Comments on: The Left v. The Waltons http://moorethoughts.com/2005/12/01/the-left-v-the-waltons/ Conservatism, Freedom, Capitalism Wed, 07 Jan 2009 09:23:16 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6 By: svklkvqgvg http://moorethoughts.com/2005/12/01/the-left-v-the-waltons/#comment-122339 svklkvqgvg Fri, 22 Jun 2007 10:37:06 +0000 http://moorethoughts.com/2005/12/01/the-left-v-the-waltons/#comment-122339 Hello! Good Site! Thanks you! njjwyvquxgj Hello! Good Site! Thanks you! njjwyvquxgj

]]> By: fotflioosn http://moorethoughts.com/2005/12/01/the-left-v-the-waltons/#comment-46157 fotflioosn Tue, 23 Jan 2007 18:37:22 +0000 http://moorethoughts.com/2005/12/01/the-left-v-the-waltons/#comment-46157 <a href="http://fnlklkut.com" rel="nofollow">sskizdre</a> sskizdre

]]> By: J2NVgecXfr http://moorethoughts.com/2005/12/01/the-left-v-the-waltons/#comment-1848 J2NVgecXfr Sat, 11 Mar 2006 16:02:17 +0000 http://moorethoughts.com/2005/12/01/the-left-v-the-waltons/#comment-1848 spuw8fz2M7cm Z52hqFdV6S8TM Zx0cPIE8qEqKrR spuw8fz2M7cm Z52hqFdV6S8TM Zx0cPIE8qEqKrR

]]> By: Nathan Moore http://moorethoughts.com/2005/12/01/the-left-v-the-waltons/#comment-723 Nathan Moore Thu, 01 Dec 2005 23:54:23 +0000 http://moorethoughts.com/2005/12/01/the-left-v-the-waltons/#comment-723 Unions are bad for the shareholders, who management works for - so yes, from that perspective an overwhelming union presence does compromise management. Of course, once your unionized, you work with what you've got. N Unions are bad for the shareholders, who management works for - so yes, from that perspective an overwhelming union presence does compromise management. Of course, once your unionized, you work with what you’ve got.

N

]]> By: John Hutcheson http://moorethoughts.com/2005/12/01/the-left-v-the-waltons/#comment-722 John Hutcheson Thu, 01 Dec 2005 23:52:24 +0000 http://moorethoughts.com/2005/12/01/the-left-v-the-waltons/#comment-722 "Costco’s unionization doesn’t make it a better employer, it’s just indicative of poorer management." huh?????????? so..every company that is unionized is poorly managed? “Costco’s unionization doesn’t make it a better employer, it’s just indicative of poorer management.”

huh??????????

so..every company that is unionized is poorly managed?

]]> By: Nathan Moore http://moorethoughts.com/2005/12/01/the-left-v-the-waltons/#comment-704 Nathan Moore Thu, 01 Dec 2005 22:29:00 +0000 http://moorethoughts.com/2005/12/01/the-left-v-the-waltons/#comment-704 Sean, That is rather communist of you, sorta. Initially, corporations exist for their shareholders' benefit, period. As for the consumers - they obtain a benefit from Wal-Mart in shopping variety and lower prices. Wal-Mart doesn't "owe" the community anything. Providing goods and jobs in mass amounts is the payoff for the community. Besides, Wal-Mart gave nearly $170 million last year to charities and nonprofits. It's not like they're stingy. Katherine makes a good point as far as some of Wal-Mart's more draconian practices with suppliers. There are some anti-trust concerns, to be sure, but those concerns don't tend to overlap with the standard liberal complaints about the company. The real issues unfortunately tend to get muddled with the faux issues. N Sean,
That is rather communist of you, sorta. Initially, corporations exist for their shareholders’ benefit, period. As for the consumers - they obtain a benefit from Wal-Mart in shopping variety and lower prices. Wal-Mart doesn’t “owe” the community anything. Providing goods and jobs in mass amounts is the payoff for the community. Besides, Wal-Mart gave nearly $170 million last year to charities and nonprofits. It’s not like they’re stingy.

Katherine makes a good point as far as some of Wal-Mart’s more draconian practices with suppliers. There are some anti-trust concerns, to be sure, but those concerns don’t tend to overlap with the standard liberal complaints about the company. The real issues unfortunately tend to get muddled with the faux issues.

N

]]> By: Sean Braisted http://moorethoughts.com/2005/12/01/the-left-v-the-waltons/#comment-702 Sean Braisted Thu, 01 Dec 2005 22:08:19 +0000 http://moorethoughts.com/2005/12/01/the-left-v-the-waltons/#comment-702 My point was to say that maybe they could lead by example, open up the vaults, and give a bit more to their employees so they could give more back to the community that made them what they are. Maybe this is a communist ideal, i dunno, it just seems like the right thing to do in a Christian nation. As for Costco's being unionized being indicative of poorer management? Perhaps its indicitive of a lack of union hostility which requires Walmart to close down stores that even consider unionization, and have paid staff whose job is solely to union bust. My point was to say that maybe they could lead by example, open up the vaults, and give a bit more to their employees so they could give more back to the community that made them what they are. Maybe this is a communist ideal, i dunno, it just seems like the right thing to do in a Christian nation.

As for Costco’s being unionized being indicative of poorer management? Perhaps its indicitive of a lack of union hostility which requires Walmart to close down stores that even consider unionization, and have paid staff whose job is solely to union bust.

]]> By: Katherine Coble http://moorethoughts.com/2005/12/01/the-left-v-the-waltons/#comment-701 Katherine Coble Thu, 01 Dec 2005 22:07:32 +0000 http://moorethoughts.com/2005/12/01/the-left-v-the-waltons/#comment-701 My beef with Wal-Mart is coming from a supplier standpoint. I don't think their de facto price controls are healthy for the larger U.S. Economy. I used to work for a company that made photo albums, baby books and paper plates. We used to make 10,000 SKUS in US factories that would be sold to mom and pop stores across the country at a 35-40% margin. Because of Big Box stores--Wal-Mart & Target leading the pack, that got scaled down to 1,800 SKUS all made in China. Approx. 200 of those skus went to Big Box stores, the rest went to Mom & Pops. More than 300 people lost jobs in manufacturing and management positions over the course of these events. Since the Big Box stores pay out margins of 12-24%, a company like mine has to exist on larger margins pulled from the independant seller. This means prices are even lower in a Wal-Mart than they are at Susie's Gift Store--thus creating a monopoly situation in favour of Wal-Mart. It also means that a company like mine isn't as diversified in its manufacturing, which means that the company has a more precarious existence. If people stop buying photo albums and that is 25% of your business you aren't as crippled as when photo albums are 80% of your business. I don't care how much money the Walton family has, as long as it isn't earned out of the hides of thousands of other Americans. My beef with Wal-Mart is coming from a supplier standpoint. I don’t think their de facto price controls are healthy for the larger U.S. Economy. I used to work for a company that made photo albums, baby books and paper plates. We used to make 10,000 SKUS in US factories that would be sold to mom and pop stores across the country at a 35-40% margin. Because of Big Box stores–Wal-Mart & Target leading the pack, that got scaled down to 1,800 SKUS all made in China. Approx. 200 of those skus went to Big Box stores, the rest went to Mom & Pops. More than 300 people lost jobs in manufacturing and management positions over the course of these events. Since the Big Box stores pay out margins of 12-24%, a company like mine has to exist on larger margins pulled from the independant seller. This means prices are even lower in a Wal-Mart than they are at Susie’s Gift Store–thus creating a monopoly situation in favour of Wal-Mart. It also means that a company like mine isn’t as diversified in its manufacturing, which means that the company has a more precarious existence. If people stop buying photo albums and that is 25% of your business you aren’t as crippled as when photo albums are 80% of your business.

I don’t care how much money the Walton family has, as long as it isn’t earned out of the hides of thousands of other Americans.

]]> By: JB http://moorethoughts.com/2005/12/01/the-left-v-the-waltons/#comment-699 JB Thu, 01 Dec 2005 21:49:30 +0000 http://moorethoughts.com/2005/12/01/the-left-v-the-waltons/#comment-699 "De Facto policy to have their employees use Medicaid and Welfare as supplements to their wages and benefits (something like 10K in Tennessee use TennCare)." Yeah, well WalMart employs something like 40,000 workers in TN, so 25% of their workers are TennCare enrollees. That's the same as the state average - 1 in 4 Tennesseans are on TennCare. It says more about TennCare being too large than WalMart not paying employees enough. “De Facto policy to have their employees use Medicaid and Welfare as supplements to their wages and benefits (something like 10K in Tennessee use TennCare).”

Yeah, well WalMart employs something like 40,000 workers in TN, so 25% of their workers are TennCare enrollees. That’s the same as the state average - 1 in 4 Tennesseans are on TennCare. It says more about TennCare being too large than WalMart not paying employees enough.

]]> By: Nathan Moore http://moorethoughts.com/2005/12/01/the-left-v-the-waltons/#comment-697 Nathan Moore Thu, 01 Dec 2005 20:24:36 +0000 http://moorethoughts.com/2005/12/01/the-left-v-the-waltons/#comment-697 Costco's unionization doesn't make it a better employer, it's just indicative of poorer management. Costco’s unionization doesn’t make it a better employer, it’s just indicative of poorer management.

]]> By: Sean Braisted http://moorethoughts.com/2005/12/01/the-left-v-the-waltons/#comment-693 Sean Braisted Thu, 01 Dec 2005 19:52:01 +0000 http://moorethoughts.com/2005/12/01/the-left-v-the-waltons/#comment-693 Only about 18% of the Costco workforce is unionized. Yet they all get great benefits, and the store is still profitable. Only about 18% of the Costco workforce is unionized. Yet they all get great benefits, and the store is still profitable.

]]> By: Lee http://moorethoughts.com/2005/12/01/the-left-v-the-waltons/#comment-692 Lee Thu, 01 Dec 2005 19:46:47 +0000 http://moorethoughts.com/2005/12/01/the-left-v-the-waltons/#comment-692 Costco is union. Wal-mart is not. Unions give crap loads of money to people to go against Wal-Mart as punishment. Unions want Wal-Mart to go union so they can get more dues and more power. When younger I worked at Meijer, a superstore company very similar to Wal-Mart but was union. While working for Meijer, I got an unexpected dollar an hour raise. Why? Because of union? Because I was so damned talented? No, because the Wal-Mart a mile down the road raised their wages, and the Meijer was afraid of a mass exodus of workers. Most employees of Wal-mart are part-timers anyway. Unionizing Wal-mart would be like unionizing McDonalds. Pointless. Costco is union. Wal-mart is not. Unions give crap loads of money to people to go against Wal-Mart as punishment. Unions want Wal-Mart to go union so they can get more dues and more power.

When younger I worked at Meijer, a superstore company very similar to Wal-Mart but was union. While working for Meijer, I got an unexpected dollar an hour raise.

Why? Because of union? Because I was so damned talented?

No, because the Wal-Mart a mile down the road raised their wages, and the Meijer was afraid of a mass exodus of workers.

Most employees of Wal-mart are part-timers anyway. Unionizing Wal-mart would be like unionizing McDonalds. Pointless.

]]>