Wal-Mart Chapter II: - Thanks to all who posted a response to my question about Wal-Mart. Now that the Commission has authorized taking the project to the next steps, I want to respond to a couple of the comments that were made. I think one of the difficulties in decision-making on this one is in separating real issues from truisms or anti-Wal-Mart jargon, of which there is a fair amount out there, though I know some would argue it's all true.

First, with respect to comments about Wal-Mart's goods all being "made in China", (and the "by slave labor" corollary), this is an issue that reaches well beyond Wal-Mart. I'd venture an educated guess that the same thing could be said about what's on the shelves of many of our stores that are much higher "up" on the "up-scale." No doubt this is an economic issue for the U.S.A., though some would argue that is simply economic efficiency being played out on a global scale. It occurs to me to wonder what one of our leading local free-market philosophers, Matt Walsh out at the Observer would say about that - I'll have to forward this to him to find out!

Second, with respect to the quality of the wages and benefits available to Wal-Mart employees, Wal-Mart representatives say this is a somewhat obsolete argument, and I have seen some evidence to support that, though I can't provide a citation at this moment. (This is certainly something we want to know more about as well.) I know one thing that is important to the City Commission is jobs that lead somewhere, and I expect some discussion of training benefits and such to become a part of any eventual development agreement, among other things.

Of course neither of these are definitive statements, just thoughts to add to the conversation.