A high price to pay for low-cost shopping

IF you believe their TV ads, Wal-Mart is as American as apple pie. Lower costs mean a better life, as their tagline contends, right? But, here in Mill Creek, we're taking a hard look at the high costs of absorbing another "low-price" Wal-Mart.

On many levels, from international trade to the personal economics of family life in a small town, we've seen America's No. 1 company act very un-American. Whether it's driving local homegrown stores out of business, environmental degradation or workers forced to join state health-care rolls, Wal-Mart has a seriously negative impact on American life. Within a five-mile radius of Mill Creek, there are two Wal-Mart stores bringing almost 300,000 square feet of 24/7 big-box shopping. And, evidently, that isn't enough. Developers here think we need three Wal-Marts within a short drive, so they're proposing to add another 136,000-square-foot Wal-Mart on Highway 96 in a newly annexed area of Mill Creek.

Enough is enough. A third Wal-Mart will clearly not make our lives better. Citizens for a Better Mill Creek scored a temporary victory by winning an appeal for an environmental-impact statement and delaying the groundbreaking of the newest Wal-Mart store last summer. We called attention to the potential traffic congestion (adding as many as 8,500 trips per day) and to the parking lot paving over of 17 acres of farmland just east of wetlands draining into the North Creek watershed, a spawning ground for chinook salmon. As traffic, noise, pollution and crime increase, residential property values nearby are expected to decline.

More than 5,700 local residents have signed a petition opposing the construction of this third Wal-Mart. We're fighting it because we believe Wal-Mart is un-American and here's why.

While some claim Wal-Mart could bring a windfall of sales-tax revenues, across the nation it's squeezing local governments for subsidies.

It's also breaking environmental laws nationwide. In 2004, Wal-Mart faced fines for violations in nine states. That same year, the company agreed to pay $400,000 to settle claims that Wal-Mart's Sam's Club flouted federal air-pollution regulations in 11 states. In 2005, Wal-Mart again was forced to pay $1.5 million in penalties for stormwater violations occurring over seven years at 20 stores.

You may have read recent news reports of imported Wal-Mart Christmas toys for small children being recalled because of choking hazards and high lead content. Frankly, the company's record on providing substandard wages is equally alarming to us — and a wake-up call for any community concerned about children and the American family.

Did you know that a substantial number of Wal-Mart "associates" earn far below the federal poverty line and that the company provides health-care coverage to less than half its employees?

Wal-Mart's business strategy to open a third store where two stores already exist is simply to ensure that wherever people are, they're always near a Wal-Mart. But what happens in such an oversaturated market when the economy takes a dip? The rapid expansion of Supercenters and Sam's Clubs has contributed to hundreds of vacant stores across the country. Sales are currently sagging at Wal-Mart nationwide and the company has hundreds of developed properties up for lease or sale — that's over 25 million square feet of empty big-box stores! What would we do with a big-box empty shell near Mill Creek?

This holiday season, like all Americans, we are giving thanks for what we value most: family, community, our health and the beauty of our environment. We also value ethical business principles and practices that support families and communities. Wal-Mart has demonstrated nationwide that it values profits over the safety of our children, the health of our families, the life of our communities and the future of our environment.

Our fight against Wal-Mart is as American as apple pie. We're saying "no" to the high cost of Wal-Mart's low prices. Another Wal-Mart here would simply cost our community too much and it certainly won't bring better lives for the people of Mill Creek.