Rolling Back Benefits? Try Rolling Back our Spending instead!
Anyone remember this touching PR spot Wally World gave us last year? A woman's husband needed a stem cell transplant and thanks to Walmart's benefit plan for hourly workers, he got it.
So, let's flash forward shall we? The tiny little news flash yesterday. Cutting benefits for part time workers and upping premiums for their full time employees.
So basically, for those still blaming all your woes on wall street, I suggest you turn your attention to Walmart. Here's why. This is how they operate. They will only sell a product if they can sell it cheaper than anyone else. They will promise to sell more of it, and therefore, pay less for it. Classic example. Most Apple products sell for the same price no matter where you buy them. The new iPhone is $199 with a 2-year contract. Except at Wally World. $188. Yes. It's true. Even Apple bowed to the retail ogre. But they refused to compromise their brand by allowing them to sell computers there. That makes it OK. Oh wait, they sell more iPhones than laptops don't they.
So the US company who wants their products to sell at Walmart has to lower their wholesale price for Wally World buyers, so much so, that they are forced off to make their products off-shore or cut corners. Yes all you Jobs worshippers, Apple outsourced their manufacturing too. And thus continues the cycle of outsourcing. So if you want to stop the madness, take that first step. STAY OUT OF WALMART OR SHUT UP.
Sorry, that's my anger coming through. Enough whining about how you can't afford to shop elsewhere. You can. Buy less. I went to target. A bag of frozen veggies is 1.09. I can't say how much it is at wally world. But you might save a few pennies. Is it worth it? Encouraging American businesses to sell things as cheaply as possible to earn as high a profit as possible to earn the stockholders more money leads us right over to Wall Street. Yup. OWS.
Um, maybe it's best not to encourage that behavior. Maybe it's best to support our local merchants, growers, manufacturers by buying less. Not more. Buy what we need, not what we want. Sure it's nice to reward our hard work now and then. Be able to save up for a family vacation. That used to mean hopping in a station wagon and driving to a fun destination... or historic landmark. Now it means Club Med or Disney World... perhaps a cruise. My mom knows a lady or takes a cruise every year. She saves up for it with her extra cash from shopping at walmart. And brags about it.
Is she willing to brag about how that cruise is costing someone their health benefits? Not so much I don't think.
I was watching a news clip on the occupy wall street movement. Cut to commercial. Norwegian cruises. Infiniti. Wow. You'd think the Cruise lines and luxury car makers would lay low for awhile, but they can't afford to. Their biggest fear is that 20% of the 99% will stop buying cars they can't afford and planning trips designed for the 1%.
Sure my blog is becoming repetitive and redundant with all my lecturing but if you're still reading this you know I'm right. Deep down, you absolutely know you share the burden with the rest of us.
A news blip the other day speculated on whether American Airlines would end up having to restructure... face bankruptcy... and their stock tanked. It's called manipulation people. Look closely at the airline and you'll see sound financial management and plenty of cash reserves. Sure the economy is hitting them, but they're ready for the fight. I bought my own stock in them. The next day it went back up. Now I own 3 times as much thanks to those evil-doers. 10 points for the 99%. But I don't enjoy that game. Instead, I fly American Airlines. I like them. Good service. Competitive rates. And they just invested a kazillion dollars in new planes to be built, you got it, by Americans. Creating jobs.
So here's what you OWS supporters need to do. Start an old fashioned boycott. Stay out of places like Walmart. I could name others, but they lead the pack in destroying our American spirit of entrepreneurship and sap our creative energy. It's corporate blackmail and bullying on our manufacturers and downright theft on our small businesses. They are the Big Bank of retailing.
Next. Move your banking to community banks and credit unions. They are the lifeblood of your town. Remember that. They have the same technology. Same resources. And much better intentions.
Finally, Roll back the greed. We all have it. We all need to shove it back in its place. I'm not perfect, just trying my best. And I'm just asking everyone else to do the same.
So, let's flash forward shall we? The tiny little news flash yesterday. Cutting benefits for part time workers and upping premiums for their full time employees.
So basically, for those still blaming all your woes on wall street, I suggest you turn your attention to Walmart. Here's why. This is how they operate. They will only sell a product if they can sell it cheaper than anyone else. They will promise to sell more of it, and therefore, pay less for it. Classic example. Most Apple products sell for the same price no matter where you buy them. The new iPhone is $199 with a 2-year contract. Except at Wally World. $188. Yes. It's true. Even Apple bowed to the retail ogre. But they refused to compromise their brand by allowing them to sell computers there. That makes it OK. Oh wait, they sell more iPhones than laptops don't they.
So the US company who wants their products to sell at Walmart has to lower their wholesale price for Wally World buyers, so much so, that they are forced off to make their products off-shore or cut corners. Yes all you Jobs worshippers, Apple outsourced their manufacturing too. And thus continues the cycle of outsourcing. So if you want to stop the madness, take that first step. STAY OUT OF WALMART OR SHUT UP.
Sorry, that's my anger coming through. Enough whining about how you can't afford to shop elsewhere. You can. Buy less. I went to target. A bag of frozen veggies is 1.09. I can't say how much it is at wally world. But you might save a few pennies. Is it worth it? Encouraging American businesses to sell things as cheaply as possible to earn as high a profit as possible to earn the stockholders more money leads us right over to Wall Street. Yup. OWS.
Um, maybe it's best not to encourage that behavior. Maybe it's best to support our local merchants, growers, manufacturers by buying less. Not more. Buy what we need, not what we want. Sure it's nice to reward our hard work now and then. Be able to save up for a family vacation. That used to mean hopping in a station wagon and driving to a fun destination... or historic landmark. Now it means Club Med or Disney World... perhaps a cruise. My mom knows a lady or takes a cruise every year. She saves up for it with her extra cash from shopping at walmart. And brags about it.
Is she willing to brag about how that cruise is costing someone their health benefits? Not so much I don't think.
I was watching a news clip on the occupy wall street movement. Cut to commercial. Norwegian cruises. Infiniti. Wow. You'd think the Cruise lines and luxury car makers would lay low for awhile, but they can't afford to. Their biggest fear is that 20% of the 99% will stop buying cars they can't afford and planning trips designed for the 1%.
Sure my blog is becoming repetitive and redundant with all my lecturing but if you're still reading this you know I'm right. Deep down, you absolutely know you share the burden with the rest of us.
A news blip the other day speculated on whether American Airlines would end up having to restructure... face bankruptcy... and their stock tanked. It's called manipulation people. Look closely at the airline and you'll see sound financial management and plenty of cash reserves. Sure the economy is hitting them, but they're ready for the fight. I bought my own stock in them. The next day it went back up. Now I own 3 times as much thanks to those evil-doers. 10 points for the 99%. But I don't enjoy that game. Instead, I fly American Airlines. I like them. Good service. Competitive rates. And they just invested a kazillion dollars in new planes to be built, you got it, by Americans. Creating jobs.
So here's what you OWS supporters need to do. Start an old fashioned boycott. Stay out of places like Walmart. I could name others, but they lead the pack in destroying our American spirit of entrepreneurship and sap our creative energy. It's corporate blackmail and bullying on our manufacturers and downright theft on our small businesses. They are the Big Bank of retailing.
Next. Move your banking to community banks and credit unions. They are the lifeblood of your town. Remember that. They have the same technology. Same resources. And much better intentions.
Finally, Roll back the greed. We all have it. We all need to shove it back in its place. I'm not perfect, just trying my best. And I'm just asking everyone else to do the same.
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