Wal-Mart as Borg
From the May 1 edition of the Las Vegas Penny Press
I don't know if I can blame this on advancing age or just not paying attention, but before I started writing this column, I was trying to remember the lineage of grocery stores that occupied the empty building on the southwest corner of Charleston and Lamb. I remember Albertson's and Food4Less being in that building, and think there was at least another occupant there in the last seven years we've been in the neighborhood. Eventually Food4Less closed the store, ostensibly because it was too close to it's stores at Bonanza and Lamb & Nellis and Sahara. They competed against a full service Vons on the northeast corner of Charleston and Lamb. It appeared that Vons couldn't -- or wouldn't -- compete with the discount store and retrenched, cutting back services and hours. When the Food4Less closed, Vons went back to 24 hours and restored deli and bakery services it had cut back.
Then we saw a new player coming into the neighborhood.
The Arkansas mob moved in, with one of their "Wal-Mart Neighborhood Markets".
You know the drill. Move in, undercut the neighborhood businesses, run them out, and then hike prices and cut services.
And they did just that.
Opening as a 24 hour operation, the center worked hard to win business from Vons in their time-honored tradition.
Vons seemingly didn't care, cut hours, closed the bakery and deli, and eventually closed the store last November. Vons closed their other store near where we live at Nellis and Sahara, also under pressure from Food4Less. Vons claimed that the stores weren't in their types of neighborhoods and were older stores. (I guess that explains why the new grocery chain Fresh and Easy is opening near that store they closed...)
Wal-Mart immediately responded with price hikes across the store, and just this week announced plans to cut hours of operation. I guess the competition of Food4Less a half mile away is just too much for them.
Surely Wal-Mart wouldn't just want to come in, undercut a competitor, run them out of the neighborhood, and then screw the neighborhood, would they?
Oh stop laughing!
Sarcasm aside, this is just a small example on a microscopic level of how Wal-Mart has killed much small town America.
Now they're working on destroying neighborhoods, all in the name of "low prices everyday"...until all the competition is gone, anyway.
The continuing flap over Rev. Wright and his over the top proclamations continues to cause a stir in the media. In fact, Wright's appearances over the weekend on talk shows and at the National Press Club on Monday are doing nothing to help the Obama camp. In fact Obama finally repudiated some of the statements made by the minister on Tuesday and was slated to address the issues completely after press time on Wednesday. Whatever statements he makes now will almost be like Bill Clinton's admission that he did have sexual relations with that woman; once you do a 180, a lot of people won't ever believe you again.
Meanwhile, Dick Morris on the FoxNews.com website writes that there is a good reason that Hillary is continuing to run. It's that whole "scorched earth" scenario that Bill and Hill just love. Morris says the Clinton's want Obama weakened so badly that he loses to McCain badly. That would open up her options for a nearly unchallenged 2012 bid.
Do I believe that? Well considering how much Bill and Hill failed to support their 2004 nominee...
You damn betcha!
Once more, it demonstrates the political corruptness of the Clinton camp. As I said earlier this week on my radio show, of the "big three" it looks like the best of the lot is still Hillary, and that makes my default choice "None of the Above"
The Nevada Republican party machine dramatically underestimated the power of the people when it came to the Ron Paul delegates. Bob Beers and others were totally frustrated by the elected delegates not doing what they were told. They had this foolish idea that political parties are democratic processes, when in fact they haven't been for nearly 120 years.
Paul supporters won't go away without a fight, though. While others are betting even money on the prospects of riots at the Democratic National Convention, expect at least one significant floor fight at each of the major party gatherings.
The Clinton-Obama factions have already proven their inability to coexist at the local and state levels. No doubt they'll continue their fight on the floor.
Meanwhile, the Paul supporters are going to insist on more of their ideals represented on the platform of the non-reformer McCain. Perhaps John should call Newt and get some hints on a new "Contract"-like platform. With something like that to hang his hat on, it could motivate Conservatives to get out to the polls.
Otherwise, they're screwed.
Wyatt Cox's contract with the readers is to provide a page of reading every week that furthers the principles of the Constitution...or half-naked pictures of Miley Cyrus. Visit rant.wyattcox.net, but don't expect any celebrity photography! (He leaves that to Perez Hilton.)
I don't know if I can blame this on advancing age or just not paying attention, but before I started writing this column, I was trying to remember the lineage of grocery stores that occupied the empty building on the southwest corner of Charleston and Lamb. I remember Albertson's and Food4Less being in that building, and think there was at least another occupant there in the last seven years we've been in the neighborhood. Eventually Food4Less closed the store, ostensibly because it was too close to it's stores at Bonanza and Lamb & Nellis and Sahara. They competed against a full service Vons on the northeast corner of Charleston and Lamb. It appeared that Vons couldn't -- or wouldn't -- compete with the discount store and retrenched, cutting back services and hours. When the Food4Less closed, Vons went back to 24 hours and restored deli and bakery services it had cut back.
Then we saw a new player coming into the neighborhood.
The Arkansas mob moved in, with one of their "Wal-Mart Neighborhood Markets".
You know the drill. Move in, undercut the neighborhood businesses, run them out, and then hike prices and cut services.
And they did just that.
Opening as a 24 hour operation, the center worked hard to win business from Vons in their time-honored tradition.
Vons seemingly didn't care, cut hours, closed the bakery and deli, and eventually closed the store last November. Vons closed their other store near where we live at Nellis and Sahara, also under pressure from Food4Less. Vons claimed that the stores weren't in their types of neighborhoods and were older stores. (I guess that explains why the new grocery chain Fresh and Easy is opening near that store they closed...)
Wal-Mart immediately responded with price hikes across the store, and just this week announced plans to cut hours of operation. I guess the competition of Food4Less a half mile away is just too much for them.
Surely Wal-Mart wouldn't just want to come in, undercut a competitor, run them out of the neighborhood, and then screw the neighborhood, would they?
Oh stop laughing!
Sarcasm aside, this is just a small example on a microscopic level of how Wal-Mart has killed much small town America.
Now they're working on destroying neighborhoods, all in the name of "low prices everyday"...until all the competition is gone, anyway.
The continuing flap over Rev. Wright and his over the top proclamations continues to cause a stir in the media. In fact, Wright's appearances over the weekend on talk shows and at the National Press Club on Monday are doing nothing to help the Obama camp. In fact Obama finally repudiated some of the statements made by the minister on Tuesday and was slated to address the issues completely after press time on Wednesday. Whatever statements he makes now will almost be like Bill Clinton's admission that he did have sexual relations with that woman; once you do a 180, a lot of people won't ever believe you again.
Meanwhile, Dick Morris on the FoxNews.com website writes that there is a good reason that Hillary is continuing to run. It's that whole "scorched earth" scenario that Bill and Hill just love. Morris says the Clinton's want Obama weakened so badly that he loses to McCain badly. That would open up her options for a nearly unchallenged 2012 bid.
Do I believe that? Well considering how much Bill and Hill failed to support their 2004 nominee...
You damn betcha!
Once more, it demonstrates the political corruptness of the Clinton camp. As I said earlier this week on my radio show, of the "big three" it looks like the best of the lot is still Hillary, and that makes my default choice "None of the Above"
The Nevada Republican party machine dramatically underestimated the power of the people when it came to the Ron Paul delegates. Bob Beers and others were totally frustrated by the elected delegates not doing what they were told. They had this foolish idea that political parties are democratic processes, when in fact they haven't been for nearly 120 years.
Paul supporters won't go away without a fight, though. While others are betting even money on the prospects of riots at the Democratic National Convention, expect at least one significant floor fight at each of the major party gatherings.
The Clinton-Obama factions have already proven their inability to coexist at the local and state levels. No doubt they'll continue their fight on the floor.
Meanwhile, the Paul supporters are going to insist on more of their ideals represented on the platform of the non-reformer McCain. Perhaps John should call Newt and get some hints on a new "Contract"-like platform. With something like that to hang his hat on, it could motivate Conservatives to get out to the polls.
Otherwise, they're screwed.
Wyatt Cox's contract with the readers is to provide a page of reading every week that furthers the principles of the Constitution...or half-naked pictures of Miley Cyrus. Visit rant.wyattcox.net, but don't expect any celebrity photography! (He leaves that to Perez Hilton.)
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