Progressive Democrat Issue 61: FIGHTING WAL-MART

Wal-Mart is the prime example of the WORST of American business practices. They hurt local businesses, violate immigration and labor laws, pay rock bottom wages, sell items made by prison labor and in sweat shops, and they really aren’t as cheap as they claim. This is from the Campaign for America's Future:

Last month, Clear Channel refused to allow us to post the slogan that you selected for the billboard we had reserved at Wal-Mart headquarters in Bentonville, Arkansas. To curry favor with Wal-Mart, Clear Channel censored our billboard -- despite the reality that our slogan, "Wal-Mart: Killing Small Businesses One Main Street at a Time," is true. A newly released Campaign for America’s Future study concludes that Wal-Mart sucked more than $20 billion out of local economies across America this holiday season alone. [1]

Clear Channel controls its billboard, but it can’t control us. And we won’t let it stop us from exposing Wal-Mart’s devastating effects on American Main Streets. Since Clear Channel blocked our use of one billboard, we’ve created 10,000.

We’ve printed 10,000 bumper stickers that mimic the billboard’s design and message. Because of your generosity, we’ve been able to deliver most of these mini-billboards, free of charge, to community organizers across America who are leading active fights to stop Wal-Mart from building new supercenters. These organizers are already distributing the bumper stickers far and wide in their communities to help build opposition to Wal-Mart exactly where supercenters pose an immediate threat to Main Street. Wal-Mart will regret Clear Channel’s decision to censor you in Bentonville.
In addition to getting these 10,000 mini-billboards in front of the eyes that need to see them most, we’ve made them available for anyone to purchase. Please join us in challenging Wal-Mart’s Main Street destruction by displaying a bumper sticker of your own. We’ve also created a flyer that you can download, print out and post for free. Get your bumper sticker and free flyer today.

Meet Glenn Train. He is a volunteer working with South Westminster Organized for Responsible Development (SWORD), and he’s posting our bumper stickers across Westminster and Arvada, Colo. Glenn’s already blanketed a fence along a major road across the street from a proposed supercenter site with our message. And, he’s distributing them far and wide through his organization to let his community know that Wal-Mart’s expansion will sap the life out of Main Street businesses.
Thanks to your generosity, Glenn isn’t alone. In Austin, Tex, Austin Full Circle is distributing stickers to block a total of eleven proposed Wal-Marts. In Bend, Ore, Our Community First is posting the message in its fight to save a pristine central Oregon small town.

These organizations are grateful for your support -- and, we’re excited that our shared message is challenging Wal-Mart precisely where it's posing immediate threats to Main Street. The power and truth of our shared message is undeniable -- and, thanks to your support, the word is getting out.

If you already donated to this effort, ten of our mini-billboards are on their way to you now -- free of charge. If not, please join this effort now. Take another step today to expose the reality about Wal-Mart. Expose the high costs of Wal-Mart’s deceptive “low price” image in your home town. Get your bumper stickers and free flyers today.

[1] Institute for America’s Future, Wal-Mart’s Holiday Sales Create a $20 Billion Loss for Local Economies, January 2006.

I urge everyone to participate in fighting Wal-Mart. But I also like to give alternatives when I call for a boycott. For those who can, I recommend Costco, a company that pays its employees well, treats their customers right and still turn a profit. Costco is an excellent alternative to Wal-Mart.