Wal-Mart's negative effects not welcome in Blacksburg
At the Blacksburg Town Council meeting
Tuesday, numerous citizens objected to the rising speculation of a
possible Wal-Mart store to be built within the town.
Wal-Mart has been rumored to be on the
list of potential stores that could be within the proposed Boulevards
at Blacksburg project on South Main Street.
Wal-Mart, America's largest employer
and retail store, has been criticized by numerous universities and
towns around America for destroying economies and ultimately having
negative effects on the surrounding areas of the specific store,
including traffic problems.
Along with these negative effects,
"Wal-Mart's low-road strategy drives to cut wages and benefits of
both retail and manufacturing workers and to buy more products from
lowest-wage producers overseas lending to what critics calls the
'Walmartization' of America," according to
http://www.laane.org, Los Angeles' Alliance for a New Economy's
website.
Greg Nelson, a Blacksburg resident and
native, told the council that he would like to keep this "ugly
nastiness," which Christiansburg has, out of his hometown.
As well as the scrutiny of the possible
Wal-Mart store, an ordinance has been proposed by Councilman Don
Langrehr that would restrict retail stores that are over 80,000
square feet, eliminating "Walmart-esque" stores. This ordinance
was discussed by the council and now will be voted on in May.
So why is Wal-Mart such a great store
to buy products at for such low prices but also a terrible employer
and store for any local economy?
Ultimately, Wal-Mart's great prices
have a widespread effect on the whole economy of the surrounding
areas. Because it employs a tremendous percentage of employees per
store compared to any other surrounding stores, much of the local
economy depends on these employees' wages.
Wal-Mart on average takes 1.5 jobs from
the surrounding businesses for every one job that they create. This
ultimately makes the unemployment rate rise wherever a Wal-Mart is
built.
Wal-Mart on average pays their
employees $9 per hour for full-time employees and $8 per hour for
part-time employees. This compared to Costco, which pays on average
$16 per hour for employees, is significantly low, according to
http://www.laane.org.
However, these effects are beneficial
for a town that is struggling to thrive and build. For underdeveloped
towns a Wal-Mart can create — not steal — jobs and can raise the
average income — not lower it.
Blacksburg, however, is not an
underdeveloped town and retains a very unique character with downtown
shops and restaurants, something a possible Wal-Mart could bring to a
hault. Stores already struggling to survive between the rising cost
of living and the continuous rise of rent in Blacksburg would crumble
under the intense pressure of trying to compete with the American
superstore.
And the common question arises: "why
do we need to have two Wal-Mart's within 15 minutes of each other?"
This honest question brings up the
personnel dilemma of whether you are going to go out of your way, 15
minutes, to possibly help the Blacksburg community or would rather
see a nice big blue Wal-Mart next to Sharkey's or Champs while you
walk downtown.
Wal-Mart is a good store with great
prices and possible advantageous qualities, but in Blacksburg,
Wal-Mart is not welcome.
