11.10.2008 4:41 pm
Bargain bin: Wal-Mart gives to Nixon — two days after election
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Political donors will often hedge their bets by giving to both candidates in a competitive race.
But, in this month’s contest for Missouri governor, Wal-Mart found a way to make sure it was backing the winner: Wait until the polls close.
Campaign reports for Gov. elect Jay Nixon show that the retail giant gave the Democrat’s campaign $10,000 on Nov. 6 — two days after the election.
Though based in Bentonville, Ark., Wal-Mart has strong ties to Missouri — founder Sam Walton went to high school in Columbia, Mo.
However, that bit of history may not hold much sway for members of organized labor — early and active supporters of Nixon — who for years have battled Wal-Mart’s attempts to keep unions out of their stores.
Typical Wal-Mart. Give it back Jay. Better yet, give it to the World Trade Organization. Maybe they can filter it back to the 12 year old Asian girls tied to Wal-Mart sewing machines for 16 hours a day at 23 cents an hour.
Nah, I’d give it to the Mexican kids outside of Wal*Marts there that wear a Wal*Mart uniform, wear a Wal*Mart nametag, report to a Wal*Mart manager for scheduling and get paid NOTHING by Wal*Mart! These kids work for tips!
Oh dear! Garrison and Hogan think Wal-Mart is a collection of big, bad, greedy people leeching off the hard work of others…
Hmmm, what about the people who vote with their wallets and have been voting with their wallets even since Wal-Mart started up?
If Garrison and Hogan feel so bad about the alledgedly poor Asian girls or Mexican kids now is the time for those two to put THEIR money where THEIR MOUTHS are and send these supposedly victimized kids some money…
I’ll bet Garrison and Tim Hogan have ties to Wal Marts - retirement plans that have Wal Mart stock in the mix. So when they can tell us they absolutely are not invested in Wal Mart, then maybe I’ll listen. Otherwise, they are bitter and angry (former employees?) I am happy to be a Wal Mart stock owner.
Juan…the people who vote with their wallets are the same people like you who don’t give a rat’s bait about kid’s tied to sewing machines while Alice Walton buys another $76 million dollar Rembrandt…. as the rest of us pay for Wal-Mart employees healthcare and food stamps.
Simon Says….I belong to a labor union. I quarantee you my pension is not invested with Wal-Mart.
Funny, Republicans complain about welfare, free-loaders, and the nanny state…and then turn around and endorse it with their wallets.
Nothing Wal-Mart does surprises me at this point…you would not believe the absolute corruption that goes on there to simply gain a dollar…I worked there for 3 years and we watched movies at orientation how labor unions are “not necessary” and actually “reduce the wages and profits for the company” which in turn “affects the workers.” They also try to hire as many part-time workers as possible so they can say they are “providing health care to the majority of our workers,” even though part-time benefits are much worse than full-time ones. Did you know their “going green” campaign has actually INCREASED carbon emissions rather than DECREASING? If money were god, then Wal-Mart is the Archangel Michael…battling in any way, ethical or not, to gain a dollar at anyone’s cost…especially the employees’…
I bought 6 boxes of USA made ammunition and Wal Mart this morning. They sell SOME things still made in this country.
If WalMart unionized, Garrison would be the first person at the door tomorrow morning.(He probably already is)
It isn’t about human rights in China or healthcare for their employees. It’s about DUES baby. How do you increase DUES? You unionize the largest employer in the world.
Target, Kohl’s, Bass Pro, McDonald’s, Taco Bell, et al, don’t have union employees, employee part-time people for little or no benefits and you hear not a peep out of the unions cuz they are elephant hunting for WalMart.
Garrison, it is great that you union folks are so concerned about the “Asian girls.” Are you as concerned about the crew of the Delta Queen that you just put out of work? The Seafarers union was determined that those jobs would be union or be gone and had the clout with the new leaders in Congress to make it happen. Google it.
Unions are such an upstanding bunch of folks, they are doing their best to remove the right of secret ballot in the unionization of workers despite their wishes. How many 12 year old American girls will the unions threaten if her parent doesn’t publically support the card check to unionize once their right to vote in private is taken away?
Looney…Wow! Six boxes of good ol’ USA, American made ammunition from Wal-Mart. Can’t get any more patriotic than that…unless you drive your Toyota (with the American flag decal) to Wal-Mart….Other stores that aren’t unionized don’t have Wal-Mart’s notorious history….The United Food And Commercial Workers Union have VOLUNTEERED to represent Wal-Mart workers. They had the door slammed in their face. So much for your theory about DUES…..Funny you didn’t mention Costco in your Taco Bell/McDonalds list.
A-
How many workers and their 12 year old daughters are intimidated by plant managers and supervisors for talking to union organizers? There’s not a grievence procedure for Wal-Mart workers…In other words, talk and you’re out. Nice way to do business. You’re about as patriotic as Looney.
From a liberal NY publication this summer (June): “Just days after clinching the Democratic presidential nomination, Senator Obama is naming as his economic policy director an economist who has clashed with critics of Wal-Mart by defending the company as a boon to poor Americans. The appointment of Jason Furman, 37, a former Clinton administration official who is a visiting scholar at New York University, immediately met with skepticism from some who have faulted Wal-Mart for being stingy toward its workforce.”
From a Chicago publication just before that (May): “Michelle Obama resigned Tuesday from the board of TreeHouse Foods Inc., a Wal-Mart vendor, eight days after husband and White House hopeful Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) said he would not shop at the anti-union store. Obama has been a director of the suburban Westchester food maker since June 27, 2005. Board chairman Sam Reed received a resignation letter from Obama Tuesday. The company said she quit because of “increased demands” on her time. Obama was re-elected to the board April 19 for a term ending in 2010 — during a period she was preparing to take on a larger role in the campaign… According to the Obamas’ income tax returns, Michelle Obama collected $51,200 from TreeHouse in 2006. She leaves the board with an option to buy 2,266 TreeHouse shares at a strike price of $29.65. Shares closed at $28.10 Tuesday.” These shares are down 11.4% since, and the DJI is down 39.2%. Coincidence that they are doing so well, and that the Obamas have a nice little kitty there?
Politics as usual, and this was from before we were even out of the gate. People have been fooled by the promise of a new dawn, bright skies, daffodils, and bunny rabbits for every one. Or is it kitties that we were promised? Seems the Obama kitty in Treehouse Foods is the safest bet. Either way, the sun will still come up, and the Democrats will still take money from WalMart. They own parts of it via proxy, and its policy, and they recognize the necessary evil, because for as many low-income families (which Dems purport to represent) as shop there, the Dem leadership makes a buck, too. There’s a reason that WalMart contributes to the same people who purport to despise them. Any questions?