This was written by a friend on Facebook:<\/p>\n
By: Christine Morabito<\/span><\/a><\/span> \u2013 July, 2014<\/strong><\/p>\n After years of harassment by special interest groups, Walmart is fighting back. As with most bullies, the claims they make have less to do with reality than with bolstering the tormentor\u2019s self-esteem.<\/strong><\/p>\n This was evident in Timothy Egan<\/a>\u2019s New York Times op-ed, June 19, 2014, entitled \u201cThe Corporate Daddy,\u201d<\/a> where Egan accused the company of paying \u201chumiliating wages.\u201d He claimed, \u201cWorking at Walmart may not make you poor, but it certainly keeps you poor.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n Responding to the NYT hit piece<\/a>, Walmart\u2019s David Tovar, Director of Corporate Communications<\/a>, reposted Egan\u2019s article, complete with snarky, red-inked edits in the margins. He began, \u201cThanks for sharing your first draft.\u201d Tovar proceeded to dispute claim after baseless claim. It reminded me of the triumphant scene in \u201cNapoleon Dynamite,\u201d where the relentlessly mistreated protagonist earns a standing ovation for his dance moves.<\/strong><\/p>\n With 2.2 million employees worldwide, Walmart is also the largest U.S. employer. The average full-time associate earns around $12 an hour, well above minimum wage. In 2013, the corporation was praised by First Lady Michelle Obama <\/a>for announcing plans to hire 100,000 veterans. Last year they donated more than $1 billion to charity globally. They also offer education assistance and help associates who have been affected by catastrophic life events such as fire, divorce, death, etc. In the wake of Hurricane Sandy<\/a>, the retailer sent truckloads of goods to help victims. Yet, their reputation is under constant attack.<\/strong><\/p>\n The Washington Examiner<\/a> reported that Walmart\u2019s health insurance <\/a>is not only more affordable than Obamacare, but it also offers better coverage, minus the income, age or gender restrictions. The retailer revolutionized the pharmacy industry by offering inexpensive prescription drugs with little to no co-pays for their employees. Still, nothing satisfies the bullies, intent on pushing Walmart down and taking their lunch money.<\/strong><\/p>\n Walmart is known for their entry level positions. But starting wages are rarely static. According to their website, \u201cAbout 75% of our store management teams started as hourly associates, and they earn between $50,000 and $170,000 a year \u2026 Last year, Walmart promoted about 170,000 people to jobs with more responsibility and higher pay.\u201d This is a key point lost on the Walmart bashers \u2014 as people gain knowledge and experience they climb the economic ladder.<\/strong><\/p>\n It is clear the Walmart smear campaign is a pastime mostly enjoyed by far left activists, unions, angered by the superstore\u2019s refusal to unionize, and the politicians beholden to such groups. To protest the opening of Walmart stores<\/a> in cities, like Brooklyn, New York<\/a> and Boston<\/a>, is to deprive consumers of a wide variety of quality goods at low prices. A 2011 NYT poll showed 62 percent of New Yorkers<\/a> wanted a store in their neighborhood. In her blog, \u201cGhetto Economics & the Politics of Poverty,\u201d<\/a> Stephanie Davis writes: \u201cIn essence, Boston\u2019s political class has turned its city limits into a type of food dessert or island in which the cost of goods is higher because of limited supply or lack of competition.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n Today\u2019s trend is to be obsessed with the gap between the highest paid worker and the lowest. Of course there\u2019s an income gap! But, we must also take into account the gap in initiative, experience and in some cases, education (all of which can be rectified). These things being equal, we could legitimately criticize the income disparity. If career politicians and intellectual elites had even a smidgen of experience in the private sector, they might understand how this works. Until then, they shouldn\u2019t be allowed anywhere near economic policy.<\/strong><\/p>\n Call me old-fashioned, but I miss the days when we valued hard work and success in this country. Young people today are encouraged to vilify those who have more. It seems to me a childish and selfish way to view the world.<\/strong><\/p>\n In my youth, I had many low paying jobs. When I got tired of being broke, I applied for student loans, studied hard and became a nurse. If I wanted more money, I could go back to school and become a nurse manager or even a surgeon. Here\u2019s the thing: I don\u2019t want to. I\u2019d rather not put forth the effort or incur the associated expense. Do I resent doctors because they make more than me? Not at all. Do I march in the streets and demand the same salary as a physician? That would be absurd.<\/strong><\/p>\n Instead of browbeating Walmart and coveting thy neighbor\u2019s paycheck, maybe we should be inspiring people to educate and market themselves so they have skills employers need. I learned early in life that no one is going to pay me to sit around looking pretty.<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" This was written by a friend on Facebook: Against Bullying? Start with Walmart By: Christine Morabito \u2013 July, 2014 After years of harassment by special interest groups, Walmart is fighting back. As with most bullies, the claims they make have … Continue reading