Nickname: 87elkie

Review: Living in rural America has really opened my eyes as to bad Wal-Mart is. The prices here are about 25% higher than an urban store, and the wages and benefits are substantially lower. Some how I manage everything I need without going there.

Date reviewed: Oct 4, 2006 5:05 AM

Nickname: hard at work

Review: Where is the money and health care for the people that work there and stock there shelves? Think about this one- If every Wal-Mart associate walks out there would be no Wal-Mart.

Date reviewed: Oct 4, 2006 1:52 AM

Nickname: Chris

Review: It is hard to fault Wal-Mart anymore. They are working through the rules our sleazy government have layed down. If our government is failing us we have no one to blame but ourselves as we have elected them. Americans need to take their vote and make a well informed decision to make ourselves heard. You don't have to be smart to vote effectively you need to be informed. Critical thinking. Don't blame the water leaking into your house, fix the house that allowed the water in.

Date reviewed: Oct 3, 2006 5:33 PM

Nickname: Ripple

Review: Wal-Mart employees deserve not to have health care because they chose not to seek education? I am an Ivy League graduate student who spent years working for the retailer. Even after I earned my degree, I continued to work until I was able to find employment in my field. There were about two dozen college educated people working there who were not able to find anything better, because the small businesses where they had worked had gone under due to Wal-Mart's stronghold on local economy. Wal-Mart gobbles up a lot more than the little retail stores on Main St. There are a multitude of businesses that go under because Wal-Mart handles just about all of its own operations rather than contracting to existing businesses in the area. Once the retailers close because they can no longer compete, all the businesses that those retailers relied on,(paper suppliers, distribution centers, local manufacturers)go out of business because they no longer have anyone to buy their products and services.

Date reviewed: Oct 3, 2006 3:40 PM

Nickname: misha0507

Review: It is a crime, as far as I am concerned, that Wal-Mart is getting of the hook on health insurance. They did nothing to improve it, except make it easier for new hires to get it. The average associate who has it is going to see an increase from approximately $160 for the associate and spouse to $230. This is going to force some of them to take the cheaper coverage because they can no longer afford the best insurance plan. Also if you are a longtime associate, you won't even get a yearly raise anymore because they have put a cap on their raises. Where is the sense in any of this? But they can contribute millions to politicians, instead of the associate who needs it. The majority of associates in my store are working and still have to have public assistance!! It makes no sense. Sam Walton is rolling in his grave over the situation these associates are in today.

Date reviewed: Oct 3, 2006 2:31 PM

Nickname: Johnny

Review: This is to the uneducated people who do not know the real truth about Wal-Mart. First of all, you need to do a little research for yourself and find out how many billions of dollars of profits Wal-Mart makes per year. Second, you need to see how much is actually donated. You will see it is less than a fraction of there profits. Third, you need to wake up and smell the coffee: no one is perfect in this world, if you had any common sense of how people are raised and brought up differently you will understand, people make mistakes. Only the one above is the one who will judge. I believe Wal-Mart should become part of the union to not only benefit "The People," but this country as well. Wal-Mart will be known as a hero. This country is driving down a mountain with no breaks. Big Ccmpanies are getting away with murder. Not literally, but practically.

Date reviewed: Oct 3, 2006 9:44 AM

Nickname: hungry cowboy

Review: I get a kick out of comments such as made by 'girjar.' Health benefits result in Wal-Mart employees going back on public assistance such as Medicaid to stay afloat. That means that you and I are subsidizing Wal-Mart with our taxes. There is no doubt that Wal-Mart is a corporate predator. I agree that the store prices are low, but at what eventual cost. They can afford to donate huge sums to the community. They aren't offering their workers anything. The U.S. is fast becoming a "Tale of Two Cities"--super rich and the rest of us. The middle class is rapidly shrinking with government collusion. What made this country great was a lot of energetic people in the '50s through '80s creating a business idea that flourished and grew. We are living in a bubble. Nothing is made here anymore. The Chinese are helping us with the misadventure in Iraq by funding it. At some time in the future, even China will render a bill.

Date reviewed: Jul 23, 2006 5:36 PM

Nickname: gjrjar

Review: The more goeverment can get out of our lives and the more employers and employees can make their own deals, the better we will be. We are not children who need mommy and daddy to take care of us. Good employees are hard to come by and cannot be kept by empoloyers who do not pay the compensation required to attract and retain them. Only employees who wish to do the least and still have their jobs protected and be highly compensated want the govenment stepping in to dictate the terms of their employment.

Date reviewed: Jul 21, 2006 11:34 PM

Nickname: notamoron

Review: The solution is not to force Wal-Mart to provide healthcare because "otherwise we (taxpayers) end up paying for it anyway." Nor is the solution to blame the "people stupid enough to not improve their lot in life enough that they don't neeed to work at Wal-Mart." Ultimately, we need Wal-Mart workers and Wal-Mart does tend to keep prices lower. The real solution is to change the structure of the healthcare system, such that health benefits can be had at a reasonable price without relying on an employer plan, and such that health care costs are more in line with what the majority of people are able to afford. The (sticker) price of health services are many times outrageous, and insurance companies are able to negotiate more reasonable rates. Ultimately, it does not suprise me that low-wage workers spend more on healthcare, and they should spend more (as a percentage) on necessary items like healthcare. If you need more money for non-necessities, then get a better job.

Date reviewed: Jul 21, 2006 11:08 PM

Nickname: confused

Review: So Wal-Mart is spending more money on lobbyists and PR instead of healthcare? Ridiculous. This article just reinforces our current societal mores. The corporation is more important than the individual. Power, productivity, and profit over the things that matter most-- family, food, and shelter. Wal-Mart imports everything from China now, anyway. Ever heard of a trade deficit? What about sweatshops? Only hypocrites shop at and support Wal-Mart.

Date reviewed: Jul 21, 2006 4:24 PM