A Berkeley report puts the average cost of welfare and health assistance to poorly paid Wal-Mart workers at $1952 a year. That's 39% more assistance than the average retail worker who makes 30% more a year. The story at Hometown Advantage points out that Wal-Mart's defence "well those workers would be unemployed without us" is specious at best since the net effect of Wal-Mart stores is to shift equal numbers of jobs from higher paying local stores to lower paying Wal-Mart stores. In fact, since Wal-Mart is "more efficient" it will probably actually create fewer jobs. In a final blow to the local community some states will find a large corporation will exploit a tax loophole to shift its profits out of state and avoid paying any taxes. Fortunately California has already closed that one!
Now if I could only convince my wealthy friends not to run off and shop at Wal-Mart to save a few bucks. Sending your hard earned dollars into the bowels of a huge multinational is simply funding the Axis of Retail! Remember folks, shopping at your local neighborhood store is patriotic.
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