Here's Your Welfare in America

Quote of the day -- On Our Free Markets. And Humanity

What the Nation Needs to Know About Walmart, the Waltons and a True, Livable Wage

With great thanks, once again, to economist Robert Reich:

Interesting graphic

Made me Google Jack Taylor:

Here Is The Richest Person In Each State

Note Texas, Wyoming and Arkansas and what they have in common.

Apparently, with a few exceptions, all the Waltons have to do is show up and they trump all others.

Things that will change--greatly--with the next generations

I've noticed a few things about the preferences of the next, younger generations, that are different--vastly different--from the way America and Americans are now. There will be big changes with the coming younger people. Whole economies will be turned upside down, if not eliminated entirely:

First thing I noticed is that they have vastly, vastly different preferences for ways to spend their time. Nowhere is this more true than when it comes to computers and television.

The younger the person, the less likely they are to watch TV, period. At least, they don't watch it on a television set.  Instead, they spend far more of their time--frequently all their spare time--on their computers.

That's a big change in and of itself.

A second part of that is that they don't need or want "cable TV." They wouldn't even think of paying for a TV subscription, let alone what it costs at present.

Those factors alone will bode hugely in change and changes for TV providers like Cox, Time Warner Cable®, Comcast, AT&T® and the like. They will have to transform themselves greatly in just a few short years. Big changes are going to come.

Second, or, in a way, thirdly, a big change is that younger people want and own fewer cars. As in none, in many cases. That will mean huge changes in transportation for our country, certainly.  Maybe more car poolers?  Mass transportation?  It seems likely.

Third, not only will entire industries be racked by change, with some, lots, maybe, even likely, entire cities and towns will also be racked by change. One city right now is going through such a change, with no optimistic outcome in sight.

That city is Branson, Missouri.

Formerly, millions of dollars were made, rather famously, on the idea of people driving or busing into that city in order to see the various shows, performers, singers and other acts at this Northwest Arkansas hamlet.

No longer.

Last Summer, the again famous "Shepherd of the Hills" show closed after decades of performances.

Branson seems to be next.

The senior citizens that formerly used to stream through the city have either seen enough of the shows or, worse, they're literally dying. From what I understand, the theaters down there are quietly for sale, behind the scenes. It seems they can be bought for fractions of what they were once worth. It stands to reason. The younger people don't want to and will not be going there for their entertainment. It's in no way their style entertainment.

Side note:  If the Walton family, of the Walmart fortune, know what's good for them and Northwest Arkansas, they would step up, pony in some big money---they can easily and well afford---and try to get set up an artist's colony-type arrangement in the town and area, much like Asheville, North Carolina has now. I think it could help the burg and that area transition to a better, newer, functioning, surviving, even thriving area and economy. If they don't or someone doesn't, I'd look for Branson, one day, and possibly, very likely one day very soon, to be a rather hollowed-out, sad and run down place of yesteryear unless they or someone very like them--Tyson Foods? someone--steps in.

We shall see, of course, on all.

Things Wal-mart control or will one day control

Things Wal-mart control already or will, one day soon, control here in the US:

--Retail sales for cheap, commodity crap

--Cell phone business.  The cheap cell phone business, anyway

--Groceries.

--Banking.  Wait for it.  (You know a family member already owns a banking chain, right? Arvest?)

Seriously, shop somewhere else for the holidays

Timely Christmas and holiday idea

First up, stay away from Wal-mart.

Please.

Next, after that, just try your best to stay away from corporate gifts and stores, for that matter.

Start the whole process for gifts for family or friends, if you're doing it at all, with thoughts of how you can get them things that are handmade or that you make or from some local art store or artist, or whatever.

Get, be and stay creative and see what you can come up with.

The gift will be far more appreciated if it isn't corporate and/or made, cheaply, on some other continent.

Good luck.

And if you do it, thanks, in advance.

KC Royals: The Wal-Mart of the MLB

To what other conclusion do you arrive? Now the Royals have let Frank White go. I have to think it's for two reasons. First, they just didn't like or want his input, after having read the Star today and Sam Mellinger's seemingly very good coverage of the situation in the paper this morning. Second reason? They automatically save a likely big salary. All those dineros go straight to the bottom line. Worst thing about it for the Royals, as far as the front office is concerned? They take a short-term public relations hit. Personally, I had no idea Frank went from not only living nearby what became their stadium but also working construction on it. From the Star's article: "He grew up a few miles from what became the Truman Sports Complex, and worked on the construction crew that built Royals Stadium. He is the ultimate success story of the old Royals Academy, playing 18 seasons with eight Gold Gloves, five All-Star games, and helping win the team’s only World Series championship in 1985." All thrown away. Thanks, Mr. Glass. The thing about Wal-Mart is, sure you can get spaghetti-os for 67 cents a can, sure. Great savings. But the result is the stores are so freaking ugly. And that's the Royals. Great bottom line, just don't expect to even go to the penant race, let alone all the way to the Series. Links: http://www.kansascity.com/2011/12/02/3298952/im-done-with-the-royals-frank.html; http://www.kansascity.com/2011/12/02/3298853/royals-dump-former-star-and-kc.html; http://www.kansascity.com/2011/12/02/3298073/frank-white-through-the-years.html

On shopping at Wal-Mart

For Christmas, I was given a gift card for Wal-Mart and while I certainly, absolutely appreciate the thought and gift, after having gone there this evening to get some mecessities (read:  commodities), I want to note some things that come to mind, having done so:

1)  I don't know how anyone can stand it.  I don't know how anyone can stand Wal-Mart and I don't know how anyone can stand the experience.  On being there, I feel not just cheap but downright dirty.  The place is beyond unattractive and, worse, I really do come away feeling as though I've sold out my fellow man and woman, all so I could get cheap stuff at cheap prices.  Ugh.  It just makes for a really vile experience;

2)  I don't know how people could then go back and do it again and again, only to save a buck;

3)  Target doesn't feel dirty.  Or cheap;

4)  Costco doesn't feel dirty or cheap either;

5)  Dollar General doesn't even feel dirty or cheap (and some things I purchased last evening were less expensive at Dollar General);

6)  If you're a Walton, wouldn't you feel dirty and/or cheap (hopefully both), if not already, then eventually and sooner than later?  Can you imagine being beholden to the company that is known for being the cheapest on the planet, even if it is for a fortune?  A huge fortune, at that?  How disgusting.

Added to it is the fact that 4--count 'em, four--of the top ten wealthiest Americans are Waltons, too.  (http://www.forbes.com/wealth/forbes-400--they are numbers 4, 7, 8 and 9 on the list).  I can't imagine being worth approximately 20 or more billion dollars, as each of those four are, and having my name tied to such a disgusting looking--and acting--company as Wal-Mart.  But that's me.  (I know I'm not alone in this, however).

By comparison, consider the Hall family that owns and runs Hallmark and all their affiliate companies.  While no one person, let alone family, is perfect, Hallmark, the company, is known for quality in virtually everything it does and a great deal of people have ended up making good livings--and retirements--from having worked their lives there.

Another example would be the Kempers who own and run Commerce Bank.  They've made sure they run a quality organization that also happens to pay a decent living wage to its employees.

The Waltons?  Not only do they sell the most cheap crap, made from wherever, on the planet, but their company has also earned a reputation--shown on national television, "60 Minutes", to be specific--that they exploited their employees so much that they had directions for their employees on company stationery on how to apply for government benefits because they were paid so little at their jobs at Wal-Mart.

I will give them some amount of credit here for a) going "green" with some of their new stores and b) trying, as I understand it, to clean up their image but they've really laid down a bad track record and have a long way to go to clean it up.

Finally, Wal-Mart is also the company whose executive owns one of the worst, cheapest and losingest baseball teams in all of Major League Baseball.

What, exactly then, is there to like about Wal-Mart, anyway?

Just because the Waltons don't have any self-respect, doesn't mean we can't.

From what I've read of the original founder, Sam Walton, he paid a living wage to his employees and absolutely would not have wanted the corporation he started, owned and run this way.

Link:  http://books.google.com/books?id=iUm_y4JZLvQC&printsec=frontcover&dq=sam+walton&source=bll&ots=qtypWHSMxj&sig=JWVvJGg-h-ya7x3IlGAafo0arkk&hl=en&ei=lIEwTYTELYyugQf17dGqCw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=19&ved=0CJ8BEOgBMBI#v=onepage&q&f=false

Wal-Mart, your local banker, redux

I wrote about this last year--Wal-Mart, huge retail everything company, next up to take over cheep banking. Don't say you weren't warned. Wal-Mart Isn't A Bank. Yet. July 6, 2010 by JACOB GOLDSTEIN Sam's Club, a division of Wal-Mart, will work with a finance company to offer loans of up to $25,000 to small businesses, the company said today. It's the latest in the company's move into the world of finance. When Wal-Mart applied for a bank charter a few years ago, regulators said no. A charter would have allowed Wal-Mart to take deposits and make loans. But that rejection hasn't stopped the company from significantly expanding its financial offerings. The actual lending in the new program will be done by Superior Financial Group, a federally regulated lender. But Sam's Club is promoting the loans, and members will get a discount on the application fee and on the interest rate. And Sam's Club may expand the types of loans it offers through third parties, the New York Times reported over the weekend. One company, over all, indivisible. Shut up and eat. Link to original post: http://www.npr.org/blogs/money/2010/07/06/128333221/wal-mart-isn-t-a-bank-yet-but-it-s-getting-there