I went to the new Wal Mart in Redmond today, and it was very nice. The parking lot was nice and friendly to use, and the building was attractive, both inside and out. The employees, to a person, were friendly, courteous and helpful. The selection of just about everything that a person might need was almost overwhelming. The prices were very reasonable, though I don't claim to be the world's best comparison shopper. The only real problem that I could see with the whole thing is, that by all rights, that store should be in Bend.
And it would be in Bend if it weren't for the likes of a regular who's who of NIMBY assholes that live in Bend. Call them Central Oregon Jobs with Justice, Our Community First, notanotherwalmart.org, or just plain ASSHOLES, it's all the same. A bunch of pricks that used all kinds of excuses to keep what they consider just another ugly box store out of their precious back yards.
Led by the likes of some guy named Michael Fuck (or Funke?), Anne Philiben?, and a bunch of other idiots, this group ultimately got it's way. It's amazing that on their web page they state that their #1 goal is to "stop the siting of a Wal-Mart Superstore in Central Oregon."--yet the minute Wal Mart chose to build in Redmond and not Bend, they basically shut up. So I guess "Central Oregon" to all of these folks was pretty much that portion of C.O. that's within just a few miles of where they are.
I gotta tell ya, I haven't heard of any police calls re: the people in Wal Mart's Human Resources dept. holding guns to the heads of those who applied to work there. And I didn't see anyone working at the store that looked fearful of the ramifications of quitting their job and walking right out the front door of the place. Hell, most everyone I saw working there seemed to be pretty happy, inspite of the large #'s of people shopping there.
Oh, and there were lots of people shopping there. I understand that since the store is brand new, it's prolly gonna get some lookie lous. Hell, I guess that I was one of them to some degree. I and many others will most likely go back to our regular shopping habits at other stores. For me personally, the Redmond store is just too far away for most of my shopping. But for a bunch of those people, many of whom looked to me like they weren't particularly wealthy, that store is a godsend. And just as people from Burns and many points east shop at Costco, folks from Madras, Terrebonne, etc., will shop at this new Wal Mart.
Sure Wal Mart isn't the highest wage payer in the region, but at least the people that work there now have a wage, and some other benefits as well, I'm sure. And they're not just out there sucking off the government tit. The employees there also have a little something else...job security. Ask the guy that made a "living wage" as a dry waller for the local contractor how he likes his job now. Chances are his job dried up, and if he was smart enough to save even a little money, he's probably thankful to have an affordable place like Wal Mart to do his shopping.
So I guess that Michael Fuck, Anne Fillmybun, Geoffrey Wheeler-Bartol (yes, a man with a hyphenated name), Bruce Levine (L.A.), Toby Bayard (Portland), and the rest and the rest of you NIMBY fuckers have won. And everyone who has complained about not being able to live in Bend 'cause the cost of living is so high, lost. Go shop at Newport Market!
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7 comments:
I hate Walmart. If Walmart disappeared off the face of the earth, no one would miss it.
Spoken like a small retailer....
Ya know what Duncan, I can completely understand your point of view. I miss Three Boys, Rollie's Mkt., George's Mkt., West Side Hardware, Masterson's, The Snack Shack, Callahan's grocery, etc., etc. I don't particularly like box stores, or what they stand for. At heart I'm a small business, mom and pop kinda guy. Fortunately for you, your operation is nichey (is that a word?) enough so I would imagine it's not effected too much by the Wal Marts of the world. I do, however, appreciate the fact that Wal Mart can provide both jobs, and also provide products at a decent price for people who quite frankly can barely afford to shop elsewhere.
I don't like Walmart either. The stress of shopping there isn't worth the pennies I might save. Sure the new one in Redmond looks nice now - almost everything looks nice when it's new. But just wait a few months and it will be trashed just like every other Walmart in the Western US. They will narrow the aisles and stack stuff in the walkways, and product will be all over the floor. The employees will not be overjoyed with their brand new job and their pretty blue vests will be stained. The shine will come off, and it will be just another big box.
George Bush shops at Walmart.
Nothing like cheap labor and cheaper prices, the American way.
Sure Walmart provides jobs and cheaper prices, but they muscle supplier businesses into massive deals they cannot turn down, then fail to meet the demand and bury them.
Heres some reading on Walmart labor relations and why so many oppose superwalmarts:
http://walmartwatch.com/issues/labor_relations/
Thanks for the suggestion to shop at Newport Market. I don't go there often, but happened to go today and ran into a couple Bend natives I know. I guess not all Central Oregon natives like to shop at Walmart.
--"George Bush shops at Walmart."--
You take a post about Walmart in Redmond and turn it into a George Bush thing? What a stupid fucker.
And you want to prove your point by sending me to a site thats soul purpose is to fuck up Walmart... run by a bunch of antis? Like I said, nobody is putting a gun to anyone's head to work for, or with, Walmart.
"Thanks for the suggestion to shop at Newport Market..."
Who said anything about all C.O. Natives liking to shop at Walmart? Hell, I even said that I wouldn't be shopping there. I would imagine that your going to run into a local or two at just about any store in the area.
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