Letters to the Editor.....

The following Letters to the Editor are taken from recent editions of the Merced Sun Star about, you guessed it, Wal Mart:

Monday, Sep. 22, 2008
Letter: Hoping for better
Editor: Sam Walton founded Wal-Mart in 1962. His idea was to buy products in bulk at the lowest possible price so he could sell below his competition. In the United States, you can expect a Wal-Mart within 60 miles.

This has allowed Wal-Mart to absorb an average of 20 percent of the competition wherever it opens a store.

In small towns it can be as much as 50 percent. The middleman is eliminated because Walmart can sell to retailers below wholesale. Wal-Mart refers to this as "fostering a healthy competitive environment."

Walton decided to cut his overhead by eliminating unions in his business so he wouldn't have to pay wage increases or negotiate for benefits.

What Wal-Mart lacks in moral integrity and ethical values it makes up for in money. In July, Wal-Mart showed $166 billion in sales this year. Currently, there is a lawsuit pending against Wal-Mart for discrimination against women.

Our City Council must decide the value of having a Wal-Mart distribution center in Merced.

Merced could lose higher-paying jobs than Wal-Mart can create with lower-paying jobs. We might lose more than we can regain -- our integrity.

JOAN PORTER

Merced


Letter: Wal-Mart will bring much-needed jobs
Editor: The Wal-Mart distribution center proposed for Merced will bring some badly needed jobs to this area where unemployment is historically high.

And such expansion is merely a part of growth, and cities like ours either grows or stagnates.

If the distribution center is not built here I believe it will be in either the county to our north or to our south, and we will still get the increased traffic, which appears to be the reason many people oppose the project.

LEE PIERCE

Merced


City Council and integrity are two words that don't usually come to mind together at least. Especially when it comes to a big donor like WalMart. As for Mr. Pierce's assumptions, I think he misses the point. Its not that most people don't want a distribution center in Merced, it's that most opponents don't want it so close to elementary schools. We would prefer the center further out away from our children. Does Mr. Pierce disagree with that?