Debate: Wal-Mart - Page 3

russotto · 06-02-2003, 08:28 AM

The insurance policy thing came out a few years back. Despite all the sinister-sounding propaganda, what it really seemed to be was a fancy tax shelter.

xoxoxoBruce · 06-02-2003, 05:37 PM

Quote:

the monies from said policies were given to Wal-Mart, not the families of the deceased.

Yes. They made millions off it.

Quote:

I still don't get the big picture... why was this bad again? Because they were betting they could kill the employees?

How would you feel about your doctor having a life insurance policy on you? Walasaurus has more bearing on employees health care than their own doctors.

Undertoad · 06-02-2003, 06:34 PM

Okay, but still, there are a number of possible scenarios here.

One is that they figured out that by both denying health care AND taking out life insurance policies, they could duke the system for a while and make a quick buck. Until the insurance companies notice. Which they will, clearly, because they write the damn policies and the checks, and are just as vicious and sneaky as Walmart.

Another is that they looked at demographic studies of their own employee population, found that in certain locations they were very old, and took out policies on that basis simply to manage their own risk without consulting the insurance implications at all.

Another is that some dumb Walmart executive wanted to build his own little empire within the company, and came up with a really complicated scheme to attach finances to hiring policies or something, and BSed his boss that it was a great idea and that he should be in charge of it, and hid the questionable sides of it to protect his own ass.

xoxoxoBruce · 06-03-2003, 07:36 AM

Quote:

Another is that some dumb Walmart executive wanted to build his own little empire within the company, and came up with a really complicated scheme to attach finances to hiring policies or something, and BSed his boss that it was a great idea and that he should be in charge of it, and hid the questionable sides of it to protect his own ass.

I believe this is close. If I remember correctly it was a guy in charge of benefits (national) trying to cut expences in his area, but with the approval of higher ups. It was unethical and in most states, illegal. But this is just one incidence of ruthless management.
I'm more concerned with the negative impact on jobs. The more people I know that are unemployed, the less faith I have in the economy, regardless of "leading economic indicators". I don't think I'm alone in this perception. Most of the economists I hear say the the public's perception of the economy has a large effect on it's health. That's why when the stock market tanked the economy kept chugging along.

pjshimmer · 06-05-2003, 11:02 PM

This is what happens when I don't shop at wal mart. I paid $10 for a hard plastic drinking bottle at Target. Seriously, $10 for this?

(...imagine a pic of a skinny water bottle...)

It was the cheapest I found find of its kind. Sorry, but I usually pay 1/3 of that at Wal Mart. In fact, I was looking at a similar bottle in wal mart 2 weeks ago and put it back on the shelf b/c I thought the price of $3.50 was too much. Now, I can only think "What in the world?!"

I am definitely not used to paying what most middle class families pay. At this rate, I will overspend maybe $500 a year. I am going back to Wal Mart as soon as possible (which unfortunately won't be for 3 more months).

wolf · 06-06-2003, 01:02 AM

Of course, you could have gone to the quickimart and paid $1 for a "sport cap" bottle of yuppie water or sucky-top Gatorade and reused the bottle ... If it had to be a "hard" bottle with a wider screwcap so you could fit ice cubes in it, Arizona Ice Tea has an insulated sport bottle version too, for around $1.35.

Of course, if you're going for the Barbie or SpongeBob Squarepants graphics, that does cost yah more.

pjshimmer · 06-07-2003, 05:47 PM

Well, it was one of these. Perhaps "mug" should have been the word of choice, rather than "bottle." Sometimes it can be difficult to distinguish between mug, cup, bottle, jar, etc... heh

bmgb · 06-27-2003, 03:21 PM

I just returned from a trip to Western MN to visit family. I had a discussion with my aunt about Walmart. (She is, like many of my rellies out there, pure gold in my opinion.) She said she's heard negative things about Walmart, but that it allows her to afford things she wouldn't normally be able to afford. She also said Walmart provides more jobs than any Mom'n'Pop stores ever did and that employees seem pretty happy to her (well, I'm not sure on either of those points, especially the former).

It doesn't really matter though, because Walmart is the only dept store within 80 miles of there.

pjshimmer · 07-01-2003, 11:24 PM

bmgb: I am in the Twin Cities for the summer, and I haven't found a Wal Mart yet. There are like 25 Targets, so that's where I shop. I'm paying about 40% more for everything, which is not making me happy. Once you get used to wal mart's unbeatable prices (unless you shop @ Burma or something), there is no turning back.

elSicomoro · 07-02-2003, 08:01 AM

Well, given that Target is based in Minneapolis and all...

bmgb · 07-02-2003, 08:53 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by pjshimmer
bmgb: I am in the Twin Cities for the summer, and I haven't found a Wal Mart yet.

Yeah, it's weird. I went on a shopping spree at Walmart in Redwood Falls just for the novelty of it... feel kinda guilty though. But they have DVDs for $6! (B-list titles, but I like that crap).

Well, I'm back in the metro area now, so it's back to Target for me.

warch · 07-02-2003, 02:13 PM

The upper midwest lobe of the Cellar grows!

Target will grow on you. They have so much stuff that turns over each "season", watch out when it goes on clearance. Super cheap. Check the endcaps.

For a regional adventure, might I suggest a junket to Fleet Farm! Beyond the clothing, housewares, and auto supplies, you can play a great game of "what the hell is this ?!?" in the livestock accessories area.

OnyxCougar · 10-23-2003, 01:58 PM

Quote:

Feds Arrest 300 Workers at 61 Wal-Marts
2 hours, 29 minutes ago

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. officials arrested about 300 workers at 61 Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (NYSE:WMT - news) locations on immigration charges as part of an investigation into contractor cleaning crews, U.S. officials said on Thursday.

They said the investigation, known as "Operation Rollback," involved allegations the contractor had recruited illegal immigrants, mainly Eastern European nationals, to work on cleaning crews at the stores for the world's largest retailer.

A federal law enforcement official said some Wal-Mart executives had direct knowledge of the scheme, based on recorded conversations that have been made, surveillance and monitoring.

They said federal grand jury subpoenas have been issued for the Wal-Mart executives to testify. The executives were not identified.

Garrison Courtney, a spokesman for the Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, said the arrests in 21 states were part of a "worksite enforcement" effort.

"If a company knowingly hires illegal workers it can be penalized up to $10,000 per person," he said.

Most of the 300 workers belonged to contract cleaning crews, he said.

The latest arrests stemmed from two prior investigations by federal immigration officials involving contractors and Wal-Mart stores, one in 1998 and the other in 2001, the law enforcement official said.

The company did not immediately comment.

he. hehe. hehehe. hehehHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!

Oh wait. $100K x 300 = not as much savings for me. Shit.

Undertoad · 10-23-2003, 03:01 PM

Operation "Rollback"? laf

breakingnews · 10-23-2003, 03:22 PM

Fucking a.

It was funny until my editor came over and told me to re-report this story. It's FOUR FUCKING O CLOCK YOU FAT FUCKER!!!&(@!#$(@!*#!@#*(@J#R)J#)RJ{#$PIRLKJG_#$(JTY_(#

06-05-2003, 11:02 PM	#35
pjshimmer Keeper of the Decorum Join Date: Aug 2002 Posts: 59	Life without Wal Mart This is what happens when I don't shop at wal mart. I paid $10 for a hard plastic drinking bottle at Target. Seriously, $10 for this? (...imagine a pic of a skinny water bottle...) It was the cheapest I found find of its kind. Sorry, but I usually pay 1/3 of that at Wal Mart. In fact, I was looking at a similar bottle in wal mart 2 weeks ago and put it back on the shelf b/c I thought the price of $3.50 was too much. Now, I can only think "What in the world?!" I am definitely not used to paying what most middle class families pay. At this rate, I will overspend maybe $500 a year. I am going back to Wal Mart as soon as possible (which unfortunately won't be for 3 more months).

06-06-2003, 01:02 AM	#36
wolf lobber of scimitars Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Phila Burbs Posts: 20,774	Of course, you could have gone to the quickimart and paid $1 for a "sport cap" bottle of yuppie water or sucky-top Gatorade and reused the bottle ... If it had to be a "hard" bottle with a wider screwcap so you could fit ice cubes in it, Arizona Ice Tea has an insulated sport bottle version too, for around $1.35. Of course, if you're going for the Barbie or SpongeBob Squarepants graphics, that does cost yah more. __________________ wolf eht htiw og "Conspiracies are the norm, not the exception." --G. Edward Griffin The Creature from Jekyll Island High Priestess of the Church of the Whale Penis

06-07-2003, 05:47 PM	#37
pjshimmer Keeper of the Decorum Join Date: Aug 2002 Posts: 59	Well, it was one of these. Perhaps "mug" should have been the word of choice, rather than "bottle." Sometimes it can be difficult to distinguish between mug, cup, bottle, jar, etc... heh Last edited by pjshimmer; 06-07-2003 at 05:50 PM.

07-02-2003, 02:13 PM	#42
warch lurkin old school Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: Minnesota Posts: 2,796	The upper midwest lobe of the Cellar grows! Target will grow on you. They have so much stuff that turns over each "season", watch out when it goes on clearance. Super cheap. Check the endcaps. For a regional adventure, might I suggest a junket to Fleet Farm! Beyond the clothing, housewares, and auto supplies, you can play a great game of "what the hell is this ?!?" in the livestock accessories area. Last edited by warch; 07-02-2003 at 02:15 PM.

06-02-2003, 08:28 AM	#31
russotto Professor Join Date: Jan 2001 Posts: 1,788	The insurance policy thing came out a few years back. Despite all the sinister-sounding propaganda, what it really seemed to be was a fancy tax shelter.

06-02-2003, 06:34 PM	#33
Undertoad Radical Centrist Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Cottage of Prussia Posts: 31,423	Okay, but still, there are a number of possible scenarios here. One is that they figured out that by both denying health care AND taking out life insurance policies, they could duke the system for a while and make a quick buck. Until the insurance companies notice. Which they will, clearly, because they write the damn policies and the checks, and are just as vicious and sneaky as Walmart. Another is that they looked at demographic studies of their own employee population, found that in certain locations they were very old, and took out policies on that basis simply to manage their own risk without consulting the insurance implications at all. Another is that some dumb Walmart executive wanted to build his own little empire within the company, and came up with a really complicated scheme to attach finances to hiring policies or something, and BSed his boss that it was a great idea and that he should be in charge of it, and hid the questionable sides of it to protect his own ass.

06-27-2003, 03:21 PM	#38
bmgb Master of the Domain Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: MN Posts: 231	I just returned from a trip to Western MN to visit family. I had a discussion with my aunt about Walmart. (She is, like many of my rellies out there, pure gold in my opinion.) She said she's heard negative things about Walmart, but that it allows her to afford things she wouldn't normally be able to afford. She also said Walmart provides more jobs than any Mom'n'Pop stores ever did and that employees seem pretty happy to her (well, I'm not sure on either of those points, especially the former). It doesn't really matter though, because Walmart is the only dept store within 80 miles of there.

07-01-2003, 11:24 PM	#39
pjshimmer Keeper of the Decorum Join Date: Aug 2002 Posts: 59	bmgb: I am in the Twin Cities for the summer, and I haven't found a Wal Mart yet. There are like 25 Targets, so that's where I shop. I'm paying about 40% more for everything, which is not making me happy. Once you get used to wal mart's unbeatable prices (unless you shop @ Burma or something), there is no turning back.

07-02-2003, 08:01 AM	#40
elSicomoro Person who doesn't update the user title Join Date: Jan 2001 Posts: 12,486	Well, given that Target is based in Minneapolis and all...

10-23-2003, 03:01 PM	#44
Undertoad Radical Centrist Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Cottage of Prussia Posts: 31,423	Operation "Rollback"? laf

10-23-2003, 03:22 PM	#45
breakingnews Q_Q Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: somewhere in between Posts: 995	Fucking a. It was funny until my editor came over and told me to re-report this story. It's FOUR FUCKING O CLOCK YOU FAT FUCKER!!!&(@!#$(@!#!@#(@J#R)J#)RJ{#$PIRLKJG_#$(JTY_(#

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