[Winona Online Democracy]
To Jerome, Jamie, Online Scholarly material on Wal-Mart's impact on neighboring stores within a relatively large geographic area is relatively rare, so Jerome Christiansen' s perplexity over the often-repeated "2 jobs created and 3 jobs lost" statement is understandable. Jamie Growth provided some general information on the topic. But most of the specific data reported by the late Donella Meadows, an adjunct professor of environmental studies at Dartmouth and an environmental activist, and her associates, rely primarily on brief case studies, individual reports and projections whose differences of purpose and method make generalization for a wider sphere difficult. Nevertheless, concrete data on employment loss can be found in work by Kenneth Stone, professor of economics at Iowa State University (not the University of Iowa, as the Winona Post reported in a different context). His research in small towns in rural Iowa indicated that after 5 years of Wal-Mart's existence, towns with the Wal-Mart had a slight increase in employment, but towns within a 20 mile range of towns with a Wal-Mart revealed a 25 percent drop in employment. This finding has been published in numerous places, including a refereed journal (a source not often found in this emotionally-charged controversy), Economic Development Review, spring, 1995. More detailed information can be found in his in-house study "Competing with Mass Marketing" (Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa) and, in a wider context, his book published by Wiley in 1995. Stone's target locations in the Iowa study-a group of small communities-hardly duplicate Winona's situation, but they can provide insight. Do the different neighborhoods in Winona make it a counterpart of one town with several small ones? Stone, incidentally, has produced many pieces (including reports for individual communities) on the subject of mass retailers' impact on local business. He rather clearly does not believe Wal-Mart is beneficial when other retailers already provide needed items, although he is not sympathetic to retailers who fail to modify their practices is such a way that they can meet Wal-Mart's activities. Stone has conducted seminars for small business owners throughout the world on means of meeting competition from mass retailers. Although many of his journal articles and reports and cases have limited accessibility (at least for people in Winona), general information can be garnered simply by using a search engine for Kenneth E. Stone. His website is http://www.econ.iastate.edu/faculty/stone/. Details of his work may be found in his "vita" section. His advice to retailers who cannot stop Wal-Mart's entry is quite interesting, and evidently has often proved successful in saving businesses that find the giant a neighbor. (A curious fact for at least to some consumers: He found that out of some 75,000 items for sale in Wal-Mart's, only 500-600-less than one percent--were really cheaper than items provided by the local competition; people wrongly assume that if a few items are cheaper than normal, all others are too and consequently end up buying items they could have had just as cheaply--perhaps more cheaply--at an nearby retail store. Wal-Mart is not the only enterprise that does this pricing, of course.) Roy Nasstrom ----- Original Message ----- From: "Jerome Christenson" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Friday, July 11, 2003 10:21 AM Subject: RE: [Winona] Wal-Mart [Winona Online Democracy] Greetings, The claim that "for every 2 new Wal Mart jobs that are created, 3 others are lost in the community" has surfaced and resurfaced recently, always without citation or attribution. Could someone provide me with the source of this assertion and the research supporting it. Thanks, Jerome -----Original Message----- From: Dwayne Voegeli [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Friday, July 11, 2003 6:52 AM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: FW: [Winona] Walmart [Winona Online Democracy] Hello Winona Online Democracy, I can't believe that people are so naive about the so called benefits of Wal Mart. Yes, they sell low price diapers, televisions, et al but at what other costs? Here is a quick and short list of the other costs of Wal Mart: 1. Lost jobs: Wal Mart does NOT mean new jobs, it will merely replace already existing jobs. Furthermore, it won't even be an even replacement. Nation wide, 2. Lousy jobs: The average pay for Wal Mart was $15,000 in 2001. The average full time employee works 28 hours a week. Only 38% of Wal Mart employees have any semblance of health insurance, let alone other benefits. Is that the direction we want to take Winona families? 3. Lost locally owned businesses. Not only do many of these businesses support the community in ways that Wal Mart never will, we will lose the multiplier effect of locally recycled dollars. Wal Mart is a global vacuum cleaner that sucks profits out of local communities and transfers that wealth into it's centralized self. Which in turn buys more political advantage, which in turn leads to more economic power, which in turn leads to more political advantage, which in turn... 4. Wal Mart even drives down the slave wages of global sweat shops. 5. Wal Mart has nothing to do with normal and healthy business competition. It's power derives from colonial purchasing practices abroad and the power of a monopoly at home. The list could go on and on. Besides, when we agreed to that half cent sales tax, wasn't it based on the premise that manufacturing would go in the industrial park? Wal Mart is exactly what we do NOT need. More lousy, low paying, no health insurance jobs. It's not too late but it's getting close. We need to put pressure on the City Council. Dwayne Voegeli ====================== >Delivered-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >From: "Paul Double" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >To: "On Line Democracy" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >Subject: FW: [Winona] Walmart > >[Winona Online Democracy] > >I find it hard to believe that some in the Winona community believe that >banning consumer driven successful large retail chains will benefit the >community. I for one welcome new larger retail stores that reduce prices, >avoid trips to La Crosse, Rochester and even the twin cities. > >Those of us who live on the east end of the city have waited for years for a >large grocery store. Local retailers have had years to step up to the plate >and provide us with a convenient east end location. If it takes a Wal-Mart >or Sam's Club to do it hip, hip array! > >While many people desire the shop quaint little stores some of us prefer the >one stop shop. We also prefer to make our purchases during hours we are not >working; not the hours the small merchant "wants to work". We like stores >that provide sizes that are not the norm whether that is shoes for wide EEEE >or narrow AAAA feet or pants or slacks with 28 inch inseams because they >inseam on site while you wait. We like the internet because items are >almost always in stock from someone. We believe shopping is a task not a >form of entertainment. > >We also would like the state and city to enjoy the revenue from the >property, sales and the personal income taxes that are provided by the Big >Box Stores thus reducing our taxes. We are tired of needing to purchase >outside of Winona because the items we want are not on the shelf in Winona. > >Every manufacturer in Winona deals with both global and large competitors. >Why should the consumers not benefit from similar opportunities of larger >selections, price competition and local purchasing? > >Paul Double > >-----Original Message----- >On Behalf Of John N. Finn >Sent: Thursday, July 10, 2003 5:56 AM > >This is a link to a site containing essays, some of which support one side >of Winona's current newspaper debate over the possibility of Wal-Mart coming >to town...... > >http://www.newrules.org/retail/index.html > > > > > >_______________________________________________ >This message was posted to Winona Online Democracy >All messages must be signed by the senders actual name. >No commercial solicitations are allowed on this list. >To manage your subscription or view the message archives, please visit >http://mapnp.mnforum.org/mailman/listinfo/winona >Any problems or suggestions can be directed to >mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] >If you want help on how to contact elected officials, go to the Contact page at > http://www.winonaonlinedemocracy.org > ------------ Dwayne Voegeli Winona County Commissioner, District #2 (507) 453-9012 [EMAIL PROTECTED] 870 44th Ave. Winona, MN 55987 ------------ _______________________________________________ This message was posted to Winona Online Democracy All messages must be signed by the senders actual name. No commercial solicitations are allowed on this list. To manage your subscription or view the message archives, please visit http://mapnp.mnforum.org/mailman/listinfo/winona Any problems or suggestions can be directed to mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] If you want help on how to contact elected officials, go to the Contact page at http://www.winonaonlinedemocracy.org _______________________________________________ This message was posted to Winona Online Democracy All messages must be signed by the senders actual name. No commercial solicitations are allowed on this list. To manage your subscription or view the message archives, please visit http://mapnp.mnforum.org/mailman/listinfo/winona Any problems or suggestions can be directed to mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] If you want help on how to contact elected officials, go to the Contact page at http://www.winonaonlinedemocracy.org _______________________________________________ This message was posted to Winona Online Democracy All messages must be signed by the senders actual name. No commercial solicitations are allowed on this list. To manage your subscription or view the message archives, please visit http://mapnp.mnforum.org/mailman/listinfo/winona Any problems or suggestions can be directed to mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] If you want help on how to contact elected officials, go to the Contact page at http://www.winonaonlinedemocracy.org
