Manhattan, NY – Shouts of “Yes to Walmart” on one side of the street were answered by shouts of “No to Walmart” from the other.
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It was a noisy scene on Chambers Street in Lower Manhattan with opposing sign-waving groups shouting across the street at each other, a major police presence and a long, long line of people attempting to get in to the Walmart hearing at the Emigrant Savings Bank building.
The hearing was the much-publicized joint City Council committee hearing on the potential economic impacts if Walmart opens stores in the city.
A majority of those this reporter spoke with in line were in favor of Walmart coming to Brooklyn. “It means cheap prices and more jobs for us,” one couple from Brooklyn said. “Walmart’s good for struggling families like us. We want Walmart here.”
Another, a woman from Manhattan, said “Why be concerned about Walmart? Why now? The council has been allowing big chain stores in the city forever. In my neighborhood, there’s a Duane Reade on every corner. How has that been good for the small drug stores?”
City council members voiced their criticism at a hearing Thursday, saying the retailer can do more harm than good.
“No other company has the revenue, power and size to move the market the way it does,” City Council Speaker Christine Quinn said.
“No matter what Wal-Mart propaganda propaganda says, they are nota company that is good for New York City,” Quinn said.
Wal-Mart has led an aggressive PR campaign marketing itself as a cure for some what Restivo described as the city’s most “underserved areas in terms of jobs and access to affordable food.” He declined to give specifics about what areas the company was considering for sites, or how many stores it hoped to build.
As was reported here on Vos Iz Neias, Walmart officials declined to participate.
Why can we have best buy/target/sears toys r us etc but wallmart is a problem?
why is target allowed to open stores all over ny and not walmart? it makes no sense
If Wal-Mart can find a location with the appropriate zoning and infrastructure, they should be permitted to build. To do so they will probably have to accept a much smaller store than they are used to building.
There is quite a bit of hypocracy going around. I was told that there was a rally today to try to convince the city to stop the Park51 Center but at the same time oppose the efforts by some to stop Wal-Mart. In other words, they wanted to approve only politically correct businesses. I find that really scary.
monsey is doing just fine with wallmart
I don’t see why Walmart can’t sue the city for descrimination. You can’t alow certain mega stores and this one not.
Personaly I think people spend more in Walmart because its so cheap.
Smartest move was that Walmart didn’t attend. They don’t have to be kicked around by people who never themselves held a REAL job instead of people on the public dole. They should take it to the courts if they can’t get approval. Shame on those politicians.
Walmart ….Like them, hate them, love them whatever. What has happened to the concept of free enterprise?
I fail to see what all the hubbub is regarding WMT. I have been to several stores in different locations and, to a one:
The quality of merchandise is uniformly poor,
The store infrastructure looks cheap, flimsy and filthy,
The personnel, while friendly and trying to be helpful, are usually not the brightest candles on the menorah
The prices for food items, while lower than the local supermarkets, get beaten handily by BJs or Costco. And, in my hometown at least, Costco has a pretty decent offering of kosher items.
Let them come already. Any adverse impacts on smaller Mom-and-Pop operations have probably already occurred thanks to the other “Big Box” operations already in place in the NYC area.
I love it – NY votes Democrat they get what they deserve. High taxes, overpaid union and government workers who’s jobs could be done by the private sector cheaper and better. Let them suffer without Walmart. Walmart brings low prices to families and businesses across this country because they are not saddled with lazy good for nothing union employees. As far as I am concerned if you live in NYC you are responsible for the status quo. You deserve to pay more for your toothpaste, toiletries and household goods. Here in the northern suburbs we love walmart.
To quote governor Chris Christie to Rita Wilson, the teacher who believed she is underpaid at $86k …. ““Well, you know then that you don’t have to do it.”
You don’t have to work there if you don’t want to…and you don’t have to shop there if you don’t want to. And I guarantee that if enough people decide not to shop at the NYC Walmart, then it will close. But I say, let’s give it a try.