crisis. If necessary, we'd go to war with the entire world to prevent it.

I guess the Europeans and Japanese will be fighting along with us then. They're as hell bent on currency destruction as we are.

[JustRalph]

The Waltons got that wealth by stealing it from every man and woman who ever worked for them. They did it by paying substandard wages; by not providing benefits; and by limiting hours. Seizing their money would not be redistribution of wealth it would be proper distribution of wealth.

Spoken like a good little commie

[RaceBookJoe]

The Waltons got that wealth by stealing it from every man and woman who ever worked for them. They did it by paying substandard wages; by not providing benefits; and by limiting hours. Seizing their money would not be redistribution of wealth it would be proper distribution of wealth.

No, they built their wealth giving Americans exactly what they wanted...decent products at the lowest possible price. Walmart will even take products back with no questions asked for a full refund if the customer isnt happy...more of what customers want. Nobody is forced to work there or shop there..get over it.

[mostpost]

Originally Posted by newtothegame
But here's the even better part Jim, After you take the money from the Waltons and give it to the rest, where do you think both sides will be a year from now?
I would bet the Waltons would be re-establishing their wealth and the rest would be busted again.....

Bad company replied.
Yeah, but if you took all the rich people's money it would keep the poor going for two maybe even three years, and, after that...well, I haven't figured that out yet

Whenever those of us on the left suggest that too small a percentage of the population has too large a percentage of the wealth, those on the right sing the same tired refrain. Which is, "Even if you gave all that money to the poor, it would only help for a few years." But that is not what we are saying. And we are certainly not saying we should divide it among those who are not working or refuse to work.

Even though the Waltons in particular do not deserve the money they have, there is nothing we can do about that now. What we can do; what we should have been doing from the beginning is ensure that WalMart is paying its employees what it should be paying them.

Let's assume that the average WalMart employee works 30 hours a week. And let's assume he makes minimum wage $7.25 an hour. (Yes, I know many make more.) That employee makes $11,310 a year. But, let's raise his pay to $10.00 an hour. He now makes $15,600 a year. An increase of $4290 a year, or $82.50 a week.

"But, but," you blubber" You are taking away all of WalMart's profit, they will go bankrupt-boo-hoo." To which I reply, not true. Giving everyone of WalMart's 1.3M American workers a $2.75 an hour raise would cost the company $5.577B a year. In 2011 Walmart's net profit was $15.1B. Which still leaves them with a profit of $9.523B for the year.

But that does not begin to tell the whole story. That extra $2.75 an hour means that those employees have 38% more money to spend than previously.
Money to spend at WalMart. And people in that economic bracket will spend the money because they need things. They need clothes to replace clothes they have worn too long; washing machines to replace old and worn machines or to replace trips to the laundromat. And everyone of these items adds to Walmart's revenue stream; 38% more revenue than previously.

Giving all that money to the Waltons means that money sits in a vault. Giving it to the workingman means it is circulating. Stimulating the economy.

[Mike at A+]

If you really want to talk about an ever increasing income disparity, look no farther than the US Congress. There was a time when they were truly public servants. Now they are filthy rich, vote their own raises, take huge vacations and steal everything that isn't nailed down. At least WalMart sells products people want. Congress sells manure.

[hcap]

I was terrified by the similarities between our society and the era of the Great Depression. As a nation, we were moving toward levels of economic inequality we had not seen since the financial crash of the late 1920s. My reading of history, of events surrounding the New Deal era and the Depression, is that excess inequality tended to be associated with high speculation and a lack of appropriate constraints on the financial industry.

In essence, I came to believe growing economic inequality was intimately linked to economic catastrophe, which would be so great that it would tear our social fabric.

Economic inequality is very dangerous, and the reason is that in our society wealth and power go together. As wealth becomes substantial, it starts to use its political power to ensure its hegemony and mucks up the important, competitive elements that make capitalism work. Over time, what was formally a vibrant economy with efficient markets becomes an inefficient, dysfunctional one....Bruce Judson
Money=Power

[Mike at A+]

That extra $2.75 an hour means that those employees have 38% more money to spend than previously.
And 38% of former WalMart employees might just find themselves unemployed. Then what? The pie is only so big. If you cut bigger slices, you get fewer slices.

[hcap]

Do the right thing? Gimme a break.

/Jazb24Q2s94?

[mostpost]

And 38% of former WalMart employees might just find themselves unemployed. Then what? The pie is only so big. If you cut bigger slices, you get fewer slices.
The "pie" is infinite. Or maybe it would be better to say the pie is potentially infinite and is constantly expanding. It is very possible to increase the salary of employees and increase the profit of a company without raising the prices of its products. Not only is it possible, I believe it is likely.

[RaceBookJoe]

Whenever those of us on the left suggest that too small a percentage of the population has too large a percentage of the wealth, those on the right sing the same tired refrain. Which is, "Even if you gave all that money to the poor, it would only help for a few years." But that is not what we are saying. And we are certainly not saying we should divide it among those who are not working or refuse to work.

Even though the Waltons in particular do not deserve the money they have, there is nothing we can do about that now. What we can do; what we should have been doing from the beginning is ensure that WalMart is paying its employees what it should be paying them.

Let's assume that the average WalMart employee works 30 hours a week. And let's assume he makes minimum wage $7.25 an hour. (Yes, I know many make more.) That employee makes $11,310 a year. But, let's raise his pay to $10.00 an hour. He now makes $15,600 a year. An increase of $4290 a year, or $82.50 a week.

"But, but," you blubber" You are taking away all of WalMart's profit, they will go bankrupt-boo-hoo." To which I reply, not true. Giving everyone of WalMart's 1.3M American workers a $2.75 an hour raise would cost the company $5.577B a year. In 2011 Walmart's net profit was $15.1B. Which still leaves them with a profit of $9.523B for the year.

But that does not begin to tell the whole story. That extra $2.75 an hour means that those employees have 38% more money to spend than previously.
Money to spend at WalMart. And people in that economic bracket will spend the money because they need things. They need clothes to replace clothes they have worn too long; washing machines to replace old and worn machines or to replace trips to the laundromat. And everyone of these items adds to Walmart's revenue stream; 38% more revenue than previously.

Giving all that money to the Waltons means that money sits in a vault. Giving it to the workingman means it is circulating. Stimulating the economy.

http://www.nbcnews.com/id/22719054/

[mostpost]

Spoken like a good little commie
As usual, when you don't have a good response, you call someone a name. Not only that but you have no idea what communism is or is not. No where in anything I have written is there anything to do with communism.

I don't want the government to take over Walmart. I don't want the Waltons to relinquish their stock in Walmart. I do want them to run their company in a way that properly benefits all the people who contribute to their success.

[Mike at A+]

The "pie" is infinite. Or maybe it would be better to say the pie is potentially infinite and is constantly expanding. It is very possible to increase the salary of employees and increase the profit of a company without raising the prices of its products. Not only is it possible, I believe it is likely.
So because you hold these beliefs WalMart should give everyone a raise? That isn't how it works in the business world. Companies create budgets for everything. Things like advertising, products, import fees and yes, even employment. Wouldn't it be nice if the CEOs in our government could get together and create a budget? In the corporate world, the people sitting around the table hammering out a budget do so with profitability in mind. Government should be no different. Profitability in the corporate world leads to job creation and shareholder satisfaction. Profitability in government leads to lower deficits, lower taxes and yes, JOB CREATION.

[horses4courses]

Who's to say anyone should get in the way of honest to goodness capitalism?
Screw the unions, and a fair wage. Let Walmart make all the money they damn well please without any interference.
If people want to work for whatever Walmart is good enough to give them, then so be it.
It's their choice - let them check their dignity at the door on the way in.

Competition? Who needs it. Walmart does a damn fine job providing a vanilla product at a low price. Your local retailers will have to kick it up a notch, or put the shutters up. The whole community should be proud to end up working for them. It's a miracle of capitalism, I tell you.......

[ArlJim78]

Giving all that money to the Waltons means that money sits in a vault. Giving it to the workingman means it is circulating. Stimulating the economy.
where do you get your information that the Waltons keep their money sitting in a vault?

and spare us the lectures about how to run a business and who they should "give" their profits to. If you're going to be critical of a failed model then don't choose the most successful retailer in world history. go after a real basket case like the post office.

[Mike at A+]

..

[mostpost]

where do you get your information that the Waltons keep their money sitting in a vault?

and spare us the lectures about how to run a business and who they should "give" their profits to. If you're going to be critical of a failed model then don't choose the most successful retailer in world history. go after a real basket case like the post office.
Tell me how successful do you think Walmart would be if Congress forced it to put $10,000,000,000 a year into a fund to pay for health care for retired employees; employees who may not even be alive when the time comes that they would be eligible to receive the benefit. That is what Congress is presently forcing USPS to do.

[mostpost]

Who's to say anyone should get in the way of honest to goodness capitalism?
Screw the unions, and a fair wage. Let Walmart make all the money they damn well please without any interference.
If people want to work for whatever Walmart is good enough to give them, then so be it.
It's their choice - let them check their dignity at the door on the way in.

Competition? Who needs it. Walmart does a damn fine job providing a vanilla product at a low price. Your local retailers will have to kick it up a notch, or put the shutters up. The whole community should be proud to end up working for them. It's a miracle of capitalism, I tell you.......
There's an element of sarcasm in that post, isn't there? Admit it.

[horses4courses]

There's an element of sarcasm in that post, isn't there? Admit it.

Guilty as charged.

[newtothegame]

Tell me how successful do you think Walmart would be if Congress forced it to put $10,000,000,000 a year into a fund to pay for health care for retired employees; employees who may not even be alive when the time comes that they would be eligible to receive the benefit. That is what Congress is presently forcing USPS to do.
Ahhh back to the ole tired reply of government intervention......
Here's some government intervention for you....Who sets the minimum wage that Wal-Mart abides by???
And if you are for the government intervening and FORCING Wal-Mart to set aside for future benefits, why are you so against the forcing of the USPS to set aside future funding for benefits??? Seems you have a problem here...:lol:

[Robert Fischer]

I do want them to run their company in a way that properly benefits all the people who contribute to their success.


I think this is a key point.

The market value of the Walmart workers is not increased by Walmart's success.

The workers wages are simply a cost of doing business, and like all costs - the company wants to keep them as low as possible.

[horses4courses]

Working hard and earning raises and promotions at Walmart

Is that what you, or any other right leaners, would like for your family?

[Mike at A+]

Is that what you, or any other right leaners, would like for your family?
If my family had minimum wage skills, I see no problem with them working wherever they felt they could do best. Many of today's low skilled workers are lucky to even have a job because so many higher skilled workers are out of work. Those unemployed higher skilled workers can usually afford to wait on the sidelines for a better paying job to come along. If WalMart raised their minimum wage (as some of you left leaners have suggested), the higher skilled unemployed workers would replace many of those low skilled minimum wage workers. This is why I believe that there should be no such thing as a minimum wage. The market would take care of itself. If KMart started offering more than WalMart, you'd see workers leaving WalMart forcing them to raise wages to get better skilled workers. Much more of a "natural" process than having an inept government involved.

[TJDave]

In the corporate world, the people sitting around the table hammering out a budget do so with profitability in mind. Government should be no different. Profitability in the corporate world leads to job creation and shareholder satisfaction. Profitability in government leads to lower deficits, lower taxes and yes, JOB CREATION.


A corporation's job is to please the majority of its stockholders.

A democratic government's job is to please a majority of its citizens.

[thaskalos]

A corporation's job is to please the majority of its stockholders.

A democratic government's job is to please a majority of its citizens.

Was it ever like that though...? :)

[TJDave]

I think this is a key point.

The market value of the Walmart workers is not increased by Walmart's success.

The workers wages are simply a cost of doing business, and like all costs - the company wants to keep them as low as possible.

100% of Walmart workers are also Walmart customers.

[TJDave]

Was it ever like that though...? :)

Unless you're suggesting elections are rigged...

It's ALWAYS been like that.

[Mike at A+]

A corporation's job is to please the majority of its stockholders.

A democratic government's job is to please a majority of its citizens.
There was a time when pleasing them was done by creating better paying jobs. Now it's done with welfare, cell phones and food stamps. The takers are multiplying like rabbits while the makers are abandoning ship. We're pretty much in the end game.

[Ocala Mike]

100% of Walmart workers are also Walmart customers.



And 80% of them are on food stamps. What Wal-Mart doesn't pay them in livable wages, the American taxpayer foots the bill for. I'd say congratulations to the Waltons, indeed! We're all subsidizing them indirectly.

[Mike at A+]

And 80% of them are on food stamps. What Wal-Mart doesn't pay them in livable wages, the American taxpayer foots the bill for. I'd say congratulations to the Waltons, indeed! We're all subsidizing them indirectly.
If not for WalMart, where would they be working? And would they be making enough to not need food stamps? I have a Super WalMart about 2 miles from my house and I can tell you with certainty that I would not hire 80% of the people working there.

[Robert Fischer]

And 80% of them are on food stamps. What Wal-Mart doesn't pay them in livable wages, the American taxpayer foots the bill for. I'd say congratulations to the Waltons, indeed! We're all subsidizing them indirectly.


And then Walmart and their partners benefit a good deal from those food stamp subsidies. Guessing here but it has to be 80-90% of all food stamps are spent at Walmart. It's almost like the general public is paying taxes straight to the Walmart conglomerate.

It's really a strategically strong business plan.

[NJ Stinks]

If Wal-mart is waiting for me to walk through the door, they are on their way out of business. I haven't been in one for years and I'm proud to say it. If Wal-mart is an American dream come true, we are screwed.

The whole idea of Wal-mart makes me sick. I despise Nike too.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2014325/Nike-workers-kicked-slapped-verbally-abused-factories-making-Converse-line-Indonesia.html

[Mike at A+]

I am no big fan of WalMart's products but I do fill my prescriptions there for $4 per month after years of paying 10 times more at CVS. I will buy electronics and CDs at WalMart as they have a price match guarantee. And occasionally I will buy a pair of Wrangler jeans there. I've bought pool chemicals, garden supplies and lawn furniture as well. But I steer clear of the food and most other items. I go there once a month for prescriptions and maybe a few other minor items like trash bags, etc. Great value for certain items.

[JustRalph]

100% of Walmart workers are also Walmart customers.

They get 10-20% percent discount too. I would use it too.

I spoke with a gal at Walmart working 3rd shift about two weeks ago. She told me she has been there 5 yrs as a cashier. 14.05 an hour and the discount.

She also had an option for health bennies but declined because she gets them thru her hubby. She didn't even know the cost.

She did tell me that at some places Walmart employees can use their discount at other retailers that Walmart has agreements with. She said there were none here in Texas that she knew of, but it's in their literature.

Yes, I am the creepy guy staring at you in Walmart at 2a.m.

[TJDave]

It's really a strategically strong business plan.

A ponzi scheme is a great deal for FIFO's.

[Greyfox]

China loves Wal-Mart.

[newtothegame]

Apparently our President loves them too....after all, isn't he hiring one of their execs to (I think) a cabinet position???
And here I thought the left would love wal mart.....
If its good enough for the president....its good enough for...:lol:

But again, which was glossed over.....all of you on the left continue to bitch and moan about the wages paid by wal mart.......who sets the minimum wages in this country? And, is Wal-Mart the only company paying those wages???

[TJDave]

Apparently our President loves them too....after all, isn't he hiring one of their execs to (I think) a cabinet position???
And here I thought the left would love wal mart.....
If its good enough for the president....its good enough for...:lol:


The left hates Obama. As rightly they should. ;)

[Lefty]

A democratic government's job is to please a majority of its citizens.
TJ Dave said that.
__________________

But, it's NOT TRUE. A Government's job is too protect its people.
That's the gist of it. We have too much government trying to please too many people with all its giveaways. That's why we are in debt up to our necks!

[riskman]

The Waltons got that wealth by stealing it from every man and woman who ever worked for them. They did it by paying substandard wages; by not providing benefits; and by limiting hours. Seizing their money would not be redistribution of wealth it would be proper distribution of wealth.


Is it just the Waltons or does that apply to the entire retail industry which includes supermarkets, drugstores, chain and private restaurants,appliance stores, all of the typical chains you would find in a retail mall. Are all of these businesses exploiting workers, paying them wages far below what they deserve and forcing them to work under grueling sweatshop conditions? Should we just outsource and transfer jobs from the big bad ass wealthy U.S. to poorer countries with non wealthy populations benefiting. We can just order everything from Amazon or are they on the list also? Capitalism and free trade are always and everywhere good things and that the best thing government can do is get out of the way as the U.S. drifts ever closer to socialism.

[Tom]

1 Large Pizza (10 Slices)
and 10 People

2 People will get 8 of the Slices (avg. of 4 Slices each).

The remaining 8 People split the remaining 2 Slices (avg. of 1/4 Slice each)

This is a great example, actually.
You make the same assumption losers like mopstpost and hcap make - they assume the pizza was free. It was not.

Scenario #1 Two people paid for it all and yet they contribute 2 slices to those who did not kick in and really do not deserve any.

Scenario #2 - Everyone got slices proportional to what they contributed towards the cost. A fair situation.

mostpost's observations in this thread are totally un-American and help to explain the warped mentality most union boys have. Takers.

Support your local Walmart - it pisses off liberals! :lol:

[TJDave]

But, it's NOT TRUE. A Government's job is too protect its people.
That's the gist of it. We have too much government trying to please too many people with all its giveaways. That's why we are in debt up to our necks!

A government's job, just like any other job, is defined by its employer. We have too much government out of choice. We are in debt voluntarily.

[Robert Fischer]

This is a great example, actually.
You make the same assumption losers like mopstpost and hcap make - they assume the pizza was free. It was not.

Scenario #1 Two people paid for it all and yet they contribute 2 slices to those who did not kick in and really do not deserve any.

Scenario #2 - Everyone got slices proportional to what they contributed towards the cost. A fair situation.

The post was meant to illustrate how a power law with an 80-20 distribution works, not to criticize it. It's not "unfair", it's the law of nature.

As far as I understand it, your Scenario #2 would be closest.

[horses4courses]

This is a great example, actually.
Scenario #1 Two people paid for it all and yet they contribute 2 slices to those who did not kick in and really do not deserve any.


Let the fat cats gorge on their 4 pieces each.
They can well afford the upcoming bypass surgeries, anyway. :lol:

[Mike at A+]

Let the fat cats gorge on their 4 pieces each.
They can well afford the upcoming bypass surgeries, anyway. :lol:
Tom, next time use 8 arugula leaves in your example instead of pizza slices.

[johnhannibalsmith]

Is it just the Waltons or does that apply to the entire retail industry which includes supermarkets, drugstores, chain and private restaurants,appliance stores, all of the typical chains you would find in a retail mall. Are all of these businesses exploiting workers, paying them wages far below what they deserve and forcing them to work under grueling sweatshop conditions? Should we just outsource and transfer jobs from the big bad ass wealthy U.S. to poorer countries with non wealthy populations benefiting. We can just order everything from Amazon or are they on the list also? Capitalism and free trade are always and everywhere good things and that the best thing government can do is get out of the way as the U.S. drifts ever closer to socialism.

Thank you. I know it's a blast to vilify WalMart and the evil Walton kids, but those same people seem to pretend like it's some unique business model that WalMart dreamed up and implemented on their very own. I've worked in many more minimum wage jobs than probably 90% of the mostposts in the world that are looking out for folks like me. I can't quite understand why these complaints, regardless of their merit or lack thereof, seem to apply only to the horrible Waltons. At least I know if I want a job, there's a WalMart out there looking for ambitionless bums like me that just want some spare change.

[mostpost]

Thank you. I know it's a blast to vilify WalMart and the evil Walton kids, but those same people seem to pretend like it's some unique business model that WalMart dreamed up and implemented on their very own. I've worked in many more minimum wage jobs than probably 90% of the mostposts in the world that are looking out for folks like me. I can't quite understand why these complaints, regardless of their merit or lack thereof, seem to apply only to the horrible Waltons. At least I know if I want a job, there's a WalMart out there looking for ambitionless bums like me that just want some spare change.
No, Walmart is not the only one that does it and not everybody does it. Many businesses are quite fair with their employees. Walmart is the one business which made it a tenet of their business model to run out of business, those businesses who were paying their employees just wages and benefits. With no competition-either for customers or for jobs-Walmart is able to pay the low wages it pays. There is no chance to get a better job, because there are no better jobs around. In fact there are no other jobs.

[johnhannibalsmith]

No, Walmart is not the only one that does it and not everybody does it. Many businesses are quite fair with their employees. Walmart is the one business which made it a tenet of their business model to run out of business, those businesses who were paying their employees just wages and benefits. With no competition-either for customers or for jobs-Walmart is able to pay the low wages it pays. There is no chance to get a better job, because there are no better jobs around. In fact there are no other jobs.

They sell groceries, prescription and OTC medicine, cheap household furniture, electronics, and a bunch of other junk. They aren't selling cars or expensive watches or whatever. They are a bigger KMart. The places that they hurt most are just other retailers that sell other crap like they do. Those places generally aren't paying any better than a WalMart. Most of the places that went out of business because they couldn't compete - in my experiences - are places that deserved to go out of business. The only reason that they stayed in business was because they had no competition themselves previously and could charge stupid prices for crap. They'd be out of business without WalMart because of this newfangled thing called the internet where people will order things for the right price if you try to gouge them.

Hey, I'm not a WalMart fan. I've read all the tirades against them and having worked plenty of crappy jobs, I don't really get it. If you want to bitch about the entire retail industry and restaurant industry and pretty much everyone that pays minimum wage and treats employees like cogs in a uniform with a nametag, I guess I can appreciate the sentiment. But this WalMart ruined the world and is horrible to its employees thing... I just kind of shake my head when they take all the heat. Especially when I hear it from the same people that probably rely on their profits/earnings for their own lofty retirement plans.

[mostpost]

Apparently our President loves them too....after all, isn't he hiring one of their execs to (I think) a cabinet position???
No, he is not. Well, I suppose technically he is. Obama has named Sylvia Matthews Burwell to be director of the Office Of Management And Budget. Burwell is President of the Walmart Foundation. That is the philanthropic arm of the company. In other words, the part of the company that does good things and helps people.
And here I thought the left would love wal mart.....
If its good enough for the president....its good enough for...:lol:

But again, which was glossed over.....all of you on the left continue to bitch and moan about the wages paid by wal mart.......who sets the minimum wages in this country? And, is Wal-Mart the only company paying those wages???
You know very well who sets the minimum wage. And that is what it is supposed to be-a minimum wage; not an average wage, not a forever wage. It is supposed to be a floor from which a person can rise.

As I posted before, Walmart could raise the salaries of every one of its 1.3M employees by $2.75 and hour and still retain 57% of its annual profit. And that is before you even consider the effect of that $2.75 on the purchasing power of those employees.

[newtothegame]

You know very well who sets the minimum wage. And that is what it is supposed to be-a minimum wage; not an average wage, not a forever wage. It is supposed to be a floor from which a person can rise.

As I posted before, Walmart could raise the salaries of every one of its 1.3M employees by $2.75 and hour and still retain 57% of its annual profit. And that is before you even consider the effect of that $2.75 on the purchasing power of those employees.
Many companies COULD...if THEY choose.
And yes, you could of just as easily said wal-mart is FOLLOWING THE LAW in regards to what they pay....Like it or not, YOUR opinion of Wal_mart is not relevant.
You choose where to purchase and if you so choose not to shop there...so be it! Obviously, you would be in a HUGE minority.

P.S. you still failed to answer my previous post......YOU would like the government to FORCE wal-mart to put aside money for future benefits for their employees YET, you HATE that the government is forcing USPS to set aside money for its employees future benefits......seems like a big discrepancy if you ask me.......
Or is it the case that YOU on the left would just like the government to intervene on YOUR behalf???

[badcompany]

No, Walmart is not the only one that does it and not everybody does it. Many businesses are quite fair with their employees. Walmart is the one business which made it a tenet of their business model to run out of business, those businesses who were paying their employees just wages and benefits. With no competition-either for customers or for jobs-Walmart is able to pay the low wages it pays. There is no chance to get a better job, because there are no better jobs around. In fact there are no other jobs.

Allow me to cut through this Lib-Speak, because even some of the more astute posters, here, are missing something.

About half of Walmart's revenue comes from its supermarket division which competes, all too effectively, with unionized chains. Leftists mask this reality by invoking those downtrodden Mom & Pops.

Of course, this is bs, as you don't see the same type of venom from the left against Home Depot and Lowes which have pretty much killed the Mom and Pop Hardware store

[NJ Stinks]

Of course, this is bs, as you don't see the same type of venom from the left against Home Depot and Lowes which have pretty much killed the Mom and Pop Hardware store

I don't like Home Depot or Lowes either. Unfortunately, almost all the independent hardware stores are gone.

In fact, let's just say I hate the idea that I can go anywhere in the country and mostly see the same stinking chains.

[badcompany]

I don't like Home Depot or Lowes either. Unfortunately, almost all the independent hardware stores are gone.

In fact, let's just say I hate the idea that I can go anywhere in the country and mostly see the same stinking chains.

The reason this has happened is because hardware stores and supermarkets sell mainly generic products. A can of Sherman Williams paint is the same everywhere, except that the big chains can buy bulk and sell for less.

Funny how these chains don't put high end restaurants out of business.

[newtothegame]

So, NJ...go be an entrepreneur and put it ALL on the line (as the companies founders you mentioned did).
Or is that just not your cup of tea? You know thats the GREAT thing abut our country...ANYONE can go out and put it all on the line and make their own success or failures. Sadly, they have to listen to people who condemn them for it!

[badcompany]

So, NJ...go be an entrepreneur and put it ALL on the line (as the companies founders you mentioned did).
Or is that just not your cup of tea? You know thats the GREAT thing abut our country...ANYONE can go out and put it all on the line and make their own success or failures. Sadly, they have to listen to people who condemn them for it!

Funny how these liberals who have never run a fruit stand feel perfectly qualified to run a fortune 500 company.:faint:

[NJ Stinks]

The reason this has happened is because hardware stores and supermarkets sell mainly generic products. A can of Sherman Williams paint is the same everywhere, except that the big chains can buy bulk and sell for less.

Funny how these chains don't put high end restaurants out of business.

I can't disagree.

[NJ Stinks]

So, NJ...go be an entrepreneur and put it ALL on the line (as the companies founders you mentioned did).
Or is that just not your cup of tea? You know thats the GREAT thing abut our country...ANYONE can go out and put it all on the line and make their own success or failures. Sadly, they have to listen to people who condemn them for it!

I'm happy for successful business entrepreneurs. But there are limits on my glee.

[newtothegame]

I'm happy for successful business entrepreneurs. But there are limits on my glee.
You are welcome to tell us those limits......
Is it when they make more then you?
Or is it when they make to "much".....please define what too much is if thats your answer......
I personally dont see how anyone could have limits to being happy for those who are successful. Success inspires others to do the same.
Could you imagine how many entrepreneurs this country would have it we set 'limits" on their ability???? LAUGHABLE

[dartman51]

Whenever those of us on the left suggest that too small a percentage of the population has too large a percentage of the wealth, those on the right sing the same tired refrain. Which is, "Even if you gave all that money to the poor, it would only help for a few years." But that is not what we are saying. And we are certainly not saying we should divide it among those who are not working or refuse to work.

Even though the Waltons in particular do not deserve the money they have, there is nothing we can do about that now. What we can do; what we should have been doing from the beginning is ensure that WalMart is paying its employees what it should be paying them.

Let's assume that the average WalMart employee works 30 hours a week. And let's assume he makes minimum wage $7.25 an hour. (Yes, I know many make more.) That employee makes $11,310 a year. But, let's raise his pay to $10.00 an hour. He now makes $15,600 a year. An increase of $4290 a year, or $82.50 a week.

"But, but," you blubber" You are taking away all of WalMart's profit, they will go bankrupt-boo-hoo." To which I reply, not true. Giving everyone of WalMart's 1.3M American workers a $2.75 an hour raise would cost the company $5.577B a year. In 2011 Walmart's net profit was $15.1B. Which still leaves them with a profit of $9.523B for the year.

But that does not begin to tell the whole story. That extra $2.75 an hour means that those employees have 38% more money to spend than previously.
Money to spend at WalMart. And people in that economic bracket will spend the money because they need things. They need clothes to replace clothes they have worn too long; washing machines to replace old and worn machines or to replace trips to the laundromat. And everyone of these items adds to Walmart's revenue stream; 38% more revenue than previously.

Giving all that money to the Waltons means that money sits in a vault. Giving it to the workingman means it is circulating. Stimulating the economy.


Why don't you educate yourself before you start spouting off. I guess it's just too easy to hate rich people. That's what people like you, on the left do.
It looks like you want to cut their pay to $10.00 pr hour. :rolleyes:
http://www.buzzle.com/articles/walmart-employee-average-salary.html

[mostpost]

P.S. you still failed to answer my previous post......YOU would like the government to FORCE wal-mart to put aside money for future benefits for their employees YET, you HATE that the government is forcing USPS to set aside money for its employees future benefits......seems like a big discrepancy if you ask me.......
No! No! No! No! No! No! No! I do not want the government to force Walmart to put aside money for future benefits. I merely asked you how successful Walmart would be IF they were forced to do so. You can't compare Walmart's situation with that of the Post Office unless you recognize that one has an obligation, which the other has not.

[mostpost]

You are welcome to tell us those limits......
Is it when they make more then you?
Or is it when they make to "much".....please define what too much is if thats your answer......
I personally dont see how anyone could have limits to being happy for those who are successful. Success inspires others to do the same.
Could you imagine how many entrepreneurs this country would have it we set 'limits" on their ability???? LAUGHABLE
I'm sure NJ Stinks will give you his opinions if he wants to. I have given mine many times, but I will give you my philosophy one more time.
1. Enforce the Sherman Anti trust laws so no one company or group of companies can dominate an industry.
2. Reinstate Glass Steagel so that a bank that services depositors can not use that money to gamble in the markets. Let me change that to "A bank is a bank and a financial institution is a financial institution and never the twin shall meet."
3. Limit the number of branches a bank can have and limit the geographic location of those branches. In other words a New York city bank could only have branches in the New York City metropolitan area.
4. Reestablish a system of tariffs on goods coming into the country. No free trade. No favored nations.
5. Make a law that you can either be an American citizen and pay American taxes. Or you can cease to be an American citizen and pay tariffs on any items you sell in the country, even if they are made here and sold here.
6. Wages should be determined through negotiation between employer and employee as equal bargaining partners, and the only way for them to be equal bargaining partners is for the employee to have the backing of a union.
7. Raise taxes.

It occurs that this may not have answered your question. How much is too much. If a CEO makes more than 100X what his average employee makes, he is making too much.

[NJ Stinks]

You are welcome to tell us those limits......
Is it when they make more then you?
Or is it when they make to "much".....please define what too much is if thats your answer......
I personally dont see how anyone could have limits to being happy for those who are successful. Success inspires others to do the same.
Could you imagine how many entrepreneurs this country would have it we set 'limits" on their ability???? LAUGHABLE

My joy fades when a very few get filthy rich while the vast majority get screwed.

Here's an example that may answer your questions. I stopped going to pro sporting events when the price of the ticket skyrocketed along with the players salaries and the owner's net worth. Then I dumped Comcast because Comcast was paying the Philly pro teams to broadcast their games on Comcast and my cable bill was skyrocketing.

And no, I wasn't inspired by the players and owners getting filthy rich. Anyway, I'm not setting a limit on Comcast, the players and owners, or Wal-mart for that matter. I'm just not contributing to their ever-expanding wealth.

[mostpost]

Costco pays its employees an average of $45,000 a year.
Walmart owned Sam's Club pays an average of $17,486 a year.
Costco offers health benefits to its part time and full time employees.
I'm not sure what Walmart's policy is.
Costco does not fight unionization of its stores, and many of them are union.
Walmart fights unionization tooth and nail.

One of these companies makes an average profit of $10,000 per employee.
The other makes an average profit of $7,400 per employee. Which do you think is which?

As you may have surmised, I refuse to shop at Walmart. If they had a 60" HD TV for $95, I would not buy it. In November a Costco is opening here in North Riverside. I will definitely be shopping there.
OOPS! Forgot to give the link from whence those numbers came.
http://blogcritics.org/politics/article/full-time-wages-should-not-mean/
sleep tight all.

[NJ Stinks]

I'm a proud member of Costco, Mostpost. I joined when I read an article about how good they are to their employees. :ThmbUp: :ThmbUp:

[johnhannibalsmith]

..I'm just not contributing to their ever-expanding wealth.

...As you may have surmised, I refuse to shop at Walmart.

Now you're talking. I can and do appreciate and respect and support a principled stance - the beauty of being American. That's how I feel about health insurance rackets. So I do what I think is right, refuse to support a wretched scheme.

Thank God there's no law that demands under threat of penalty that I spend my hard earned money supporting a private enterprise that I believe is inherently evil.

[newtothegame]

As JHS said, and I said earlier, you (as an american) have a right to support whatever stores you wish. If you shop at costco, congrats (I personally cant wait till one comes here so I can see them as well). But, it doesnt change the fact that just as you have a right with the decisions of your money, those companies have a right with theirs.
If laws are boken, then I fully expect the law to step in and correct it. if not, and they adhere to the law, then you (nor anyone else) has a right to determine how much is enough. That is dictated by the market and the people who interact in the market (consumer and business).

[JustRalph]

So basically you want to repeal everything Bill Clinton did?


I'm sure NJ Stinks will give you his opinions if he wants to. I have given mine many times, but I will give you my philosophy one more time.
1. Enforce the Sherman Anti trust laws so no one company or group of companies can dominate an industry.
2. Reinstate Glass Steagel so that a bank that services depositors can not use that money to gamble in the markets. Let me change that to "A bank is a bank and a financial institution is a financial institution and never the twin shall meet."
3. Limit the number of branches a bank can have and limit the geographic location of those branches. In other words a New York city bank could only have branches in the New York City metropolitan area.
4. Reestablish a system of tariffs on goods coming into the country. No free trade. No favored nations.
5. Make a law that you can either be an American citizen and pay American taxes. Or you can cease to be an American citizen and pay tariffs on any items you sell in the country, even if they are made here and sold here.
6. Wages should be determined through negotiation between employer and employee as equal bargaining partners, and the only way for them to be equal bargaining partners is for the employee to have the backing of a union.
7. Raise taxes.

It occurs that this may not have answered your question. How much is too much. If a CEO makes more than 100X what his average employee makes, he is making too much.

[hcap]

You make the same assumption losers like mopstpost and hcap make - they assume the pizza was free. It was not. You know nothing of our personal lives, yet you persist with this crap. I am surprised PA allows you to do this on a regular basis.(Not Really :) )

Your gawdzillion posts done on your companies' time, puts you among the real moochers. You get away with it, so you do it. So does Walmart.

Watch the video I posted.

/Jazb24Q2s94?f

[Tom]

I don't like Home Depot or Lowes either. Unfortunately, almost all the independent hardware stores are gone.

In fact, let's just say I hate the idea that I can go anywhere in the country and mostly see the same stinking chains.

Yes you can. And yo can pay the same low prices in all of them.
And every one of them provides jobs to people.

You really want to go back to the mom & pop days - high prices, small selection, few employees?

[Tom]

Define "Fair wage."

[delayjf]

Costco pays its employees an average of $45,000 a year.

Are you sure?? A quick check of Costco Salaries I found the below.
Cashier Assistant (Front End Assistant) - Hourly
64 Costco Wholesale Salaries
$11.84/hr
Stocker - Hourly
43 Costco Wholesale Salaries
$12.61/hr
Front End Assistant - Hourly
37 Costco Wholesale Salaries
$11.77/hr

[Mike at A+]

Are you sure?? A quick check of Costco Salaries I found the below.
Cashier Assistant (Front End Assistant) - Hourly
64 Costco Wholesale Salaries
$11.84/hr
Stocker - Hourly
43 Costco Wholesale Salaries
$12.61/hr
Front End Assistant - Hourly
37 Costco Wholesale Salaries
$11.77/hr
Let's see now ...

Assuming a 2000 hour work year ...
64 employees making $11.84/hr each have an annual salary of $23,680
43 employees making $12.61/hr each have an annual salary of $25,220
37 employees making $11.77/hr each have an annual salary of $23,540

Collectively ...
The 64 employees making $11.84/hr account for $1,515,520
The 43 employees making $12.61/hr account for $1,084,460
The 37 employees making $11.77/hr account for $870,980

In total, 144 employees account for $3,470,960 (average annual salary of $24,104

So ... if the average annual salary is really $45,000 ...
there must be one REALLY BIG FAT CAT making $1,527.02/hr or $3,054,040 annually ...
($1,515,520 + $1,084,460 + $870,980 + $3,054,040)/145 = $45,000

That is 126.7 TIMES the annual salary of the average of those 144 drones. This is NOT FAIR!!! He should have all his wealth confiscated and redistributed as our resident libs see fit. Then he should be thrown in jail!

Are you sure you aren't quoting numbers from WalMart??? :lol: :lol: :lol:

[BlueShoe]

They get 10-20% percent discount too. I would use it too.

I spoke with a gal at Walmart working 3rd shift about two weeks ago. She told me she has been there 5 yrs as a cashier. 14.05 an hour and the discount.
Unsure as to the cost of living in the Dallas area, but in many parts of the nation 14 bucks an hour for work of this nature is considered to be not too bad a wage. Lots and lots of out of work folks would be very happy to get a job paying this wage. Every time i enter a Walmart I see an applicant at the booth filling out an online job application. From what I have been told, even in good times, let alone bad, Walmart has never been short of persons looking for work there. If work conditions are so bad there, why is Walmart never short of applicants for job openings? Supervisors and department managers do earn pretty good wages, with salarys comparable to similar positions in the retail trade industry. Work hard and advance, if you don't like your job there either quit and go elsewhere or stop bitchin and work harder.

[Greyfox]

"Thank you America. Shopping at Wal*Mart makes China very happy."

http://truckandbarter.com/images/chinawalmart-thumb.jpg (http://truckandbarter.com/images/chinawalmart.jpg)

[badcompany]

Funny to hear Libs extoll Costco which caters mainly to a high end clientele, businesses and upscale families who earn more than the median national average, whereas Walmart mainly caters to lower income people.

Personally, I have no use for Costco, as I tend not to buy toilet paper 48 rolls at a clip :eek:

[badcompany]

"Thank you America. Shopping at Wal*Mart makes China very happy."

http://truckandbarter.com/images/chinawalmart-thumb.jpg (http://truckandbarter.com/images/chinawalmart.jpg)

So, lower income Americans should lower their real incomes even more by not shopping at Walmart and paying more for basic goods just to stick it to some poor factory worker in China?

[Greyfox]

So, lower income Americans should lower their real incomes even more by not shopping at Walmart and paying more for basic goods just to stick it to some poor factory worker in China?

Lower income Americans can shop anywhere they want.

But don't complain about high unemployment, jobs that have been outsourced to Asia, the disappearance of Mom and Pop hardware and bookstores and so on.

[hcap]

Personally, I have no use for Costco, as I tend not to buy toilet paper 48 rolls at a clip :eek:Judging by the content of your posts, do us all a favor and please buy AT LEAST 48 at a time. :lol: :lol:

[badcompany]

Lower income Americans can shop anywhere they want.

But don't complain about high unemployment, jobs that have been outsourced to Asia, the disappearance of Mom and Pop hardware and bookstores and so on.

Instead of whining about crappy factory jobs that have gone to China and aren't coming back, how about going to where the good jobs are in this country?

As much as Libs don't wanna hear it, there's a boom going on in the energy sector, and it ain't "Green."

http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2013/03/20/us-oil-production-set-to-surpass-imports-for-first-time-in-20-years

Booming shale plays in North Dakota and Texas are juicing the nation's oil output and reducing our dependence on foreign imports


https://www.google.com/search?q=texas+unemployment+rate&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&hl=en&client=safari

HOUSTON (CBS Houston) There’s more reason to love living in the Lone Star State. According to a report, several Texas cities are great places not only to live but to land and keep a great job.

Texas topped the rest of the country in the latest survey of the “Best Cities for Good Jobs” from Forbes Magazine.

[Greyfox]

Instead of whining about crappy factory jobs that have gone to China and aren't coming back, how about going to where the good jobs are in this country?

As much as Libs don't wanna hear it, there's a boom going on in the energy sector, and it ain't "Green."

http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2013/03/20/us-oil-production-set-to-surpass-imports-for-first-time-in-20-years

Booming shale plays in North Dakota and Texas are juicing the nation's oil output and reducing our dependence on foreign imports


https://www.google.com/search?q=texas+unemployment+rate&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&hl=en&client=safari

HOUSTON (CBS Houston) There’s more reason to love living in the Lone Star State. According to a report, several Texas cities are great places not only to live but to land and keep a great job.

Texas topped the rest of the country in the latest survey of the “Best Cities for Good Jobs” from Forbes Magazine.

I couldn't agree with you more - as an ideal - if you are young and healthy.

The reality of being a single black Mom living in a Detroit tenement raising two teenage kids ( as is the case in many instances) doesn't exactly lend itself to moving to the Denver shale deposits and getting a job.

The reality of being a 50 year old white clerk with a gimpy knee in a going out of business small clothing store doesn't exactly lend itself to becoming an oil rig worker.

And those realities go on in city after city after city.

[badcompany]

Judging by the content of your posts, do us all a favor and please buy AT LEAST 48 at a time. :lol: :lol:


Actually, reading your and Mostie's posts makes me want to reach for Costco- like amounts of Advil. :bang:

[badcompany]

I couldn't agree with you more - as an ideal - if you are young and healthy.

The reality of being a single black Mom living in a Detroit tenement raising two teenage kids ( as is the case in many instances) doesn't exactly lend itself to moving to the Denver shale deposits and getting a job.

The reality of being a 50 year old white clerk with a gimpy knee in a going out of business small clothing store doesn't exactly lend itself to becoming an oil rig worker.

And those realities go on in city after city after city.

Nice try, but, it's not just oil jobs:


Read more here: http://www.star-telegram.com/2013/03/16/4707430/oil-and-gas-creating-boomtowns.html#storylink=cpy

On a recent drive through town on Big Spring Street, there were few fast-food restaurants or local banks without a "Now Hiring" sign.

[Tom]

Personally, I have no use for Costco, as I tend not to buy toilet paper 48 rolls at a clip :eek:

For some people, this is not negotiable. They have no choice. :lol:

[Greyfox]

Nice try, but, it's not just oil jobs:


Read more here: http://www.star-telegram.com/2013/03/16/4707430/oil-and-gas-creating-boomtowns.html#storylink=cpy

On a recent drive through town on Big Spring Street, there were few fast-food restaurants or local banks without a "Now Hiring" sign.

Nice try, but you did say:

"How about going to where the good jobs are in this country?"

In many instances, workers also cannot move because of connections to the extended family. They may be dealing with an aged parent (or two) who needs daily or weekly medical and social attention.

Also, working in a fast food restaurant doesn't match my idea of a "good job"- albeit I won't knock anyone who works in that industry.

[Tom]

The reality of being a single black Mom living in a Detroit tenement raising two teenage kids

Now you are getting to the root cause.
Why are so many Black Mom's raising kids by themselves?
Did all the Dad's die off at a young age?
Get drafted?
Victims of gun violence?

Or might the lib's war on poverty be at fault here?
Hillary said it take a village - where the hell is the village?

[badcompany]

Nice try, but you did say:

"How about going to where the good jobs are in this country?"

In many instances, workers also cannot move because of connections to the extended family. They may be dealing with an aged parent (or two) who needs daily or weekly medical and social attention.

Also, working in a fast food restaurant doesn't match my idea of a "good job"- albeit I won't knock anyone who works in that industry.

So, what exactly do you want? Do you expect employers to bang on that single mother in Detroit's door and beg her to come work at a great job? It's not gonna happen.

[badcompany]

Now you are getting to the root cause.
Why are so many Black Mom's raising kids by themselves?
Did all the Dad's die off at a young age?
Get drafted?
Victims of gun violence?

Or might the lib's war on poverty be at fault here?
Hillary said it take a village - where the hell is the village?

Thanks for saving me the trouble of posting this :ThmbUp:

[hcap]

Lower income Americans can shop anywhere they want.

But don't complain about high unemployment, jobs that have been outsourced to Asia, the disappearance of Mom and Pop hardware and bookstores and so on. :ThmbUp: :ThmbUp: :ThmbUp:

I believe Adam Smith would be pissed .

http://deoxy.org/korten_betrayal.htm

Ironically, Smith's epic work The Wealth of Nations, which was first published in 1776, presents a radical condemnation of business monopolies sustained and protected by the state. Adam Smith's ideal was a market comprised solely of small buyers and sellers. He showed how the workings of such a market would tend toward a price that provides a fair return to land, labor, and capital, produce a satisfactory outcome for both buyers and sellers, and result in an optimal outcome for society in terms of the allocation of its resources. He made clear, however, that this outcome can result only when no buyer or seller is sufficiently large to influence the market price—a point many who invoke his name prefer not to mention. Such a market implicitly assumes a significant degree of equality in the distribution of economic power—another widely neglected point.

Indeed, Smith was almost fanatical in his opposition to any kind of monopoly power, which he defined as the power of a seller to maintain a price for an indefinite time above its natural price. Indeed, he asserted that trade secrets confer a monopoly advantage and are contrary to the principles of a free market. He would surely have strongly opposed current efforts by market libertarians to strengthen corporate monopoly control of intellectual property rights through the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT). The idea that a major corporation might have exclusive control over a lifesaving drug or device and thereby be able to charge whatever the market will bear would have been anathema to him.
This is particularly important.....

http://www.cliffsnotes.com/study_guide/literature/worldly-philosophers/summary-analysis/chapter-3.html
What British capitalists stressed was Smith's gospel of laissez faire. Ignoring the philosopher's warnings about the dangers of monopoly, they justified resistance to government attempts at social legislation. During this era, child labor was common in poorly ventilated and unsanitary factories; manufacturers shackled children to machines. To quell child labor laws, factory owners quoted Wealth of Nations in defense of deregulation.

Accordingly, Adam Smith's proposals for protective measures for workers, farmers, consumers, and society as a whole; the abolition of slavery; and the control of monopolies were ignored. Capitalists championed the Wealth of Nations as a vindication of corrupt business practices. In this way, Adam Smith, the soft-spoken scholar, became the patron saint of free enterprise in the capitalistic world. In later times, Adam Smith, by thoroughly describing and explaining the market system, became the father of modern economics.
...In the Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations Smith argues that progressive taxation is a vital ingredient in the creation of a fair society: "The subjects of every state ought to contribute towards the support of the government, as nearly as possible, in proportion to their respective abilities; that is, in proportion to the revenue which they respectively enjoy under the protection of the state. The expense of government to the individuals of a great nation is like the expense of management to the joint tenants of a great estate, who are all obliged to contribute in proportion to their respective interests in the estate. In the observation or neglect of this maxim consists what is called the equality or inequality of taxation.


MONEY=POWER

[Greyfox]

Now you are getting to the root cause.
Why are so many Black Mom's raising kids by themselves?


Absolutely a major problem in America with no simple answers and solutions.:ThmbUp:

[hcap]

Actually, reading your and Mostie's posts makes me want to reach for Costco- like amounts of Advil. :bang:At least you can afford 48 rolls of toilet paper and loads of Advil. Most of us on tbhis board are lucky enough to do so. But working at Wally World makes that kinda tough, especially when it's something like a child's sickness or not having enough to for your child to eat 3 square a day.

Wally World knows the Gubment will pick up the tab. Watch the video I posted. for examples, and how what were the bastions of American capitalism, the Mom and Pop stores were forced out by the Waltons et al.

[GaryG]

The best thing about Wal Mart is that they are NON-UNION!!

[Tom]

Where do the Kennedy's fit in here, and Soros?
What laws were broken here?

How many people would not have any job at all if Walmart were to go away?


Or is just all about liberal blather?

[Tom]

The best thing about Wal Mart is that they are NON-UNION!!

Amen, brother - Freedom of Choice!:ThmbUp:

And, with all due respect, does anyone think a great number of these employees are "being all they can be" right now, in Ladies Apparel, or Toys, or Garden? Just might their contribution to the Walmart empire already be "fair" in term what it is worth?

Not all jobs deserve a living wage.
No politics, just facts. Just because you show up every day doesn't mean they are glad to see you or that you add anything. Or that what you have ow is good as you will ever get. If we had schools that turned out educated people, prepared for the real world, these people might have more of a chance to do better, but there I go again, root cause, the democrat's meddling in society and all that.

[RaceBookJoe]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/03/25/east-liberty-target-stabb_n_2951959.html

Another reason to shop at walmart :) Just get ready for the NKA and their pro-knife agenda.

[badcompany]

At least you can afford 48 rolls of toilet paper and loads of Advil. Most of us on tbhis board are lucky enough to do so. But working at Wally World makes that kinda tough, especially when it's something like a child's sickness or not having enough to for your child to eat 3 square a day.

Wally World knows the Gubment will pick up the tab. Watch the video I posted. for examples, and how what were the bastions of American capitalism, the Mom and Pop stores were forced out by the Waltons et al.

Yes, we get it. There are poor people, despite the trillions spent by government on anti-poverty programs.

Makes you wonder where all the money went.

http://steelturman.typepad.com/photos/uncategorized/2008/08/31/charles_rangel_dominican_republic_p.png

[Tom]

That outfit he is wearing - obviously bought at Walmart! :lol:

[NJ Stinks]

Are you sure?? A quick check of Costco Salaries I found the below.
Cashier Assistant (Front End Assistant) - Hourly
64 Costco Wholesale Salaries
$11.84/hr
Stocker - Hourly
43 Costco Wholesale Salaries
$12.61/hr
Front End Assistant - Hourly
37 Costco Wholesale Salaries
$11.77/hr

OK, Delay, and now for the rest of the story:

From Slate in 2008:

It's not hard to make a case that Costco pays employees more. The most relevant comparison is between Costco and Sam's Club, Wal-mart's membership warehouse since both business models rely on membership fees for a large percentage of revenues. A Sam's Club employee starts at $10 and makes $12.50 after four and half years. A new Costco employee, at $11 an hour, doesn't start much better but after four and half years she is making $19.50 an hour. In addition to this, she receives something called an "extra check" - a bonus of more than $2,000 every six months. A cashier at Costco, after five years, makes $40,000 a year. Health benefits are amongst the best in the industry, with workers paying only about 12 percent of their premiums out-of-pocket while Wal-mart workers pay over 40%.

Here's the link where I got the info above. It's a good read for anybody who thinks Wal-mart is better or no worse than anybody else in the industry when it comes to employee pay and benefits.

http://www.snopes.com/politics/business/costcoceo.asp

[rastajenk]

That outfit he is wearing - obviously bought at Walmart! :lol:
Looks more like Lane Bryant to me.

[Robert Fischer]

And, with all due respect, does anyone think a great number of these employees are "being all they can be" right now, in Ladies Apparel, or Toys, or Garden? Just might their contribution to the Walmart empire already be "fair" in term what it is worth?

Not all jobs deserve a living wage.
No politics, just facts. Just because you show up every day doesn't mean they are glad to see you or that you add anything. Or that what you have ow is good as you will ever get. If we had schools that turned out educated people, prepared for the real world, these people might have more of a chance to do better, but there I go again, root cause, the democrat's meddling in society and all that.

Unfortunately Tom, it doesn't work like that.

The same natural power laws that justify(and guarantee) the distribution of wealth in the manner that it currently exists, are the same natural power laws that justify value in the workforce.

The idea of denigrating these low-value workers to rationalize that they aren't worth a living-wage is irrational.

The law says that there are going to be masses of people with a low standard of living. It doesn't matter if the entire population works desperately hard on the most advanced education from the crib to adulthood, - the type of wealth distribution and their value in the workplace will still be consistent with the power law distribution.

As you say "Not all jobs deserve a living wage.
No politics, just facts.". This is 100% correct. In fact roughly 80% of all the world's jobs deserve a low standard of living.

[Mike at A+]

... It's a good read for anybody who thinks Wal-mart is better or no worse than anybody else in the industry when it comes to employee pay and benefits...
I think what you're missing is that employment is at will for both the employer and the employee. If the talent and qualifications held by CostCo employees is above that of a WalMart employee, the salary usually reflects that. If the typical CostCo employee is no better than the typical WalMart employee, all those WalMart employees would be working at CostCo, right? I tend to believe that many WalMart employees are lucky to have a job. I base that belief on experience shopping at both places. The skill standard at WalMart seems to be much lower than CostCo so they pay accordingly. I am neither defending or attacking either establishment. Just explaining it as I see it.

[GaryG]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/03/25/east-liberty-target-stabb_n_2951959.html

Another reason to shop at walmart :) Just get ready for the NKA and their pro-knife agenda.This is my Randall "Arkansas Toothpick". Might come in handy if they take all of our guns.

http://www.randallknives.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/model-13SM.jpg

[NJ Stinks]

I think what you're missing is that employment is at will for both the employer and the employee. If the talent and qualifications held by CostCo employees is above that of a WalMart employee, the salary usually reflects that. If the typical CostCo employee is no better than the typical WalMart employee, all those WalMart employees would be working at CostCo, right? I tend to believe that many WalMart employees are lucky to have a job. I base that belief on experience shopping at both places. The skill standard at WalMart seems to be much lower than CostCo so they pay accordingly. I am neither defending or attacking either establishment. Just explaining it as I see it.

"Missing" something? You and Delay attempted to illustrate that Costco employes don't make anything near $45G's a year. That's what my post responded to.

I have no idea if Costco employees are more skilled than Wal-mart's because I don't go to Wal-mart. So I will take your word for it being true.

[badcompany]

Location is also a determining factor for wages. In North Dakota, the fast food chains are so strapped for workers, they are offering hiring bonuses.

Costcos tend to be in higher income areas than Walmart and therefore must pay higher wages to attract competent workers.

Costco just might be a better place to work than Walmart, but, that's not the issue, which is whether or not working at Walmart is better than being unemployed.

[Tom]

So we tax the CostCo employees more since they can afford it, and pay it out to Walmart employees in the form of entitlements.

Problem solved.

[Mike at A+]

"Missing" something? You and Delay attempted to illustrate that Costco employes don't make anything near $45G's a year. That's what my post responded to.

I have no idea if Costco employees are more skilled than Wal-mart's because I don't go to Wal-mart. So I will take your word for it being true.
Not quite. What I illustrated was that IF the average salary was $45K AND the salaries he quoted were accurate, all the demonization associated with CEOs making huge multiples of the typical worker is prevalent in places other than WalMart. But the bigger point is who cares? If people would learn to mind their own business and not be so concerned with what other people were earning, it would be much more constructive for everyone. If my boss is paying me $1,000 a week and I'm happy with it, I will be no less happy if I find out he is making $1,000,000 a week.

[Tom]

My boss makes a kazillion bucks more a year than I do.
I like that idea.

It means he is likely to keep the doors open, and pass the business on to his grandson....who is likely to keep me employed if I am still here.

Two things that might cost me my job - lib's desire to highly penalize guys who make a lot and guys who try to pass their life's wealth on to their heirs.

Libs - mucking things up for 40 years.

[NJ Stinks]

But the bigger point is who cares? If people would learn to mind their own business and not be so concerned with what other people were earning, it would be much more constructive for everyone. If my boss is paying me $1,000 a week and I'm happy with it, I will be no less happy if I find out he is making $1,000,000 a week.

It's precisely because people don't give a shit about what anyone else makes that a place like Wal-mart thrives. Same attitude accounts for jobs being sent overseas, anti-union beliefs, and, of course, the ever-increasing gap between the haves and have nots.

If all anyone cares about is how it affects me, we deserve the loss of a middle class in this country.

(When you tell me I'm wrong, be sure to tell me why. Meanwhile, I'm off to the gym.)

[wisconsin]

It's precisely because people don't give a shit about what anyone else makes that a place like Wal-mart thrives.


This is pure bullshit and you know it. Don't feed us with a myth that once upon a time you actually cared about what someone on main street was making. You may have know because you worked for the IRS, but on a personal level, you could not care less what the clerk at the dime store was making.

[mostpost]

Why don't you educate yourself before you start spouting off. I guess it's just too easy to hate rich people. That's what people like you, on the left do.
It looks like you want to cut their pay to $10.00 pr hour. :rolleyes:
http://www.buzzle.com/articles/walmart-employee-average-salary.html
You totally missed the point. I did not say every Walmart employee should make $10 an hour. I said those Walmart employees who are now being paid minimum wage should make $10 an hour. I also said if you raise the salary of all Walmart employees by that same $2.75 an hour, Walmart would still be making a major profit.

[Tom]

Originally Posted by NJ Stinks
It's precisely because people don't give a shit about what anyone else makes that a place like Wal-mart thrives.


No. Places like Walmart thrive because they provide a product/service that people need/want and are willing to pay for. What they make is none of your business. Stop being a meddling little whiner. :lol::lol::lol:

[Mike at A+]

It's precisely because people don't give a shit about what anyone else makes that a place like Wal-mart thrives. Same attitude accounts for jobs being sent overseas, anti-union beliefs, and, of course, the ever-increasing gap between the haves and have nots.

If all anyone cares about is how it affects me, we deserve the loss of a middle class in this country.

(When you tell me I'm wrong, be sure to tell me why. Meanwhile, I'm off to the gym.)
I believe you are wrong because people in different roles have very different responsibilities. Success gets rewarded and the sky is the limit in America. At least that's what I learned a very long time ago. And the reason for the demise of the middle class as of late is because 0bama keeps demonizing the rich but when push comes to shove he ends up screwing the middle class with both his rhetoric and his actions (and inactions). With him and the Democrat Party in general, it's all about the almighty vote to keep them in power and the almighty dollar to keep their own elitist status. People used to run for elected office for love of country and a desire to be of service. Today it's to get and stay rich and powerful with the financial support of the connected wealthy, at the expense of the middle class and with the blind assistance of low information voters.

[TJDave]

I tend to believe that many WalMart employees are lucky to have a job.

I agree. Additionaly, I believe Walmart management treats them accordingly. It's rare to see a Walmart worker smile.

[Tom]

Did you pull that out of our arse or do you have data to back it?
Typical union thinking - no brains involved.

[mostpost]

Unsure as to the cost of living in the Dallas area, but in many parts of the nation 14 bucks an hour for work of this nature is considered to be not too bad a wage. Lots and lots of out of work folks would be very happy to get a job paying this wage. Every time i enter a Walmart I see an applicant at the booth filling out an online job application. From what I have been told, even in good times, let alone bad, Walmart has never been short of persons looking for work there. If work conditions are so bad there, why is Walmart never short of applicants for job openings? Supervisors and department managers do earn pretty good wages, with salarys comparable to similar positions in the retail trade industry. Work hard and advance, if you don't like your job there either quit and go elsewhere or stop bitchin and work harder.
The answer to that question is so obvious it is amazing you do not see it. Even a bad job is better than no job. Why does Walmart always have jobs looking to be filled? Could it be because as soon as a Walmart employee can find a better job, they are gone. And there a lot of better jobs than working at Walmart.

[Mike at A+]

You totally missed the point. I did not say every Walmart employee should make $10 an hour. I said those Walmart employees who are now being paid minimum wage should make $10 an hour. I also said if you raise the salary of all Walmart employees by that same $2.75 an hour, Walmart would still be making a major profit.
And here's the question none of you lefties are able to answer.

WHAT DO YOU DO WITH THE NOW DISGRUNTLED PEOPLE ALREADY MAKING $10 AN HOUR???

[wisconsin]

I agree. Additionaly, I believe Walmart management treats them accordingly. It's rare to see a Walmart worker smile.


Please, more BS. I shop the local Walmart and they are NOT a bunch of sourpusses as you suggest. They are extremely friendly. People need to quit stereotyping the situation of the poor Walmart worker.

[TJDave]

Please, more BS. I shop the local Walmart and they are NOT a bunch of sourpusses as you suggest. They are extremely friendly. People need to quit stereotyping the situation of the poor Walmart worker.

Should have said:

I have rarely seen a Walmart worker smile.

My observations, not hearsay, not BS.

[wisconsin]

And here's the question none of you lefties are able to answer.

WHAT DO YOU DO WITH THE NOW DISGRUNTLED PEOPLE ALREADY MAKING $10 AN HOUR???


It's a large problem. What is often a failure to realize as well is the fact that Walmart self funds expansion from those profits. They also pay extremely large tax and utility bills.

[rastajenk]

Maybe that's more due to the customer base than the management. :p

[wisconsin]

Should have said:

I have rarely seen a Walmart worker smile.

My observations, not hearsay, not BS.

I have rarely seen a postal worker smile. And I rarely see race track workers smile.

We are all entitled to an opinion. I disagree with yours, however.

[boxcar]

Allow me to cut through this Lib-Speak, because even some of the more astute posters, here, are missing something.

About half of Walmart's revenue comes from its supermarket division which competes, all too effectively, with unionized chains. Leftists mask this reality by invoking those downtrodden Mom & Pops.

Of course, this is bs, as you don't see the same type of venom from the left against Home Depot and Lowes which have pretty much killed the Mom and Pop Hardware store

Excellent point! And they even compete quite effectively with all the non-unionized ones in my state!

Boxcar

[Greyfox]

Smile? They prepare for the shopping wars with a Walmart fight song!

Warriors don't smile. Or do they?

JOkQJm_UGM4

[mostpost]

And here's the question none of you lefties are able to answer.

WHAT DO YOU DO WITH THE NOW DISGRUNTLED PEOPLE ALREADY MAKING $10 AN HOUR???
I will say it again. I think everyone at Walmart should be making more. Except the CEO who is already making $19 trillion an hour.

In #144 NJ Stinks documented how much more a worker at Costco makes after four years on the job as compared to a worker who has worked four years at Sam's club. The worker at Sam's Club starts at $10/hour. At Costco, he starts at $11/hour. After four years the Sam's Club worker is making $12.50/hour, while the Costco worker is all the way up to $19.50/hour. Plus the Costco worker gets a bonus of $2,000 every six months. I am pretty sure that Sam's Club employees get paid more than Walmart employees so the comparison is even more stark.

[Robert Goren]

I have rarely seen a postal worker smile. And I rarely see race track workers smile.

We are all entitled to an opinion. I disagree with yours, however.When I was an Aksarben teller many years ago, I was told never to say thank-you and that many bettors consider it bad luck. Just thought you might find that interesting. Now back to the Walmart bashing and worshipping.

[mostpost]

How many people would not have any job at all if Walmart were to go away?
How many people would have better jobs if Walmart never existed? How many people lost their jobs because Walmart drove their previous employers out of business? Not all of those people were hired by Walmart and those that were were hired at a much lower rate of pay, most likely.

[Mike at A+]

I will say it again. I think everyone at Walmart should be making more. Except the CEO who is already making $19 trillion an hour.

In #144 NJ Stinks documented how much more a worker at Costco makes after four years on the job as compared to a worker who has worked four years at Sam's club. The worker at Sam's Club starts at $10/hour. At Costco, he starts at $11/hour. After four years the Sam's Club worker is making $12.50/hour, while the Costco worker is all the way up to $19.50/hour. Plus the Costco worker gets a bonus of $2,000 every six months. I am pretty sure that Sam's Club employees get paid more than Walmart employees so the comparison is even more stark.
So you are saying that WalMart should give a 20% across the board raise to all their employees? Do you propose that across all jobs/industries? I mean that would be fair, right? 20% for every working man woman and child in the USA. And why stop there? How about all those poor workers in India making $2/hr? Should we insist that their salaries all increase accordingly? I mean they are humans too. How about people on Social Security? Shall we increase them 20% too? I'm down with that. I could use the extra purchasing power. But wait, if everyone gets a 20% increase won't that cause prices to go up accordingly? We'd be back at square one.

[Mike at A+]

Hey mostie, maybe Walmart pays their workers less because they aren't pissing away money on union dues. :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

[NJ Stinks]

This is pure bullshit and you know it. Don't feed us with a myth that once upon a time you actually cared about what someone on main street was making. You may have know because you worked for the IRS, but on a personal level, you could not care less what the clerk at the dime store was making.

You are talking to a guy who doesn't have E-ZPass because I don't want toll collectors to lose their jobs. Same thing in a supermarket - no automatic checkout lines for me. I don't want cashiers to lose their jobs either. Same thing at the track. I won't use a voucher machine unless a line is too long to get a bet in. I am more than happy to do my part to keep track tellers employed.

Somebody comes to my house to do a big job or deliver something big, they get a tip. Not the boss - his workers. I do this because I care about them being adequately rewarded for their efforts on my behalf and I can afford to do so.

If I only cared about myself, I wouldn't do any of the above. Doesn't make me a saint. In fact, some guys here will probably label me a sucker. So what? Who cares?

[Tom]

Could it be because as soon as a Walmart employee can find a better job, they are gone. And there a lot of better jobs than working at Walmart.

It could be.
So what if it is?
If there are a lot better jobs, then those people working for under $10 should be taking them all. Those that can't get them might just not worth $10, see?

Those worth more find it - those who are not greet you at the door!

[Tom]

You are talking to a guy who doesn't have E-ZPass because I don't want toll collectors to lose their jobs.

So want to keep your state taxes high due to the cost of maintaining unneeded jobs?

Tell me, do you still buggy whips?:lol:

[Tom]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/01/15/walmart-hire-veterans_n_2478426.html

Wal-Mart Stores Inc., the world's largest retailer and the biggest private employer in the U.S. with 1.4 million workers here, said Tuesday that it is rolling out a three-part plan to help jumpstart the sluggish U.S. economy.

The plan includes hiring more than 100,000 veterans in the next five years, spending $50 billion to buy more American-made merchandise in the next 10 years and helping its part-time workers move into full-time positions.



Sounds like am much better plan than the dems have.
So much for Mr Magoo's rant.

[Tom]

Hey mostpost....I got a question for you.

I saw that Obama says all Walmart jobs are good jobs. He says that all Walmart jobs are just as good as any other job - no difference between a Walmart greeter and a rocket scientist, a GM Engineer, a Postman, a plumber, a truck driver.....you get the idea.

Do you agree with this? You imply here that Walmart jobs are bad jobs. Are you calling your boy a liar? When he pounds his chest and takes credit for job creation every onth, he counts all those jobs as equal, a job is a job.

How can you talk bad about your leader like this? :lol:

[wisconsin]

How many people would have better jobs if Walmart never existed? How many people lost their jobs because Walmart drove their previous employers out of business? Not all of those people were hired by Walmart and those that were were hired at a much lower rate of pay, most likely.


Round and round we go. Are you saying you never shopped Zayre, Turn-Style, K-Mart, Woolworth, Wieboldt's, Sears? How about shoes? Remember Tom Mcann stand alone stores? I'm pretty sure you drove right past the little main street guy on your way to a large store. You admit that you shop Target. Do I need to go on?

The day that you quit shopping main street was the day these examples flourished. Your parent's began shopping Jewel and killed the corner grocer. Convenience and price are all that matters. It's has been the profitable model for decades.

[Tom]

Originally Posted by mostpost
How many people would have better jobs if Walmart never existed?

Not many. You only go so far on limited skills. It is NOT Walmart, it is the people they hire. Walmart serve a purpose.

How many would have no jobs today?

[badcompany]

So want to keep your state taxes high due to the cost of maintaining unneeded jobs?

Tell me, do you still use buggy whips?:lol:

Are you kidding? Stinks won't even get a refrigerator, because he can't bear to see his Iceman out of work.

http://bronxnostalgia.homestead.com/ice_man.jpg

[Jay Trotter]

I'm probably just gonna knock my head against the wall but I'll take a crack at this discussion......

Back in the bad old days of major league sport (the good old days for many of you older fellas) the owners ran the show and the players got what they got and where happy about it. Basically, they were ignorant of the fact they were worth much more. The owners grew disproportinately rich as profits dwarfed player salaries.

Over time, player ignorance disapated, and they demanded their piece of the pie increase and expand as they grew the business together with ownership. Now, if anything, the pendulam has swung almost too far the other way.

What I think the so-called "lefties" are trying to get across is that the "owners" need to take the "players" (employees) forward with them as they grow the pie together. Nobody is saying that a Walmart employee should get paid the same as an engineer or whatever, but they do need to be fairly compensated in regard to the amount of profit generated by the business.

My takeaway is that the Waltons are growing exponentially wealthy and not taking the employees along with them. Down the road, if they don't address the pay issue some new business model will replace them.

One man's opinon...

[NJ Stinks]

Are you kidding? Stinks won't even get a refrigerator, because he can't bear to see his Iceman out of work.

http://bronxnostalgia.homestead.com/ice_man.jpg


Hey, I think that is my Iceman! :cool:

:)

[mostpost]

Hey, I think that is my Iceman! :cool:

:)
Probably not. That is Red Grange.

[NJ Stinks]

Probably not. That is Red Grange.

Really? Damn impressive, Mostpost! :ThmbUp:

[Tom]

Down the road, if they don't address the pay issue some new business model will replace them.

Welcome to the wonderful world of capitalism.
Walmart came along with the current business model. It was so much better, look where it is today!

Nothing any government could have done would have worked like that.
As a society, we all benefit - more selections, lower prices, time -utility, place utility, man, many jobs, in spite of what some here say. A lot of workers went along for some of the ride - the part where they were contributing something others could not. Someone out there right now is "plotting" the demise of the Walmart model. when they figure out, we all go for another ride to some extend. Things improve. Unlike ANY government programs.

Did you guy sin Canad get to see The Men Who Built America series?
Fantastic chronology of America. I'm sure much was paralleled up North.
Granted, many of theses guys were very bad people in their actions, but they did what no government , no union, no entitlement could have done - they made the giant leaps and took the country with them. It was business war that created the oil pipeline, built bridges, lit up the night......greed pushed us all forward. Look at the tremendous leaps we, and you, made in a relatively short period of time - from the 1800s to now. Along the way, the rights of workers were institutionalized and we have good laws today to protect us all, without stifling business growth, but the libs want to do more - they want to totally control the process - that would be certain death.

We have to allow those who take the risk to reap the rewards. The Walton family has very right to what they have. They serve as a model for young people who will be forging us ahead in the years to come. If they see that they, too, can achieve that kind of success, they will be driven. If they see the lib version, caps on earnings, forced to over-pay for services, which is basically forced welfare, if they see noting in thier future but some Postal Supervisor, or some who is going to be badgered by the president for having a company jet, why would they NOT go to a country that appreciated their spirit?

Business people are the ones who move us ahead, not government.

[mostpost]

Hey mostie, maybe Walmart pays their workers less because they aren't pissing away money on union dues. :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:
That is even weirder than most of your posts. I looked up how much union dues are and the largest I found was 1.7%.
On the one hand you have Sam's Club-a division of Walmart. After four years Sam's Club's sales associates are making $12.50/hour. But, lucky them, they do not have to pay union dues.

On the other hand, you have Costco. After four years sales associates at Costco are making $19.50/hour. But they have to pay union dues, which takes away an oppressive 33 cents an hour. Even with that the sales associates at Costco are making one third more than their counterparts at Sam's Club.

[rastajenk]

Hey mostie, you bet the ponies, don't you? You don't come to PA just for the camaraderie of Off-Topic, right?

[Tom]

So why don't all those Wally-workers go to Costco?

[PaceAdvantage]

What I think the so-called "lefties" are trying to get across is that the "owners" need to take the "players" (employees) forward with them as they grow the pie together. Nobody is saying that a Walmart employee should get paid the same as an engineer or whatever, but they do need to be fairly compensated in regard to the amount of profit generated by the business.Really? You're saying employee compensation should be tied to the amount of profit a company makes?

What happens when profits go down? Or what happens if the company starts losing money for a year or two? Or what about these internet start-up companies that don't make money for years? Should their employees work for free?

The fact of the matter is, the employee will make whatever the company decides they can afford to pay AND attract the caliber of employee they need to work for them. Nothing more, nothing less, for the most part.

It's called (what's left of) the free market.

[Mike at A+]

That is even weirder than most of your posts. I looked up how much union dues are and the largest I found was 1.7%.
On the one hand you have Sam's Club-a division of Walmart. After four years Sam's Club's sales associates are making $12.50/hour. But, lucky them, they do not have to pay union dues.

On the other hand, you have Costco. After four years sales associates at Costco are making $19.50/hour. But they have to pay union dues, which takes away an oppressive 33 cents an hour. Even with that the sales associates at Costco are making one third more than their counterparts at Sam's Club.
So what does that mean mostie? Could it be possible that the low wage WalMart workers aren't talented enough to get a job at Costco? Maybe Costco has a more challenging interview process? To use a sports analogy, you have the NFL and you have Arena Football. The NFL players make a lot more than the Arena League players. See the correlation here?

[mostpost]

Hey mostie, you bet the ponies, don't you? You don't come to PA just for the camaraderie of Off-Topic, right?
Yes, I do, although the nitwits in the Illinois legislature are making it rather difficult right now. I do post occasionally in the Horse Racing sections-most recently in the Tampa Bay Derby thread.

But I prefer off topic because you guys are much smarter than me in the Racing forums, while here...........well, I don't want to brag.

[JustRalph]

Please, more BS. I shop the local Walmart and they are NOT a bunch of sourpusses as you suggest. They are extremely friendly. People need to quit stereotyping the situation of the poor Walmart worker.

As many of you know, I have lived all over the country in the last 10-12 years. Wisconsin makes a valid point. The myth of the disgruntled Walmart worker is kind of a caricature perpetuated by the left. I find the local Walmart workers attitude reflects the general state of the community.

In Concord N.C. I had a choice of two stores equal distance away from my home. One was a pit from hell (physical plant wise) and the employees first rate assholes. The other pretty damn good people and physically in great shape. I was shocked to learn they were built about 18 mths apart and paid the same wages.

I also am very cognizant that management sets the tone in a store. Bad managers equal bad employees.

Where I live now I have two walmart stores within 3 miles or so (one about .5 mile) and the employees are great at both.

Every business reflects two things. The community and their personal management.

[Greyfox]

The fact of the matter is, the employee will make whatever the company decides they can afford to pay AND attract the caliber of employee they need to work for them. Nothing more, nothing less, for the most part.

It's called (what's left of) the free market.

:ThmbUp: And if the employer, doesn't like the employee or vice versa, both are free to say "Sayonara" to one another.

That's life, as it should be.

In my own instance, I always knew that as both, an employer and an employee.

As an employee, I never gave up a job without another one in mind.

As an employer, I never gave up on an employee, without good reason, without the possibility of another one in mind.

Both were very difficult positions to be in, depending upon the economy.

I grew up with the idea, "Quality guaranteed, or money refunded."

I'm retired. But as both an employee and an employer, I did my best and tried to follow that ideal.

Is Wal*Mart paying their employees enough in wages?

Considering their wages, likely not.

Considering they employ 1.4 million Americans who are continuing to work there?
Obviously, they think so, although I suspect the turn over rate is high.

But Wal*Mart isn't alone.
There are other "Box Stores" out there as well.
They've also shoved the "Mom and Pop" stores out as well.

The bottom line is, most of us in the lower or middle income ranges,
could give a damn about QUALITY OR SERVICE when we are buying a chair, table, running shoes, coat, mail box or whatever.


WE ARE UTILITARIANS.
IF IT WORKS, WE'LL USE IT. WE'LL BUY IT.

Our income, and the price, determines what we , THE MIDDLE CLASS AND LOWER will buy -FULL STOP!

The bottom line is:
MOST NORTH AMERICANS HAVE BECOME A "FAST FOOD" SOCIETY WITH RESPECT TO CONSUMPTION!

MOST OF US WANT SOMETHING THAT WORKS, IT WORKS NOW AND FOR THE LOWEST PRICE THAT WE CAN PAY FOR IT.

IF THE TV BREAKS DOWN, WE DON'T CALL A REPAIRMAN, WE THROW IT OUT AND BUY ANOTHER ONE CHEAPER THAN HE CAN FIX IT!

WHO GIVES A DAMN THAT TV WAS MADE IN CHINA?

Obviously, Sam Walton knew that.
He capitalized on that.

Essentially, we are a "throw away, want it now society?"

That is just the way it is.

So the Walton's made trillions of bucks $$$$$ tapping into that nature of us, good on them.

Is it moral how they treat their employees?

Not in my opinion, but if the Walton's sleep well at night, that's their business.

I have the choice of shopping at Wal*Mart or going elsewhere and so do you.

[johnhannibalsmith]

I go to WalMart about as often as I go anywhere to buy crap, which isn't often because I hate shopping in general and I just don't buy many things in general.

I go to WalMart not even because of the rollback prices. I rarely even pay attention to cost as a factor for 93.7% of my purchases. Being as I hate shopping, if I need more than one unrelated item - I go to WalMart because they have almost every crappy thing I need in one place. If Mom and Pop want to open a place where I can buy FixAFlat, acetaminophen, a prepaid phone card, and a pair of $20 shoes in one place - and position it somewhere convenient - I'll go there.

The way I look at it, liberals should LOVE WalMart.

Think of the enormous carbon footprint NJStinks leaves when he travels all over the place driving from store to store to keep gramps in the chips while I, on the other hand, make a conscientious decision to control emissions and limit my thirst for fossil fuels by condensing my travels to just one location. I lead by example in the green revolution rather than crying about everyone else. :p

[NJ Stinks]

Think of the enormous carbon footprint NJStinks leaves when he travels all over the place driving from store to store to keep gramps in the chips while I, on the other hand, make a conscientious decision to control emissions and limit my thirst for fossil fuels by condensing my travels to just one location. I lead by example in the green revolution rather than crying about everyone else. :p

Don't I get any credit for running around in a diesel-powered highway motor vehicle? (42 mpg has got to mean something! :cool: )

[JustRalph]

Don't I get any credit for running around in a diesel-powered highway motor vehicle? (42 mpg has got to mean something! :cool: )

It means your car smells worse than the others, that's for sure

[hcap]

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/customers-flee-wal-mart-empty-134747752.html

Customers Flee Wal-Mart Empty Shelves for Target, Costco

Target Premium

"When times were good and people were still shopping, the lack of excellence was OK," said Zeynep Ton, a retail researcher and associate professor of operations management at the MIT Sloan School of Management in Cambridge, Massachusetts. "Their view has been that they have the lowest prices so customers keep coming anyway. You don't see that so much anymore."

Shoppers are "so sick of this," said Ton, whose research, published in Harvard Business Review, examines how retailers benefit from offering good wages and benefits to all employees. "They're mad about the way they were treated or how much time they wasted looking for items that aren't there."

Retailers consider labor -- usually their largest controllable expense -- an easy cost-cutting target, Ton said. That's what happened at Home Depot Inc. (HD) in the early 2000s, when Robert Nardelli, then chief executive officer, cut staffing levels and increased the percentage of part-time workers to trim expenses and boost profit. Eventually, customer service and customer satisfaction deteriorated and same-store sales growth dropped, Ton said.

Costco Productivity

Ton's research has centered on retailers that include discount club Costco, whose chief executive officer, Craig Jelinek, offered his support publicly earlier this month for legislation to raise the federal minimum wage.

Costco, which offers a starting hourly wage of $11.50 in all states and employee schedules that are generally predictable, has higher worker productivity and a lower rate of turnover than its competitors, Ton found.

Hancock, the retired CPA in Delaware, said she hasn't abandoned Wal-Mart altogether because she likes the low prices on the items she can find in stock. White, the shopper in California, said those low prices were crucial to his family as he started out his career.

"When I was in law school, it really helped us out," White said.

Wal-Mart shoppers for more than a decade, White's family continued to shop there even once he started earning more money.

"I was pro-Wal-Mart even when our friends rolled their eyes," he said. "I don't defend them anymore."

He added a caveat: "They could get us back if they fixed these problems."

[Tom]

:sleeping: When they stop being the number one retailer, get back to us.

[hcap]

:sleeping: When they stop being the number one retailer, get back to us.The point is Walmarts' model is not the only business model that works, and works without treating it's employees like shiit

[rastajenk]

I wonder how mostie and the other anti-WalMartiers can justify their support of an industry in which a very tiny percentage of the participants, surely less than 1%, corral all the big money, and everyone else competes for barely enough crumbs to eke out a subsistence-level existence. The income inequality that exists in your favorite gambling game (not to mention working conditions and substandard housing) has to be a cause for as much concern as for the lowly WalMart employee, doesn't it?

Oddly enough, if you walk through the barn area of just about any track, you see lots of smiling faces on folks that would just as soon be where they are as anywhere else. :)

[badcompany]

:sleeping: When they stop being the number one retailer, get back to us.

When that finally does happen, Libs will whine about how Walmart isn't hiring. They love to whine, these Libs. That's all they ever do. They're to whining what the Bakken Formation is to unconventional oil plays. If Libs could figure out how to turn their whining into a low cost, efficient energy source, then we really could start weening ourselves off oil.

[NJ Stinks]

It means your car smells worse than the others, that's for sure

No way. That was the case with diesel cars manufactured in years gone by but it's ancient history now.

[Tom]

and works without treating it's employees like shiit

Do you suppose CostCo might expect more from it's employees for the extra money they pay?

"Treat like shit" is your view, from the outside. Your view, as we all know, is often based in lunacy and typically slanted towards an agenda.

The people I know who work at Walmart are not whining like you are.
The election is over, you can stop demonizing anyone who is successful - you need not keep lying about it to bring in your democrat LIV's.

Back to reality....oh wait, libs have no reality. My bad.

[TJDave]

The people I know who work at Walmart

You guys hang together...Go to the SPA and stuff?

I've got friends at Walmart. We're on a first-name basis. ;)

[GaryG]

My daughter-in-law has worked for Wal-Mart for over 10 years. She is a shift supervisor and loves her job. The employees in her store (Cheyenne WY) are like a family. Can't speak for anyone else, but the management has always been fair with her and worked with her when she needed time off. Most of the liberal complaining is because they are non-union and very successful.

[BlueShoe]

Ok, we all know that Walmart is the company the left loves to hate, but why no ourcry against the fast food chains? After all, these companys pay even less than Wallymart, so what about these poor, downtrodden, exploited, overworked, abused burger flippers? :rolleyes: For example, Carl Karcher, the founder of the Carl's Jr. chain died a very wealthy man, and to boot, get this, he was very conservative, donating heavily to right wing causes. :ThmbUp: Like Walmart, these workers are not union. :ThmbUp: :ThmbUp: Rather puzzling, the left rips Walmart, which pays much better in comparison, but leaves the fast food chains alone. :confused: But then again, when did anything the libs do make any sense?

[cj's dad]

The point is Walmarts' model is not the only business model that works, and works without treating it's employees like shiit
Hcap- seriously, how many WM employees do you know. I know 3 and they love working there. None are well educated, they make a decnt living and if not for WM would be in deep doodoo.

[HUSKER55]

there is only about 3 walmarts here that I go to so my opinion here is limited. But I see a lot of people supplementing social security and a bunch of kids working thru the local schools. The department heads and the freight handlers seem to be more of the full time lot.

like I said, it is only 3 stores that I go to and I live in more of a retired section of town.

[Tom]

Hcap- seriously, how many WM employees do you know. I know 3 and they love working there. None are well educated, they make a decnt living and if not for WM would be in deep doodoo.

It is not about the people - it is just his stupid crusade.

[rastajenk]

That was exactly the point of my post up there. The individuals are merely pawns in the never-ending war on the rich and successful.

[ElKabong]

Based on what? Based on underpaying and mistreating their employees. Based on browbeating and intimidating suppliers; based on bullying and destroying competitors. In other words Sam Walton's success is based on immorality, cruelty and illegality. To me that is failure. I don't care how rich his good for nothing heirs are.

Funny, the above bullshit is what virtually every slacker and underperformer says about their company. You hang out with same-kind of company, it rubs off.

Go do something with your life. You'll feel much better. Trust us

[JustRalph]

A Liberal Dem condemning someone else for being immoral, illegal and cruel strikes me as laughable

[HUSKER55]

LIBS are very good about how to handle other peoples money.

if Wal-mart is so bad then start your own store across the street and help your country out in time of great need by hiring the libs who want something for nothing. Your success is guaranteed.

time libs put up their own cash and close the mouth.

money talks......BS walks

[Tom]

LIBS are very good about how to handle other peoples money.

And telling everyone else ho to live their lives - must be they are so frustrated with their own failed lives they need to try again.

[horses4courses]

Wal Mart can, and should, pay their employees more.
Re-investing some of their profits in their staff would pay off in the long run.

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/worker-wages--wendy-s-vs--wal-mart-vs--costco-155815763.html

According to Ton's research, sales per employee at Costco were almost double those at Sam's Club, its direct warehouse competitor owned by Wal-Mart.

[Capper Al]

And telling everyone else ho to live their lives - must be they are so frustrated with their own failed lives they need to try again.

Kind of like you are doing with this post.

[Capper Al]

Wal Mart can, and should, pay their employees more.
Re-investing some of their profits in their staff would pay off in the long run.

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/worker-wages--wendy-s-vs--wal-mart-vs--costco-155815763.html

This was the way it was before unions. Now it is the way after the decline of unions. Image that.

[badcompany]

This was the way it was before unions. Now it is the way after the decline of unions. Image that.

As usual, you got it back asswards. Union membership has declined because the Union model has proved to be uncompetitive in the LONG RUN. Companies couldn't survive while continuing to overpay labor and deal with the rules and restrictions of Union contracts.

The only reason Public Sector Unions have survived is that governments don't have to abide by the same market rules as the private sector, but even that ship is starting to sink.

[Clocker]

The only reason Public Sector Unions have survived is that governments don't have to abide by the same market rules as the private sector, but even that ship is starting to sink.

And because politicians have no interest in restricting, let alone getting rid of, the unions that deliver the votes and the campaign contributions that keep the politicians in office. Even the Second Greatest Socialist in the history of the White House, F.D.R., thought that public employee unions were a bad idea because of the inherent conflict of interest.