WalMart

[Keola P]

I grew up in a small town on an outer island in the Hawaiian chain (Molokai). My island is often referred to as the "Most Hawaiian" island as the residents do all they can to preserve the Hawaiian lifestyle. No traffic lights, no fast food chains, everyone waves to eachother as we pass my on the highway, no building is allowed to be taller than a coconut tree, mom and pop businesses abound.



Walmart is still somewhat of a new concept to me. Don't care for big business. This is one of the reasons why walmart bugs me.

 

[Les]

I grew up in a small town on an outer island in the Hawaiian chain (Molokai). My island is often referred to as the "Most Hawaiian" island as the residents do all they can to preserve the Hawaiian lifestyle. No traffic lights, no fast food chains, everyone waves to eachother as we pass my on the highway, no building is allowed to be taller than a coconut tree, mom and pop businesses abound.

Sounds like a great place to live and raise a family...

 

[Keola P]

You're right Les it is.



The concrete jungle here on Oahu is killing me. I loved the way I grew up and I wish my son (who just turned 6 this month) could grow up the way I did. I miss my old lifestyle. Thing is though jobs are hard to come by. That's why I needed to move. My Dad works for the fire dept. there on the island and hopefully I'll be able to move my family there and work as a paramedic...some father/son team action going on there



One of my main goals at this point.

 

[Les]

Good for you and it may happen sooner than you think...

 

[ReggieMRegalOne05 Legaspi]

Haw'n ST, I support and pray for your hopes on getting back to Molokai to work with your Dad and raise your kid(s) there, the way you were raised. Locations like that are endangered nowadays. May His blessings come your way.

 

[Frank screwyourednecks]

In my opinion, if Wal Mart were Unionized, then the financial problems would be over in America. Health benefits, and a fair wage are not asking for too much here. Just my opinion.



Have a nice day!

 

[Jim Johnson]

Nobody is forced to work at Wal-Mart. The people who work there applied for, and accepted, their jobs fully aware of the wages and benefits (or lack thereof).



Places like Wal-Mart provide entry-level jobs for people just entering the workforce as well as supplemental income for people on pensions. When government imposes socialism by interfering with the free market and forcing businesses to pay so-called "fair wages", meaning more than their jobs are worth, including benefits, the number of those entry-level jobs declines. This puts many of those who need the jobs the most out of work. Also, prices rise for everybody, as the increased costs of doing business are passed on to the customers.



Of course, in some people's minds, none of this matters compared to the burning desire to punish success.

 

[Frank screwyourednecks]

Yeah our economy is dripping with success right now...

 

[Martin]

Is that one of your relatives, crazy uncle earl?

:lol: No.....but it might be the next place I'm working if I don't find a job soon.



We have two Walmarts near here, one is a grocery store and the other is a Super Walmart.



Both are really clean stores....I have seen some others in other states that were really dirty and messy. I shop there about once a month and find pretty good prices on various items.

 

[Wes Davis]

WalMart simply put is a good deal. They offer everything at very competitive prices. Sure you can pay more for better quality elsewhere but that is not what WalMart is about. WalMart is the perfect example of free enterprise in America. Put out a good product/service and stamp out the little guy. Hey its tough love but that's how it works. Obama should order all control of the Big Three handed over to WalMart as soon as he takes office.

 

[Nelson Atwell]

Yeah Bud, that definitely looks like an Air Force cap. If I ever sink that low, feel free to put a bullet in my head.



Wal-Mart was my favourite store in the US. Now I go to TESCO, which is a British chain store very similar to Wal-Mart.

 

[Thomas Rogers]

Frank said:

In my opinion, if Wal Mart were Unionized, then the financial problems would be over in America. Health benefits, and a fair wage are not asking for too much here. Just my opinion.

And in my opinion that is simplistic thinking.



First, WalMart already provides a fair wage. The market defines that it is fair, and it exceeds the minimum wage set forth by our government.



Second, and I will repeat this, if one is looking at WalMart to provide a living wage and it isn't doing so, that's not WalMart's problem, but the problem with the entitlement mentality.



Third, unionization might be able to increase wages slightly, but at the expense of increased costs for the products WalMart sells. The very people that have WalMart jobs are typically those that need the lower prices WalMart provides. The argument could be made that any increase in their salary will go right back to WalMart in the form of higher prices paid for goods.



Fourth, WalMart isn't even close to the largest employer in this country. The US government is far in away the largest. Shouldn't you be rallying for unionized govt workers and higher govt paid jobs?



Fifth, health benefits are asking too much. There are free clinics for wellness care and medicare for those at or near the poverty level. No one will die in the street without needed healthcare in this country. If you want more, the opportunities are there for you to get it for yourself.



Lastly, I don't even know if your suggestion above is really even your own opinion or just troll bait. If it is the latter, then I guess I fell for it.



TJR

 

[Ryan Schaecher]

unionized govt workers and higher govt paid jobs?

Gov't (except military) is generally Union. Higher wages? They are generally slightly lower pay, but with significantly better benefits and retirements (again, except military).



If you have a medical emergency, all hospitals (especially if they accept any form of Medicare) must provide medical services to you, reguardless of your ability to pay.



We already have social medicine.

 

[Tom Schindler]

If you have a medical emergency, all hospitals (especially if they accept any form of Medicare) must provide medical services to you, reguardless of your ability to pay.

Gotta love Wal-Marts motto. Let the tax payer and honest guy pay our health insurance.



By Wal-Mart not offering affordable health insurance for its employees, they are bringing up our health insurance costs because when a Wal-Mart employee without insurance goes to the hospital for free care, the cost is transfered to you and I causing OUR insurance rates to go up.





Tom

 

[Carey Frennier]

I hate Wal-Mart. I hate the parking lot configuration (probably just my area). I hate the constant threat of a shopping cart blasting into the side of our vehicles. I hate how there are never enough open check out lanes for the volume of people trying to ..check out. I hate the overwhelming number of scum sucking, welfare exploiting, hygiene challenged idiots that loiter at Wal-Mart. I hate their pricing. I can find almost anything cheaper somewhere else if I take the time to look.



I do like that they bring jobs and business to the area.



If there is any way possible I avoid that store.



Sam's Club is a completely different story. I love that store. I used to work there as a TMA team leader while in college. It just seemed higher end to me.

 

[Johnny O]

Shouldn't you be rallying for unionized govt workers and higher govt paid jobs?

Private sector workforce, 7% unionized. Public sector workforce, 53% unionized. Last I looked.

Wal-Mart did a much better job of getting relief supplies to hurricane Katrina victims than the govt did.

Just sayin'....

 

[Thomas Rogers]

Caymen said:

By Wal-Mart not offering affordable health insurance for its employees, they are bringing up our health insurance costs because when a Wal-Mart employee without insurance goes to the hospital for free care, the cost is transfered to you and I causing OUR insurance rates to go up.

That's all great conjecture, but other than intuition I don't see how you can back up any of those opinions stated as fact.



There are countless jobs in this country that don't offer health care. What's to say that if your typical Wal*Mart employee wasn't employed by Wal*Mart that they wouldn't have one of those other jobs without health benefits?



Also, what's to say that several Wal*Mart employees aren't using their employment as part-time, supplemental income, working as a second wage earner for the family; a family with a spouse that has health insurance for the family?



Or, what's to say that a large number of Wal*Mart employees are semi-retired, covered under medicare, etc?



Also, who is to say that the average Wal*Mart employee is a significant drain on the health care system?



What's the solution Caymen?



- Force all employers with over 50 (or some minimum other number of) employees to provide health insurance?



- Force all employers to provide health insurance?



- If we start to force employers to provide health insurance what are the requirements; full coverage of all yearly premiums?



- Or partial coverage of yearly premiums with employee contribution automatically deducted from payroll?



- If payroll contributions are made, are there any restrictions on maximum amounts?



- Do part-time employees qualify for benefits?



The questions around this subject are staggering, and each with no easy answers.



The only possible solution that I would be in favor of is to provide tax incentives to business that wish to provide healthcare benefits to their employees...and by that I mean more than the tax-exempt status such benefits enjoy today. No, I mean something like every $1 spent in healtcare benefits is not only non-taxed, but also reduces other tax burdens by $1 (or more). That, and make HSA accounts easier to manage, and you begin to have good start. In this way businesses, both big and small, can contribute money into employees HSA accounts and get a big tax break.



The only problem with this is that HSA accounts are hard to manage. They put a burden on the employee to seek out good deals on their healthcare, to itemize, to track expenses, and to ask questions about their health care costs. Frankly, many of the types of people that are FORCED to work a Wal*Mart job would find that burden daunting.



TJR

 

[Tom Schindler]

What's the solution Caymen?

In my opinion, a Single Payer network is the solution.





Tom

 

[Thomas Rogers]

Caymen,



I hope it never comes to that. I enjoy the healthcare that I can afford today. I've worked hard for it. All evidence is that under the single payer system availability of good health care will go down, and wait for that care will increase dramatically.



Said another way, I am pretty much convinced that in a single payer system, a guy like me will end up paying more and receiving less/worse services. How is that fair?



But then again, that describes socialistic programs: Take from those that have, so they have less, so that those without will have some.



TJR

 

[Tom Schindler]

All evidence is that under the single payer system availability of good health care will go down, and wait for that care will increase dramatically.

My dad is part of a single payer system. I have seen him wait months to get tests (not) poor health care (whatever), and long lines. (Simply untrue)



The evidence is coming from the insurance companies that have thier system exposed for the scam it really is.



Fact is, insurance companies already dictate what they are willing to pay for a service provided by a health provider. (i.e a doctor, hospital, etc.) Insurance companies can refuse to provide payments based on the decision of a person with little to no medical training.



Innovation in health care doesn't originate with the insurance companies. Eliminating health insurance and leaving individual doctors operate as they do now will still allow innovation in the medical field while eliminating the greed of insurance companies.



If everyone is covered for medical costs, overall medical costs will come down simply because people will have no need to visit the doctor with full blown pneumonia when they could vist visit the doctor with a simple infection and get taken care of with minimal costs.



Of course, read everything the insurance companies propaganda and they will give you thousands of reasons why it is a bad idea and I am sure their reasons are not biased in any way.





Tom