The Wal-Mart Tax-and-Squeeze
Democratic Underground
By Joel S. Hirschhorn
No
other company has faced so much passionate grassroots opposition to its
expansion across America… for its destruction of open space,
exploitation of workers here and abroad, destruction of domestic
manufacturing jobs, and ruination of small town America and locally
owned businesses. Its huge imports have exported our prosperity and
given China and other nations some control over our future.
Wal-Martshifts health care and other costs to all taxpayers, who subsidize
Wal-Mart and its customers, yet receive no benefits. Call it the
Wal-Mart tax. In Iowa, for example, 845 Wal-Mart
workers or members of their families are on Medicaid. Both state and
federal taxpayer money is being spent to assist Wal-Mart employees and
their families.
What
Wal-Mart has itself done, and compelled other retailers to do, is
created more demand for its low-priced goods by creating more low
income Americans. Call it the Wal-Mart squeeze.
Wal-Mart
is pouring money into political pockets to protect itself from
government action, which Americans must demand. It is not effective to
fight Wal-Mart one store expansion at a time, because many more new
stores are built than are blocked. What's good for Wal-Mart is
not good for America, and we do not have to say “in the long run,”
because the long run has already come.
Joel
S. Hirschhorn was formerly with the National Governors Association; his
current book is Sprawl Kills – How Blandburbs Steal Your Time, Health
and Money. He can be reached through www.sprawlkills.com.
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