The Enid News and Eagle, Enid, OK

Letters

July 17, 2009

Wal-Mart is not the saint columnist seems to believe

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In your Sept. 14 issue Ms. Lopez, in an editorial, commends Wal-Mart for their benevolent response to the victims of Katrina. She acknowledges there are no Wal-Marts in New York City. She writes, however, from a big city ignorance. They will not lose local businesses to Wal-Mart as Wal-Mart thrives twice from low wages.

One writer calls it "the Central Americanization of the United States." Thousands of jobs are outsourced to the Marianas, U.S. territory gained at the end of WW II. The Marianas sets their own minimum wage, a whole $3 an hour, importing Chinese laborers and encamping them behind barbed wire. And they do not have employee benefits taken for granted in the USA. The beauty of this is that since they are our territory they can mark their goods, "Made in USA." They further benefit from an economy that has increasingly moved away from labor intensive toward a service intensive economy.

Wal-Mart also exploits depressed local economies. Case in point is Pawhuska, where years ago Wal-Mart set up shop, forcing local business to close when they could not compete. Having gained a virtual monopoly, Wal-Mart in Pawhuska closed, forcing residents to travel to Ponca City, Bartlesville, or Tulsa to purchase goods previously available through local merchants. It is routine with Wal-Mart.

So, Ms. Lopez, come and explain to the local economies how driving local businesses out is beneficial. Substandard wages at both the wholesale and retail levels make this possible. Hypocritical confession ? yes I do shop at Wal-Mart, but only when I cannot purchase from a local business. Ms. Lopez ? New York City has the volume to compete against Wal-Mart, but Anytown, USA, cannot. Ms. Lopez ? your big city naivet? is showing.

Edward E. "Sam" Justice

Enid

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