bmclaughlin807

I stopped at Best Buy the other day to pick up some headphones for my mp3 player... parked my bike just inside the door, and locked the wheel to the frame to keep someone from riding off on it, and did my shopping.

Didn't have any problems, the greeter (Who'd just watched me lock my bike INSIDE the store) was very nice, and told me to have a good evening and a safe ride when I left.

Maybe people just like me more.

MarkS

"Since I could not go to WalMart, WalMart had to come to me"

Only a few years ago WalMart was this exotic place 20 miles away. Then 3 years ago they built one 3 miles away. Now there's one only 1 mile away. At this rate, there will be one on the corner by Spring.

The WalMart I sometimes go to has what looks like mega bike racks. Don't know what they are really meant for, but I think WalMart uses them to block off access to shopping carts at night and to block traffic around their Christmas tree exhibits. Maybe they use them for bike sales too. You could probably park a hundred bikes on them. When these racks are unavailable, WM has several "U Tube" regular bike racks. Maybe enough for a half dozen thoughtful cyclists.

Shopping at small "mom & pop" places there often isn't anything to lock up to -- not even a sign post. Not even the two closest bike shops have any official bike parking! No official bike parking at Albertson's or the bank or most other local businesses. So, on that score WM is doing better than average.

What people don't like about WM usually relates to unionization or to their globalized product selection. But Target isn't unionized, and it doesn't get this kind of flack. And everyone sells cheap products made overseas. I don't know where you could shop for just "American made" products. If you don't like globalization, then don't vote Republican. Or Democrat. I remember at one of the global trading sign-offs every living president (except for RR -- Nancy stood in) showed up.

MarkS

I doubt the hate-mongers -- like Rash Limburger -- have ever read the Bible.

AFDC, the largest welfare program, was cancelled during the Clinton administration. WIC only pays out for something like 2 years, and you have to start working after that. Food stamps used to pay something like a maximum of $80/month. Wow. Do the poor know how live big or what.

Far right talk show hosts would rather having us hating imaginary welfare cheats than addressing the half-trillion dollars we've spent securing the interests of big oil.

I-Like-To-Bike

Some posters here just look down on people who shop at Walmart instead, eh?

mike

Why chose between two stinkies? Both are bad. I don't like getting ripped off by the rich or the poor.

oldguy52

Excuse me ...... But why shouldn't a person be able to write his mortgage interest, a legitimate expense, off his income taxes??

For those who don't like Walmart maybe consider this. They got to where they are today because they give most people what they want. Nobody has held a gun to anyone's head and forced them to shop there. Yeah, I'm not a big fan of them either, but the fact is, in this country, price rules and they sure seem to get that right. 'Course quality, selection and service suffer, but apparently that is not all that important to most consumers.

NotAsFat

The cart racks at my local Albertson's are pristine. Of course, they're 4-inch welded pipe construction, so they'll f**k up more than just a car's paint, and painted road stripe yellow, so anyone who can't see them has no business going out of the house without a guide dog. Also, the ones nearest the building have about a 2 - 3 foot space between them and an island, so there's a place that cars (or runaway carts) can't fit. Not all cart racks are that bike friendly, but when they're that good, I don't mind using them.

NotAsFat

+1 on this. Americans are among the most personally generous people on the planet. We may not have as comprehensive a government safety net as some countries, but Americans give far more money to charities than any other people in the world. It pisses me off when people who give thousands, millions, and in a few cases, billions of dollars to charities get bashed because they don't want to give the rest of their money to the IR-f**king-S.

Zero_Enigma

Same here. Big Warehouses are fun to walk around in. Tho big box stores are nice for more selection in one location tho I hate always being bugged by the sales staff "can I help you?" and it gets worst if you're in a commisioned store. Also most of the time I know more about hte products from online research then the people on the floor those you do get the occasional person that knows it all. Welcome tot he club. Not too big on the sales people as well. You often get pushed stuff you don't really need just so they can up thier quota/commision.

Well to the OP's question I have a number of Wally's around here and only one of them I can make it to on the bike. It's more on flat land with a slight hill climb while the other one you have to climb like 4 hills to get to it then you're just drained out. I know Wally's business practices are the suck to keep those low prices. We're all not making $100/hour to walk off elsewhere as we all want to get more of our dollar. Then again Wallys has the best return policy (90days in Canada) of any store pretty much nearly question/hassle free. I only buy some items and supplies from Wallys myself and price matching for some stuff.



Zero_Enigma

JeffS

What's "legitimate". Forget that you expect it to be there. Pretend it hasn't been.

Take:
- Family A, two adults, two kids, $100,000/yr income - renting for for $1200/mo
- Family B, two adults, two kids, $100,000/yr income - mortgage payment of $1200/mo

What reason do you have for giving family B a tax deduction?

I think I know why it was implemented. I don't agree with it though, and I can think of absolutely no reason that it should exist.

Spaceman Spiff

Because someone who owns a house pays taxes on it, while someone in an appartment does not.

oldguy52

Word

cycleaddict

I agree with this in principal. The government should give equal tax breaks based upon how much are your housing costs.

However, it is their idea to spur the economy by pumping up the housing market. After all they say that is what has kept our economy afloat and humming along for so long- until rates began to rise in the last year or so to head off inflation.

This type of law only rewards those who have good credit since its only these people who can get a home loan. Of course if we have more people who are reliable when it comes to making regular payments and not defaulting on purchases than its beneficial for the whole of the financial sector- and eventually provides that many more jobs for some poor family in bangladesh or indonesia *sigh*. America- selling itself bit by bit to china. you know that we are having a serious problem in this country when the hardware for some of our military equipment is made in asia? Not that I am a big proponent of war but a nation must have a way of defending itself- i for one dont agree with the offensive in iraq and am against the military being used in that way. what happened at pearl harbor however is a different story. It is said that approx 1/3rd of all american business and industries are foreign owned. Only to go higher imo. Ok I know the root topic is about wallmart but isnt that sort of political? I get most my stuff at a grocery store about a 1/2 mile from the house and sometimes go to lowes since its accessible by back roads. the walmart around here is in a rather dangerous area for cyclists and is a bit too far away on the outskirts of the urban area.


whatever, nevermind...

Roody

Wrong. Renters don't pay property taxes directly, but they certainly are part of the monthly rent payment. In fact, renters pay more taxes, because the landlord can't deuct the mortgage interest on income property.

I know it's hard to accept that you're the beneficiary of a government handout, especially if you're a neocon, but it's a simple fact that you are. Sorry that I had to break the news to you that you're receiving welfare. Don't hate me...I'm only the messenger.

(My college economics teacher taught me about this government mortgage giveaway, many years ago, and he was chairman of the county Republican Party.)

JeffS

My stance, of course, is that there shouldn't be tax breaks for either.

Here's another example.

Person A has a mortgage on a 200,000 house.
Person B bought the house next door, but paid with cash they inherited from a long-lost uncle.

Why should person A get a deduction and person B not? (again, I think neither should).

cycleaddict is right, we're propping up the housing market, but we've created a country with enourmous personal debt. What happens if oil prices double or triple? what if natural gas supplies continue to dwindle and noone can afford to heat their traditionally built suburban homes? People start to sell, prices plummet and the whole system comes crashing down.

No, I don't really expect the government to give up the abilty to steer their sheep with taxes. That doesn't keep me from wishing though.

r8ingbull

It's my experience that Walmart shoppers are either the dumbest or the most unethical people I have ever met. Just this weekend I was run into by a van pulling into the walmart lot. This van had stickers all over the rear window: "piss on Japan" "Piss on China" "Buy American" "hurricane Bush" blah blah blah... He was close enough that I reached out and punched the side of it. Missed my dog by 3". The driver actually had the nerve to get out of his car and confront me. Ending up calling the cops and they wrote him a ticket. See what I mean dumb dumb dumb.

Roody

Good points, but personally (even though I choose to rent) I think it's fine if governments use the tax structure to encourage worthy behavior like investing in a home.

I just hate it when the recipeients of these tax deductions refuse to acknowledge that they are benefitting from government entitlement programs, which are really the same as welfare. These middle-class recipients are either ungrateful or hypocritical when they rag on poor people for accepting handouts, then turn around and accept much larger handouts for themselves.

littledog

Good points, but personally (even though I choose to rent) I think it's fine if governments use the tax structure to encourage worthy behavior like investing in a home.

I just hate it when the recipeients of these tax deductions refuse to acknowledge that they are benefitting from government entitlement programs, which are really the same as welfare. These middle-class recipients are either ungrateful or hypocritical when they rag on poor people for accepting handouts, then turn around and accept much larger handouts for themselves.[/QUOTE]

It seems like nobody is better at getting government handouts than Wal-Mart. And there is no end to it in sight. Yet they won't build stores in poorer areas of America because there is not a big enough profit in it for them.

Many of the NEW low income or poor people got where they are now because of Wal-Mart outsourcing from poor countries. So they have to buy at Wal-Mart or a similar type store just to survive. They used to make good money in manufacturing jobs. Maybe the work for a big box store now at 1/3 the pay and benefits or less. In the county I live in-population 250,000- the average income has decreased 15% in the last ten years due to loss of good paying manufacturing jobs.

peace_piper

No. For the very reasons you mentioned as well as my own personal ones. They're too hard to get to on bike, no where safe (for my peace of mind) to lock my bike and they support a kind of culture I disagree with on a basic level.

I second the DVD a couple of other posters mentioned. The High Cost of Low-Price.

I try to buy everything I need made in America. One thing I really hate about Wal-mart is the marketing that they are a great "American" company, but all their stuff is made in China!! That's not American pride!

r8ingbull

Do you buy for "american made" or for quality? I prefer to buy the best quality possible. I have a hard time dealing with companies that started in the US making high quality goods, only to send production overseas only to fool people into thinking it's the same old quality.

brokenrobot

No, Walmart got to where it is today because most people don't understand how the business plan works. I doubt very much whether people would shop there as often if they understood the *true* cost of Walmart goods, including all of the externalities that are paid for not by Walmart but by the communities Walmart builds in, in the form of higher loads on the welfare and public health systems (because Walmart provides lower than average wages and generally zero benefits - and has in fact been known to encourage employees to go on food stamps rather than giving them full-time hours), decreased tax revenue (because Walmart negotiates extensive tax amnesties when building, and then drives existing businesses that pay taxes out of business, partly because the margins are so much higher when taxes aren't a factor. Sales tax incomes often remain relatively stable, since the same dollars are spent at Walmart that would have been spent elsewhere - but the taxes paid by Walmart itself are usually negligible.), loss of American manufacturing capacity, and other factors. Walmart's products aren't actually cheaper in the long run, considering the price every member of the community pays for Walmart's presence - but since people don't see the big picture and because the "sticker" price is often lower than at other stores, Walmart remains successful.

brokenrobot

Here's the thing. Charity is of course to be commended, but it is not a replacement for one's civic duty. No successful American ever got that way without taking advantage of the benefits provided by our governmental system: the schools, the good roads, the armed forces, the scientific and medical research, the law enforcement and emergency medical services, the fire department, and lots and lots of other programs that we all depend on every day.

When a person becomes successful after depending on such public goods and then refuses to pay his fair share of taxes, that person is not just avoiding "giving money to the IRS"; he's working to cripple the system that helped him become successful and decreasing the likelihood that others will become successful in their turn. The tax-evader is a lousy American and a bad example even if he gives to his church and to Doctors Without Borders.

MarkS

Boy, has this thread drifted or what?
In other forums it has been claimed that Americans give less per capita than other countries. Does anyone know of a good source for comparing giving among countries? I suspect that some people will concentrate on "charitable" giving and conclude that Americans are more charitable (though our charities are tax deductable) and others will concentrate on our government programs and conclude that Americans are less charitable (because its impossible to chart what the myriad of government agencies are all doing).

MarkS

Welfare is a drop in the bucket. Someone working part-time is probably going to get $30 a month in food stamps. If local community officials want to give tax breaks to WalMart, then maybe its the elected officials that should be challenged. In my community they like to give huge blocks of land to privately owned sports organizations. Gifts to billionaires. Go figure. All of the stores sell goods manufactured overseas. I don't know where you'd buy just American made products.

What people don't recognize is that when they complain about WM, they're actually complaining about capitalism. WM has just been better at it than most others.

Machka 

I don't know where you live, but my closest Walmart is about 3 kms away, and the other one is about 10 kms away. Both are well within city limits.

They are definitely not hard to get to .... if I can't cycle 3 kms or 10 kms, there's something seriously wrong with me!! In fact, I will WALK to the one that's 3 kms away now and then.


And when I lived in Winnipeg, my closest Walmart was in a shopping complex about 6 kms away ... very easy to get to by bicycle or on foot!!