Walmart putting it to the people again

[MikePA]

<font color=blue>My apologies if this logic offends anyone. </font color=blue>
Doesn't offend me. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

As long as companies are not using illegal practices to turn a profit, they can make as much as they want.

To adopt a phrase usually said about democracy...Capitalism isn't perfect, but it's better than the alternatives. I don't want any entity, much less the government, telling me how much I can make, as an individual or as a business. I don't care how much sports people make, or movie stars, or doctors, or anyone or anything else. If people are offended by how much Alex Rodriguez makes, don't watch baseball. If you don't like what Wal-Mart is doing, don't shop there. Hmmm. Wait a minute. I don't shop there, sales go down. Sales go down, don't need as many employees. The person who was earning money with some health benefits is now on welfare and taxpayers are paying for their health care. When government intervenes, the Law of Unintended Consequences reigns supreme.

 

[HunterdonPaul]

Thats the great thing about this country... you CAN vote with your money and you CAN quit your job is it doesn't meet up with your expectations.

If enough people don't shop at Walmart, they will close that store down. If enough employees complain or quit Walmart, they will have to reconsider their cost cutting measures. As long as you understand the rules going in, this shouldn't make anyone angry.....

Just my 20 millidollars....

 

[gmason]

I wasn't around back then, but did Sears not do about the same thing a century ago?? Bring in big stores to small towns?
While I feel somewhat bad about this, I know that since this is the good old USA, we are free to exercise our rights, one of which is where we work and who we work for. I know this is not always "easy" but it is always an option to say "I QUIT" if your not getting what you want from your employer.

My last 3 positions have been had because of the DOT COM downturn, and I should find out Dec 1, if I'll have a job after Dec20, so I know what looking for a job is all about. It would be great if companies where all like <A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.workingmother.com/list.shtml>http://www.workingmother.com/list.shtml</A> this list then we would have to worry.

I was at Wal-Mart last night and the isles were slam full of stuff getting ready for Christmas shopping, I couldn't hardly navigate the cart down the formerly wide isles.

I don't think we should look to the government to do everything, but if this NAFTA stuff keeps going like is has then they should re think that "deal".

Speaking of government, sorry, how about the load of bull that was added to the Homeland Security bill the other day? Allowing offshore incorporated companies to get contracts for the work?? Talk about throwing away $$$ and shafting the working people.

gary

 

[Mosey]

OK, I'm probably going to insult someone who either works at Walmart or has close friends and relatives that work there. But, I have to wonder about SOME (I didn't say ALL) of the people that work there sometimes. They really don't seem too bright. It's been a known fact for a long time that Walmart employees don't get good pay and benefits, so maybe those jobs are for people who are lucky to have a job at all? It's a frustrating place to shop, that's for sure.

But, until I hear that they support terrorist or something, I'll keep shopping there because they sell the same stuff everybody else has, but for less money, and it's real easy to return things if I need to.

 

[PitbullMidwest]

<font color=blue>The two groups that own more stock than any others in the US are widows and pension funds. So, when you want to diminish corporate profits you're taking money away from widows and retirees.

All of a sudden those knee-jerk answers don't seem quite so simple, do they? </font color=blue>

You must be talking about my 72 year old widow mother who receives $17 a month from Silas Mason, the largest munitions contractor in the country until they went "bankrupt" and reorganized under a new name. Of course this voided all retirement obligations to employees like my father who assembled atomic warheads and who died from his exposure to beryllium. But hey, the board of directors got a nice bonus and the share holders got a dividend.

Or maybe my 69 year old widow aunt who must now find $500 a month to pay for insurance that by contract was to be paid for LIFE. But hey, CNH shareholders will get a nice dividend too.

Widows may make up a large portion of shareholders but I assure you that the average number of shares they own will not pay for retirement or healthcare. Working for 40+ years only to have the carpet yanked out from under you and your family because of corporate greed by the likes of Silas Mason, CNH, Enron or any other you care to mention is hardly knee jerk. When your neighbors, friends and relatives are the ones effected it gets real simple.

So Gary, light up a cigar, sip your brandy, after all cutting pensions to widows and retirees doesn't effect people, just the bottom line.

 

[Anonymous Poster]

WOW!

I finally tried reading this thread and my head is spinning...

Can't we just get back to religion or something similar? Oh, I forgot...that was banned as unrelated.../w3tcompact/icons/grin.gif

Bill in Pgh,PA

 

[I_am_the_Walrus]

<blockquote><font size=1>In reply to:</font><hr>

No politics, religion, or joke lists. Keep it clean and friendly!

<hr></blockquote>



That depends on who makes the posts../w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif

 

[Gary_in_Indiana]

<font color=blue>"So Gary, light up a cigar, sip your brandy, after all cutting pensions to widows and retirees doesn't effect people, just the bottom line"</font color=blue>

You have to make this personal, don't you? I thought you might remember doing this one other time, but apparently you don't. Please try to consider that just because someone has an opinion different from yours, they're not necessarily evil or devoid of compassion. It's even possible they don't warrant a personal attack.

I'm sorry for the plight of your family. I truly am. It's unfortunate, to be sure. The fact remains, however, that widows and pension funds are the two largest groups of shareholders to be affected by reduced corporate profits and reduced dividends (in publicly held companies, obviously).

Lastly, for the record, I don't smoke cigars, have never even tasted brandy and the only retirement plan over which I have any control is my own.

Have a good day.

 

[Bird]

I guess regardless of how much money a company makes, they want more, and if "everyone else is doing it", so can they. My own health insurance premiums go up 31.5% next month and the benefits are going down again, so the actual cost is much more than that percentage, and this is through the city, not a "for profit" company at all.

 

[TerryinMD]

Well.... this thread has certainly become unraveled! /w3tcompact/icons/eyes.gif

Where does one draw the line on what is ethical, socially acceptable, and somehow fits in with a corporations profit margin? Hmmm.... a tough question to answer. Each of us has a differing opinion and experience level on how ethics, social acceptability, and a corporations profititability are viewed and accepted.

It appears that companies today view cost measures in terms of cutting back on the companies portion of an employees benefit package and, of course, their salary. What irks most people that I know is that companies usually cut benefits and people before looking at other ways of cutting costs. Yes, they try to curb travel, office supplies, IT expenditures, etc. But, typically, the biggest saving is in employee costs. How many companies today ask for wage concessions verses layoffs - not to many. I would rather take a 10%-15% pay cut than lose my job.

I have worked for a number of companies that have had to pass along cost increases and benefit reductions to keep the business going or in the case of government contracting reduce the hourly cost to keep a contract. Everyone wants more services and goods for a lower cost. However, there is price to pay and where does it end. That, my friends, is the crux of the problem. I do not have the answer and I believe that the Government is not the answer. However, the Government will step in to correct (bad choice of words) the problem no matter what.

The last 10 or so years has left everyone wearing rose colored glasses. The dot.com boom, mega-corporations, dizzying stock prices were a dream come true - but it ended. Much to everyones pain. I don't know about where you live, but I see lots of economic activity - big new homes, people buying cars, people shopping and buying things. Maybe not as carefree as before, but people are still earning and spending money.

Ah, I just thought of something. How many of you have had any of your insurance premiums raised in the past year? How about insurance cancellations? Why do I ask these questions? Because all types of insurance and other services are increasing. And all of us are constantly reviewing our needs to see how much coverage we really need and how much we are willilng to spend.

Isn't all of this interesting.......... /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

Terry