Today’s Buffalo News did a wonderful job of one sided reporting on the issue of Walmart vs. other retailers. 

Of course, not everyone sees it that way, if judged by nothing more than full parking lots and a healthy corporate bottom line. And not all politicians jump on the anti-Wal-Mart bandwagon. North Tonawanda Mayor Lawrence V. Soos welcomes the store to the former Melody Fair area.

The only reason the anti-Walmart forces have been successful is they use the force of government power to seek a competitive advantage.  If Walmart was truly an evil entity, people wouldn’t shop there and it wouldn’t be necessary to use government to block their developments.

It would be nice to see the Buffalo News publish an objective article on Walmart instead of pandering to the false, yet politically correct viewpoints they presented.

Leary and most of Wal- Mart’s critics cite the company’s devastating effects on village main streets, low wages for workers and traffic and crime problems around stores as reasons they don’t want the chain in their community.

Walmart’s average wage is about $10 per hour.  I would speculate that the stores competing with them do not pay this much.  Nothing is even mentioned about the increased tax benefits Walmart brings to a community.  When people are allowed to freely vote with their wallets, Walmart wins.

Wal-Mart has been accused of driving American jobs overseas and encouraging employees to seek health benefits from Medicaid instead of obtaining them through the company.

The canard that Walmart drives jobs overseas is another emotional argument that ignores the facts.  Many studies have shown that companies that off-shore jobs create more better paying jobs in this country.  Also, Walmart has a positive impact on communities by raising the standard of living by increasing the purchasing power of the consumer’s dollars.  The insurance charge is another canard.  How many “mom & pops” that the anti-Walmart crowd likes to trot out actually provide health insurance for their employees?  The problem with health insurance is not Walmart’s fault, it is the governments fault for driving up all health care associated costs, including insurance.

The Buffalo News does not do its readers any favors by publishing one-sided articles.  The readers deserve objective, factual journalism so they can make informed decisions about their communities.

I’m not saying Walmart should be allowed to build in every village.  If people, through zoning laws, want to preserve a certain character, let them.  But don’t block development with emotional hype full of inaccuracies.  Let the people make an informed choice.

Source: The Buffalo News: Home