A TALE OF TWO WAL-MARTS

A very curious thing happened this week...two new supercenter Wal-Mart stores opened in the area...and nobody complained much. During a brief period last year before Christmas, the group Wal-Mart Watch came up with a catchy tune inspired by "Santa Claus is Coming to Town" and said we should all oppose Wal-Mart and stop them before they take over the world.

Now that the height of holiday shopping is over, those same people are...

well...not doing anything about it anymore.

Take for instance Marion, Iowa...population 28-thousand.... Again because the Cedar Rapids Gazette makes you pay for your news, they don't have an on-line version. Apparently, Laborers Local 43 of Cedar Rapids, protested the new Wal-Mart Supercenter on the east edge of Marion during the store's grand opening ribbon-cutting ceremony. About 20 people attended the protest.

No fiery letters to the editor...no scary story of how all the local hardware stores were going to shut down...no sad sack stories of employees who were being taken advantage of...not a peep.

Then in Independence, Iowa...population 5,900...same thing. Not a peep. Only this time, not even a protest by out-of-work or on-break union thugs. There was a story in the Waterloo Courier about the opening...but again, from a decidedly different standpoint than we got back before Christmas.

Joan Steele's shopping choices weren't the most desirable. The rural Aurora resident had to drive to Waterloo or Cedar Rapids, unless she wanted to hit several spots in Independence. And if she had her three children with her, going from the grocery store to the Wal-Mart discount store and then on to other stops was a chore.

Now, she can stay in her own town and do all of her shopping closer to home. Less money spent on gas, less time and effort, good for her...right? Good for the economy? Why not?

Another shopper...

Barbara Puff of Oelwein was happy with the new store's selection of cheese and spices. Prior to the store's opening, she traveled to Waterloo about once a month to stock up on such items. Some of the features of the new store include a one-hour photo lab, a pharmacy and a Murphy USA gas station. The Wal-Mart Supercenter employs about 200 with 125 being new hires.

Again, with gas prices the way they are, isn't the opening of a more convenient location GOOD for people like Barbara Puff? Or you do you "little guy" protectors still want to tell Barbara to stay in Oelwein and shop in her hometown grocery store at significantly higher prices?

You might also notice that the city has 125 fewer unemployed people too. But again, according to Wal-Mart Watch...they're not getting health care so it doesn't matter, right?

Wal-Mart is also good at generating PR. But for some of you Wal-Mart complainers, you may want to follow up and see if this part of the story is just a one-time deal or a continued local community involvement.

During the grand opening ceremony this morning, Wal-Mart officials presented donations to 16 organizations totaling slightly more than $15,000. Recipients included Cedar Valley United Way, Hawkeye Valley Area Agency on Aging and the Youth Sports Foundation.

I'm sure it's faked for the papers. Oh, I know...it's small potatoes to a big corporation like Wal Mart. How much did Local 43 give based on their entire membership salaries again?

Finally, there's the outlook for Independence. If we're to believe Wal Mart Watch, Independence and Marion about about to die. The towns will now be destroyed with the loss of mom-and-pop stores throughout their Main Street areas. Not according to their city manager:

Alan Johnson, Independence's city manager, is looking forward to the additional benefits that typically accompanies a store opening. "There's a lot of economic development that typically follows a Wal-Mart and we're starting to see some of that," he said. Greg Halverson, director of the Buchanan County Economic Development Commission, said the supercenter should increase traffic flow to that area of town.

Sounds to me like they're pretty pleased. I'll keep my eye on the some of the following businesses to see if they're announcing a "going out of business sale" soon...

Roy's Feed & Seed 117 3rd Ave SE Independence, IA
Davidson's Fashions 213 1st St E Independence, IA
Eschen's Clothing 211 1st St E Independence, IA
Candle and Scents 207 1st St E Independence, IA
Hartig USA Drug 200 1st St E Independence, IA

That's just a sample of some of the more than 200 businesses (storefront or otherwise) in Independence. If we're to believe the union types...they'll all be shut down in a year. Wanna bet?