{news} Wal-Mart: cost of low prices

[Robert Vogel]

The Groton Planning Commission wisely declined the Wal-Mart SuperCenter.

Wal-Mart is a prime example of a monopsonist: a company which is such a powerful buyer that it can pressure its suppliers into suicidal terms. The only way suppliers could meet Wal-Mart's demands was by moving manufacturing to third world countries. The US has lost millions of manufacturing jobs in the last few years. Not only has Wal-Mart helped strip the manufacturing base from this country, the US trade deficit has soared, and overseas sweatshops have flourished.

Wal-mart has devastated thousands of small towns, vigorously opposed labor unions. pushed their minimum wage employees onto the public dole, and strained public health facilities.  Those low prices are not without cost.

 Before Ronald Reagan there might have been anti-trust enforcement for Wal-Mart, but since Reagan, Republicans don't enforce anti-trust. That should change.

We can only hope that the new big box store development in East Lyme is not a stealth Wal-Mart.



Robert L. Vogel

49 Webster Rd

East Lyme

860-739-4023

Note: this note with links is posted at http://www.seconnecticut.com/walmart.htm


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