Comments on: Wal-Mart Derangement Syndrome?

By: Signifying Nothing

Signifying Nothing — Mon, 28 Aug 2006 16:42:34 +0000

Blame Wal-Mart...

Diet Coke with Splenda is Wal-Mart’s fault. Keep this up and I may join the legions of liberals and communitarians suffering from Wal-Mart derangement syndrome....

By: Scott Harris

Scott Harris — Mon, 28 Aug 2006 05:38:56 +0000

I spent $500.00 this weekend at Walmart that would have cost me at least $600.00 elsewhere. I like having that extra $100.00.

By: Steve Verdon

Steve Verdon — Sat, 26 Aug 2006 03:47:25 +0000

I suggest that Ezra Klein buy a basic economics textbook that covers monopsony and monopoly. The definition is one buyer or seller depending on which one you are working with. Since there are places like Costco, Target, and other retailers the idea that Wal-Mart is a monopsony isn't just inaccurate it is idiotic.

By: Pagar

Pagar — Sat, 26 Aug 2006 03:29:04 +0000

Democrat politicians think they have an easy way to repay the unions for all their delivered votes and
financial contributions. The politicians and the
union bosses win big. The Walmart employees, the Walmart stockholders, and the American public loses.

By: Blog @ Morewhat.com » Blog Archive » A Good Read at Outside The Beltway

Sat, 26 Aug 2006 00:54:59 +0000

[...] Visit this link at Outside The Beltway for a good read about Wal-Mart. [...]

By: Stanford Matthews

Stanford Matthews — Sat, 26 Aug 2006 00:44:30 +0000

I must be deranged. I am not a fan of Wal-Mart. By contrast, when AT&T was really AT&T, I loved them. I loved AT&T not because they were large or successful or a regulated monopoly. I loved getting what I paid for, consistent quality, reliable products and a sense of supporting made in America pride.
Not what I would expect from Wal-Mart. Fair or not, there seems to be a widespread impression that Wal-Mart is ruthless and sinister. Deserved or not, it may be a case of perception becoming reality.

By: vnjagvet

vnjagvet — Fri, 25 Aug 2006 22:57:35 +0000

If WalMart had a bad reputation as an employer, it would have to pay more money to attract a staff of reasonably polite competent employees without whom its clientelle would be lost.

Clearly it is neither its employees nor its customers nor its stockholders who are unhappy.

Other than them, who cares?

By: tom

tom — Fri, 25 Aug 2006 18:58:39 +0000

It is very bad economic theory to say that a company that augments the demand for labor by hiring 1.2 million people is driving down wages. An argument might be that if those 1.2 or so million people weren't working for Wal-Mart they would be working somewhere else like a "Mom and Pop" stores. But what would one think happen to wages at the "Mom and Pop" stores if suddenly 1.2 million applied for jobs there? Wages would certainly be bid down at those "Mom and Pop" stores if the demand for labor was decreased by 1.2 million. In fact, the argument in favor of the inefficient producers ("Mom and Pop" stores) over Wal-Mart smacks of the protectionist argument against free trade that favors the inefficient domestic producer over more efficient foreign competition. Wal-Mart is a retail establishment and retail jobs are relatively low paying. Wal-Mart is not hiring engineers, chemists and nuclear scientists. Some seem to think that Wal-Mart is under paying low skilled and semi skilled workers and pocketing the profits. Well, those who think that this is the case should start up there own business and hire these under paid workers and try to reap the profits. The fact that these critics don't do this is not because they don't want to make profits by hiring under payed workers, but it is because they cannot because these workers are not under paid!

By: Bithead

Bithead — Fri, 25 Aug 2006 18:48:55 +0000

The biggest fear the Democrats have as regards Walmart is the idea that it's situation proves union-fed wages raise costs to the point of non-competitiveness.

By: Bandit

Bandit — Fri, 25 Aug 2006 18:25:10 +0000

Who's being forced to work or shop there?

By: James Joyner

James Joyner — Fri, 25 Aug 2006 17:30:58 +0000

Russ: The figure is actually $10.11 an hour. It's from Peek's article linked in the post.

Matt: The figure is a national average, not a starting salary for cashiers.

Bill: True that. Then again, the alternative is what? Presumably, without Wal-Mart offering these jobs, those people would either be unemployed or working for even less.

By: Bill K

Bill K — Fri, 25 Aug 2006 17:12:43 +0000

I don't have enough knowledge of Wal-Mart's inner workings to bash them in response, but I do know that "lining up" to work for a place does not make one a de facto good employer. If you throw a Wal-Mart into a place with a high unemployment or poverty rate you, of course, are going to get a ton of applications. It doesn't matter if they paid minimum wage or $15.00 a hour. In fact, if they paid $3.00 an hour they probably would get more than enough applications to fill the stores roster. It is a very weak point in my opinion.

By: madmatt

madmatt — Fri, 25 Aug 2006 16:55:44 +0000

Walmart workers in michigan get $6.00 an hour which is just above minimum not $11.00 as you said. Also I would love to hear about the benefits one gets for that $11 a month.

By: Russell Newquist

Russell Newquist — Fri, 25 Aug 2006 16:51:54 +0000

James, While I agree with most of your analysis, I'm not sure where you're getting the "$11 per hour" from. The quotes you've shown list Wal-Mart workers as paying $11 per month for health insurance, which may have triggered some confusion - or I may have just totally missed something myself.

By: » Wine Outside the Beltway

» Wine Outside the Beltway — Wed, 31 Dec 1969 18:00:00 +0000

Hitchens Gives the Finger to Maher’s Audience (Video) Lieberman Won’t Back Democratic Candidates Iran Opens Uranium Enrichment Plant Caption Contest Winners Beltway Traffic Jam War in Iraq or $1,075? Wal-Mart Derangement Syndrome? [IMG OTB Sports] Leinart Impressive, Grossman Not in 3rd Preseason Game Tiger Puts Shot on Clubhouse Roof Return of Old Time Base Ball Albert Pujols Aces Babe Ruth Tests Pat Riley to return as Miami Heat coach