When most people think of welfare, they think of a 20-year-old single unemployed mother trying to get by on basically nothing, even after she goes to the government for help.
After viewing "Walmart - The High Cost of Low Price," I have a much different idea of welfare. How about those subsidies in the millions of dollars that municipalities give to the world's largest retailer so they can set up shop and put all the mom and pop stores on Main Street out of business. I guarantee that many more of your tax dollars are going to Wal-mart and other billion-dollar corporations, than to unemployed people.
The stories about Esry's grocery and the hardware store at the beginning of the movie being driven out by Walmart just made my blood boil. Esry's grocery, for example, paid their workers good wages and full benefits, and they had a Christmas party every year. Stores like this do much more for the local economy and quality of life in a small town than a Walmart ever could. Red Esry never got a dime from the government, but Walmart got 1.2 million dollars when they moved into town (I can't remember if that figure is correct). Walmart is going to pay their workers much less than Red Esry, and they won't be treated with respect and dignity. All of Walmart's profits just go back to a few rich snobs in Bentonville, not back to the local community.
One former Walmart employee interviewed in the movie, when talking about how Walmart encourages their employees seek government assistance says the best quote of the movie "You talk about using the system, look at how Walmart is using the system."
If I ever meet Lee Scott, I'm going to shout at him, "HOW THE %#$@ DO YOU SLEEP AT NIGHT?"
After viewing "Walmart - The High Cost of Low Price," I have a much different idea of welfare. How about those subsidies in the millions of dollars that municipalities give to the world's largest retailer so they can set up shop and put all the mom and pop stores on Main Street out of business. I guarantee that many more of your tax dollars are going to Wal-mart and other billion-dollar corporations, than to unemployed people.
The stories about Esry's grocery and the hardware store at the beginning of the movie being driven out by Walmart just made my blood boil. Esry's grocery, for example, paid their workers good wages and full benefits, and they had a Christmas party every year. Stores like this do much more for the local economy and quality of life in a small town than a Walmart ever could. Red Esry never got a dime from the government, but Walmart got 1.2 million dollars when they moved into town (I can't remember if that figure is correct). Walmart is going to pay their workers much less than Red Esry, and they won't be treated with respect and dignity. All of Walmart's profits just go back to a few rich snobs in Bentonville, not back to the local community.
One former Walmart employee interviewed in the movie, when talking about how Walmart encourages their employees seek government assistance says the best quote of the movie "You talk about using the system, look at how Walmart is using the system."
If I ever meet Lee Scott, I'm going to shout at him, "HOW THE %#$@ DO YOU SLEEP AT NIGHT?"