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In 2001/02, my family spent two years travelling around North America. All four of us lived in a bus-style Monaco RV. Instead of middle school, I was home-schoo
by dcposch 13y ago
In 2001/02, my family spent two years travelling around North America. All four of us lived in a bus-style Monaco RV. Instead of middle school, I was home-schooled by my mom. We drove as far north as Alaska and as far south as Belize and had adventures---it was a great time.
I just wanted to say: Walmart deserves credit for being very cool toward travellers. We spent many nights parked for free in their truck spots.
Walmart gets a lot of hate here in the bay area, but I really like them. If I may wax philosophical for a minute... I see Walmart as basic infrastructure. They are everywhere; they're always open; they sell everything, nearly at cost; they employ 2.2 million people, many of which would otherwise be on welfare or disability; and when you need a place to spend the night, even if you find yourself in Winnemucca at 1am with a 40-foot long vehicle and no RV park reservation--they're always there for you.
- rjbond3rd 13y ago> many of which would otherwise be on welfare I get what you're saying, but Walmart employment is (alas) very compatible with being a welfare recipient, and rather than preventing welfare, Walmart is actually subsidized by it (at least according to a recently popular theory).
- protomyth 13y agoThe local Walmart pays better than the local grocery store or any of the small businesses on main street. There is a reason that so many apply.
- rsl7 13y agobetter.. if they let you work full time.
- protomyth 13y agoGiven the new healthcare law, no main street business is going to have full-time workers other than relatives. 29 is going to be it.
- code_duck 13y agoSure, now that Walmart has crushed those businesses, it can afford to pay a little more than they can.
- protomyth 13y agoThose businesses are still around, it is pretty easy given what Walmart actually sells. Amazon is more a pain for a lot of those businesses.
- code_duck 13y agoThe ones that are still around, are still around. There's been plenty of documentation of walmart's negative effect on small cities' retail, manufacturing and tax bases.
- protomyth 13y agoAnd that documentation would be (the manufacturing and tax base info would be interesting)? I see it quoted a lot, but I don't see much in the way of independent studies (and I am disinclined to believe union studies as much as I won't believe Walmart internal reports).
- code_duck 13y agoWalmart's practice of locating stores just outside of municipalities to avoid local sales tax affects sales tax revenues.
- jamesbritt 13y agoAnother view on "subsidizing Walmart": http://www.forbes.com/sites/timworstall/2013/06/10/if-the-welfare-system-subsidises-walmart-then-should-we-ban-welfare-to-stop-subsidising-walmart/ http://www.forbes.com/sites/timworstall/2013/06/10/if-the-we...
- 001sky 13y agoI see Walmart as basic infrastructure. Exactly. Its a like a fuel/food and gear depot. Best part is they all have identical layouts. You can shop 125k sq ft and find everything right in its place =D.