Wal-Mart - Is it a good thing or a bad thing?
Moms View Message Board: The Kitchen Table (Debating Board): Wal-Mart - Is it a good thing or a bad thing?
We have a new Wal-Mart near us and I went to it relunctantly. I do not like Wal-Mart because I deal with their corp office in my work and I find them to have a corporate culture of arrogance.
So their prices are so much lower it's shocking. Soup is $1.08/can. At the other grocery stores it's as high as $1.78/can (cough, cough, Albertsons, cough). Cat food is 11 cents lower a can, etc.
But I'm starting to suspect that the products are not as good as other stores. I'm talking exact same product - same company, same label, what should be the exact same product, the Wal-Mart bought one is not as good. It either tastes different, has less in it (but shouldn't) or the consistency is different or in the case of soup, the can is banged up almost every single time. Has anyone else noticed this? Is this how the manufacturers get Wal-mart back for low balling them?
Also, when I go there I see a lot of elderly and low income folks and on the one hand I think, this is great for them because they can get more for their money. But on the other hand Walmart is the largest employer around and their wages are low. It's like they created their own customers by employing people at low wages, people who can't afford to shop elsewhere.
So, some shopping days I go to Wal-mart and other times I go to Tom Thumb, Target or Kroger. Albertsons prices are so high I avoid that store. But I feel like I'm making a moral choice when I decide where to shop and, for me, the moral choice is to NOT go to Wal-Mart. If I don't go it's because my conscious won't let me. I can't believe grocery shopping has become such an emotional decision for me. Anyone else?
Personally, I love Wal Mart. Ours had a sign up the other day for people to apply, and I think the pay is pretty good considering no experience or college education was needed, as a matter of fact, they pay more than I get paid for being an educational assistant at my son's elementary school! Wal Mart saves me money, and the products I think are just as good as department stores, so to me, Wal Mart is a good thing.
I personally really dislike Walmart. I think I've been in any of the local ones three times in the last five years. I dislike the way they are set up, I dislike their employees attitudes (which I believe trickle down from management and corporate offices), I dislike the reputation they've developed. I do 90% of my shopping at WinCo Foods and Target. I know that WinCo is an employee owned company that has a great reputation among grocery chains and Target is so much cleaner, more organized and better stocked that it's worth it to me to pay a slightly higher price than I would at Walmart. Although I don't have any data to back it up, my impression of Walmart is that it creates a cycle of forcing small businesses out of business, paying lower wages to its employees and charging less for its merchandise so that it is recouping their employees wages. I haven't noticed a difference in the quality of the namebrand items that they sell but, as I said, I don't shop there regularly.
I don't really like Walmart's business practices with making people work off the clock and stuff like that! We make a point of not doing any Christmas shopping at Walmart.
They just built a new Walmart Super Center, in my city. The old Walmart was less than a mile from my house. The new one is several miles from my house. It's also by Target. So, if I drive to that end of town, I'll probably just go to Target now. If I want to run and get something quickly now, I guess I'll have to run to Shopko (another department store, but a little higher class, than Walmart.)
I know the super centers are sooo BIG! It's a lot of walking to buy just one little thing. I thought our old Walmart was just a fine size. They had added onto that one, just a few years ago. I don't know why they have to be so big.
The new one opens November 7th.
Albertson's finally closed here this past spring - they were always the highest-priced grocery store in our city.
I HATE Walmart!!! Is that clear enough? LOL I haven't been to a Walmart in over 4 months due to a conscious decision I made. I do all of my shopping at one of our 2 Super Targets (love, love, love Target!). If there is some grocery item that I can't find at Target I'll stop by Albertson's or Winn Dixie.
Why do I detest Walmart so much?
*They kill the economy and the mom-and-pop stores of small towns. It happened in my little town in MO
*You can never find an employee if you need help. On the rare chance you do see an actual employee, they don't know the answer or they act put out
*They sell a lot of stuff made in China and other countries that have sweat shops, child labor, etc.
*They don't treat their employees well
*They are typically dirty and they aisles are hard to maneuver.
*3 separate times I have seen workers at the deli wiping their noses with their hands or eating right before cutting meat (with gloves on during the wiping/eating that they kept on for cutting)
I could go on, but you get the gist. They will get no money from me period.
I had the audacity to ask a clerk in the electronics area, where a certain CD might be. I had looked myself, but it's sensory overload and it's hard to find a specific one, sometimes. He sure acted like it was a royal pain to point it out to me! Gee, isn't that his job?
Also, the meeter-greeter people are never very cheerful. I suppose they don't have much to cheer about, but they could make a better effort!
I just know that making a super walmart and putting it right by Target, has now made it much easier for me to avoid Walmart! LOL!
I'm SO glad that this subject has been brought up. I have mixed feelings. Walmart came to our area about 11-12 years ago. It became a supercentre about 3 years ago. The other grocery chains, and the neighbours tried hard to keep them from becoming a super centre, to the point where they went to court.
I used to shop at Walmart every two weeks when DH got paid. I had a grocery store list and a Walmart list. The prices ARE good, especially for pet food, cleaning products, etc. I DON"T like their clothes, and I don't grocery shop there. Their produce is AWFUL! We don't buy much meat, with two out of four of us being vegetarian, but what meat I do buy, I get elsewhere. We have a grocery store chain here called Stop & Shop. It is clean, well stocked, and the customer service is superb. (I may be a little prejudiced, since both my DS's work there. LOL)
I read a book last year called "Nickel and Dimed" and the author goes into a great deal about what it is like to WORK at Walmart. The employees are treated like CHILDREN! My former next door neighbour worked there when they first opened. She didn't last long. She said that they treat the help like slave labour. She said that the working conditions are also dangerous, having to climb several feet high in the back room to unload pallets. I know that the pay and benefits are lousy, too. I didn't know about employees being made to work off the clock. That's not legal!! A union place would never allow that. (My boys are union at S&S).
I know that they put the little guy out of business. It happened here. Greenfield Massachusetts has fought for years to keep them out. As far as if their stuff is as good, I don't know. I haven't noticed a difference. The only thing that I did notice is that I bought four tires from Sam's Club, owned by Walmart. I bought Michelin, steel belted radials. I had always had good luck with Michelin. Well, these tires didn't wear well at all. They were warranteed for 65,000 miles. I got 48,000 out of them. Then I found out, from contacting Michelin, that that particular model is ONLY made for Sam's Club, BJ's and Costco.
I know that, for many, the Walmart prices are like a pay raise. We all only have so much to spend on daily nessecities. I find the employees at Walmart friendly enough here.
We don't have a super Target here. I'm not impressed with Target here. I think K Mart is out of business.
When DD lived in Michigan, we LOVED going to Meijer's. THAT was a nice store. They had everything. It was even nicer than Wegman's where my sister lives in NY state. I was upset with Meijer's, however, when they refused to allow the Salvation Army bell ringers at their stores anymore at Christmas.
I, too, with bad knees, find Walmart overwhelming, as far as walking around. I sometimes use the motorized carts if I am having a bad day. I do more and more online shopping, even my pet food now.
I guess you can seldom have it both ways, sad to say.
I have a grocery store, just about 2-3 blocks away. I'm not going to shop at Walmart, several miles away, when I can get to my grocery store in less than a minute, if I can get across the busy street, quickly.
What is so weird, is that they built a SC in Plymouth, a few years ago. Plymouth is 10 miles west of here. Now, they built this one, on the south edge of town. They are still fighting to build one on the north side of town. Sheboygan only has 51,000 people. There was a statistic that said our "metro" area had 60,000 people. They claimed we needed this many Walmarts! Huh? I have been to the SC in Plymouth, ONCE! I thought it was too big, and with Walmart, just about a mile away, why go 10 miles.
As time goes by, we sure shop at Walmart less and less and less. I also read Nickel and Dimed. They don't treat their people well at all! One woman I know, had a daughter who worked there. She would have liked a little flexibility in her hours, so she could have been in a play, at school. They wouldn't do it! I think there are other employers in town, who would be a little more accommodating.
I will not shop at walmart unless I am somewhere and I have no other choice (that has happened).
I work at Wal-mart and its been ok for me.I work in pharmacy and I get paid well.I'm a certified pharmacy technician so that helps with the pay.I have a 10% discount card I can also use with every purchase.I went back to work 21/2 days a week since June and my boss has been great with the hours I choose.If I need to change hours or if the kiddos are sick NEVER a problem and NEVER any guilt.I LOVE the people I work with, we are a great team and everybody gets along well.Thats hard to find in alot of work places.I never had benefits due to my DH having them with his work.Every year each employee receives an incentive check.Its based on how well the store did and last year while I was on mat leave I received $1800.00 I've been there for 4 years and its never been under $1600.00.Every employee also can participate in buying stocks.I have $50.00 that comes off every pay,you can cash in you're stocks anytime.Watch the market and you do well.I have saved alot of money shopping there,especially diapers and my everyday stuff.I do not buy everything there.You only get what you pay for.Having 4 children I cannot go wrong shopping there.Its also convenient for me since I'm already there.As for the rest of the store I'm not sure what they get paid.Pharmacy is separate when it comes to pay and hours.I do disagree when they hire a bunch of people at Christmas I do think they should take care of there own 1st.There regular working staff suffers when it comes to holdays and hours.I assume they just want to have a bunch of part-time so they don't have to pay benefits and overtime.Its a smart company saver but not a smart employee/employer relationship.Every employee gets paid for every minute they work there is no off the clock working allowed.No overtime is allowed either unless its authorized.
Each to there own where they want to shop but Wal-mart has saved me a ton of money.Getting all the current toys/movies for this Christmas has helped out HUGE
I also am on my 4th child and I shop there and save money also. I don't buy my meat there or all of my groceries. I go to Aldis for grocerys, a local grocery store for meat and walmart for household, diapers, and some groceries. I don't buy clothes there just because I usually don't like them and can find better quality somewhere else. Somedays it is nice to be able to pick up gorceries at the same place as other stuff because I don't have to load and unload the kids several times, but other days I don't want to walk on one side of the store to get lightbulbs and then way over to the other part for milk. It is a big store. It just depends on my mood and what I need. I think the pay is decent for the most part. You don't have to have any education and paid training. I don't know about benefits though. Healthcare is crazy a lot of places including wal-mart. I do think that they put out smaller stores, but then again I wouldn't be shopping at the smaller store too often unless necessary. I don't like to go to 10 different stores to get everything I need. So it has its pros and cons. I too loved Meijers when we lived in Ky. I think Target is nice to shop in, but more expensive in the grocery department for me to shop there all the time. Their quality is noticeably better in a lot of things though. Targets are everywhere also, maybe not as much as walmart, but why do people not complain about them. They are a large store chain as well.
Unfortunatly Wal-mart is all we have. The closet Target is about 30 minutes away, which isn't far but it is if you just want to pick up a few things. I really, really hope for a Target to come here.
Move to where I am where there is no wal mart and no target and you will start freaking out. It will make you laugh to read about people in the states whining that they have life so rough...
13% sales tax, no competition, = Conni gets to shop at 4-5 diff stores every flipping week just to get the basics she needs. She also gets to pay TWICE what you pay. Be thankful you are in the USA and quit whining.
lol
No whining here, just expressing my opinion.
Also, I looked at your profile to see where you lived and you have a very beautiful family. Great picture!
I'm just giving you a hard time.
I had to laugh about Pam's saying she had been in a dirty store...  We (kids and I) went in a grocery store down the street from our house the other day for the first time. Oh my...it was really dirty!!!! It was an old Mega Super. We went towards the meat dept and literally had a gagging feeling. Something went bad, very bad and well, apparently they didnt feel the need to get it out of the store??? lol
Brings a whole new meaning to dirty for me. I'll shop at a walmart or a target or an albertsons in the USA any old day. And I will really be thankful for the clealiness, wide selection of products, and low prices.
Enjoy your shopping for me!!!
Hmmm... wasn't that a freely made decision on your part Conni, to move there? You had to know that it is totally different from the U.S. And hey, at least you have a maid now! LOL!
We shop at Wal-mart. The difference in prices between it and the cheapest grocery store is unbelievable! And we can't afford not to take advantage of good prices. Our closest Target is an hour and fifteen minutes away. And I refuse to shop at K-mart because their prices are outrageous, and they refuse to open more than 2 check outs and it takes forever waiting in line to get out of the place....
In reality, I could shop at the Navy base commissary because DH is retired military. I used to, all the time. It is about 22 miles away. THAT'S where you get the REAL savings, and no sales tax. However, it is a real hassle to go there. They are not open the same convenient hours as a civilian grocery store and they don't carry everything on my list, so I end up going to Stop & Shop anyway. It also takes them forever to get a new product. On top of that, the baggers ONLY work for tips. They are not paid store employees. Therefore, I feel a need to give them a generous tip, which cuts into anything I've saved. Then, when I go, I make a huge haul, and it takes me all afternoon to put everything away.
The PX is a joke. It USED to be very cheap, but they remodeled, and all the prices went up. Yes, they sell name brand clothes and shoes, etc. However, I sometimes do better at TJ Maxx or Marshall's or Home Goods.
Another reason I don't like to go there..DH thinks it's dumb...ever since 9/11, I get a very uneasy feeling being on the Base. Because it has nuclear submarines, it has always been rumoured that it was on the "hit" list for terrorism. I was on the base once when they had a security exercise, and no one could get on or off the base. The gates were secured and I was stuck there. As it happened, my older kids were little, and waiting for me to pick them up at school. I was in a panic.
DH feels that he put in thirty years of his life for the benefits, and I should use them.
Haven't read all the responses. I have to get going doing my housework....
I have mixed feelings. I used to work for Meijer. I LOVE Meijer. I worked there until February 2004. (I quit b/c of my health and stress at home.) When I left, they were undergoing a major change in the way they were doing things. Ironically, they adopted many of the business operations, both in the stores and in the corporate offices, to mirror the more efficient operations of Walmart-- the very company they were competing with. We had meetings regarding Walmart and the necessity to compete with them. We were told that at the Walmart corporate offices, there are pictures of the CEO's of the competing stores on the wall (in very candid shots, like you would see on the cover of a tabloid) , and the goal was to take down the pictures as the competition was squashed. They dictate to their suppliers what their prices will be, and they also stipulate that if their suppliers furnish product to a competitor, they will not do business with them.
I read a column by Kathleen Parker earlier this year about how Walmart raises the salmon that they sell in the stores. If this is true, I have a definite problem with that.
(Can't make this a link, so just copy and paste it into your browser being sure to eliminate any spaces)
http://www.townhall.com/columnists/KathleenParker/2006/01/25/
attention,_wal-mart_shoppers_let_your_conscience_be_your_guide
This month, the Meijer by my home is getting a jump on Walmart by expanding the store to make it the fourth largest store in the chain before next fall when the Walmart up the road expands into a supercenter.
On the other hand, I can appreciate the fact that Walmart is what it is because of the consumer. If they didn't have such low prices, people wouldn't shop there. And if people wouldn't shop there, then Walmart wouldn't be so darn successful. (It is kind of a sad commentary on the day and age in which we live, where the consumer has sacrificed quality for price.)
And I can also sympathize with Walmart when lawmakers in certain areas try to pass laws that require Walmart to pay more for employee benefits and pay. Maryland's General Assembly passed a law called the Fair Share Health Care Fund Act that will require Wal-Mart, as an employer with more than 10,000 employees, to dedicate 8 percent of its payroll costs to employee health care. And in Chicago, the mayor vetoed a city ordinance that would have required all big box stores to pay their employees no less than $10 per hour within 4 years. The cost of those expenses that lawmakers will require will be passed down to the consumer in the way of higher prices.
But, from what I have heard, pay is better at Walmart than at Meijer. Meijer has a union, and from what I was told by coworker who had been there for 32 years, when Meijer got the union, the workers LOST vacation time and raises, so the benefits before the union actually were better than after. After 2 years working at Meijer, I was only making $7 an hour, and at the time I left, starting pay for a new employee was actually lower than when I first started. I understand that Walmart's starting pay is more like $7 or $8/hour, and I know someone who is making $12/hour working at Walmart.
And I would also like to add that if someone experiences bad customer service at a Walmart, it is most likely not representative of the entire company's stores. Like in any other chain of stores or restaurants, it likely comes down to local management. Just because you get bad service at a Walmart in St. Louis doesn't mean you won't get good service in Atlanta. This is probably a drawback to the immense size of the company as it becomes more difficult for them to assure the same level of quality in all the stores.
Ewwww. Would you even want to EAT salmon, grown in those kinds of conditions! Yuck.
Kathleen Parker's Column on Walmart
I won't be buying salmon at Walmart, let alone any other food thing, because my grocery store is closer, anyway. Although, my grocery store is Pick N Save. They probably have bad stories to tell, too.
I have got to learn how to do that tiny url thing!
Lisa, it took me forever to learn it, but now I'm (more or less) a pro. Sometimes I thought Dawn was just following around after me turning my site posts into clickable links - and I was very grateful. But eventually I learned.
\newurl {the link you want,name} WITHOUT the space between the \ and the word newurl.
What is really important is that after you paste the link, you put a comma immediately after it and a name that identifies what the link is for - as Dawn did with "Kathleen Parker's Column on Walmart".
Dawn - please doublecheck me - did I explain it correctly?
What happens when you use "newurl" is that when someone clicks on it a new page opens, so that you don't have to use the back button to get back to Momsview, just close the new page.
This time I'm responding to the question. I must say, I've given this one more thought than I do most times I post.
I don't shop at Walmart. I don't like the way they treat their employees. I read legal news from all over the country (working in a law office), and Walmart is being sued and losing lawsuits all over the country for forcing employees to work off the clock, making them work through their breaks, and other ways of making people work more hours with no more money. One of my sons' friends lost his job and worked first at Walmart and then at Target, and relates all kinds of stories showing there is a world of difference in how they treat their employees, and Target is much better. (Did you know, Target gives 5% of its taxable income away?) I don't like the way Walmart manages health care insurance for their employees - but, on the other hand, they do offer some health insurance and a lot of employers don't.
I don't like the way Walmart (and similar chains) drive small stores in suburbs and small towns out of business. But Walmart isn't the only chain to do that. I've seen at least 4 small drug stores in my immediate neighborhood go out of business because of CVS, RiteAid and Walgreens. And I remember my niece telling me of growing up in a small town in Wisconsin with only a few stores to shop at and high prices, and how grateful they were when Walmart came to town.
But, I have the luxury of having a lot of choices. I have a Sears, Macys, K-mart, and Target within 15 minutes drive from my house. I work less than 10 minutes from a Boscov's, and another is opening in the mall that is 15 minutes from home. I have 2 supermarkets 10 minutes away, and another 3 or 4 about 20 minutes away. It's 20 minutes to a Burlington Coat Factory store, and a half-hour drive to another mall with Sears, Macys, Boscovs and Pennys, and there's a Kohl's about 20 minutes from my office. I am a half-hour train ride from Center City Philadelphia, with all kinds of shopping choices. And I'm about 45 minutes from Franklin Mills Mall (lots of discount stores there, including discount Levis and Carters (granddaughter).
If Walmart were the only large store within reasonable (up to 40 minutes) drive for me, I'd probably shop at Walmart. And if I were raising young children again, with the kind of money I earned at that time, I'd probably shop at Walmart.
I don't like any chain getting as big as Walmart, because it gives them a lot of power - maybe too much power, imo. Walmart can pretty much dictate quality, style and, to a great extent, price to their suppliers once Walmart has become their main or only customer, and if the supplier doesn't make enough profit after a while, people will lose their jobs or the jobs will be outsourced. And that is true of any really big chain (sometimes I think in another 10 years we will have only 5-10 banks for the whole country, but that's another story).
I'm grateful I have the luxury now of maybe spending a bit more to buy what I want and at the same time satisfy my social/political leanings by avoiding shopping at Walmart. On the other hand, I haven't looked into the practices of the other stores I shop at (and they haven't hit the newspapers and legal news the way Walmart has - probably because they're not as bit nor as successful, as much as how they treat their employees). And, quite honestly, if I didn't have the financial leeway, I'd probably wind up shopping at Walmart or doing without, and some things you can't do without.
All that being said, I read something to think about. The "sweatshops" that Wal-Mart runs in other countries pays workers well above the average, allowing employees to achieve an economic level that would otherwise be impossible. They are not Americans working for American dollars, but American workers do get some benefit being able to purchase items much more cheaply.
I really don't see this as a black/white, good/evil issue. There are pros and cons.
Do I shop there? Yes, there are items I need to buy that only Wal-mart stocks in my area.
As far as Target goes - why is that any better? Aren't their practices the same, just on a smaller level?
We don't know what other stores do or don't do. We know about Wal-mart because they are public about their practices.
Every good thing has a bad side.
Ame
Haven't read most of the posts but...
I detest the people, employees, and set up of Walmart. Ours is pretty clean though. I would rather go somewhere else ANYDAY but it's so much cheaper I just can't justify it. Target is waaay more expensive than Walmart, and and although Meijer is close, it's still more. Kroger and Marsh here are RIDICULOUS, so they are convenience stores for me.
I've never noticed a problem with the food I buy at Walmart. I've never bought deli there at all, or fish. I buy hamburger meat there, but no other meats because I don't like the flavor.
When I try to do Target, I'm always amazed at how much more I spend there for the same things. I would just rather take the money I save by shopping at Walmart and buy shoes!!! There are rules though....No shopping there after 11am (too crowded) and NO shopping there on the weekends (too crowded). If I need something during those times, I'll go elsewhere!
We try to avoid Walmart on Saturday afternoons. Too many people!
The "sweatshops" that Wal-Mart runs in other countries pays workers well above the average, allowing employees to achieve an economic level that would otherwise be impossible.
This is a subject near and dear to mine and my DH's heart. It is not just about money. It is about people being treated with dignity and respect. There is much abuse that goes on in sweatshops and people, typically women and children, endure it so that they have money to eat THAT day or because they are forced to do so. We have tried to get very educated about this issue recently and have decided that as best we can (it's awfully hard to stay current with every company/brand) we will pay more or do without than buy from a company that uses third world labor or communism to make its products. More info below and you can google "sweatshops" to find lots more information.
sweatshops
Yeah, Ginny, I think you explained the URL thing correctly.
Sometimes, I have to use Tiny URL.com, because if a url on someone else's site, has a comma in it, it won't work here. It messes up the formatting, since we use commas to make the url clickable here.
The Kathleen Parker url had a comma and I had to fix it. At tinyurl.com, you paste in a LONG url and it turns it into a much shorter one, that works better. You get redirected to the link you really wanted.
Sweatshops are a whole other issue, that isn't pleasant, too. Kids should be playing and learning, not sewing soccerballs together.
I guess the question is then, is Wal-mart running sweatshops or factories in third world countries and where is the documentation to back up the answer?
Realize, as PamT knows only too well (as she has been there) the normal living conditions in some of these countries would be apauling to us. Is Wal-mart pulling people out of poverty and a standard of living so low it is off our radar, or is it exploitation, or really just a bit of both?
Ame
Ame, I did a quick google of "walmart sweatshops" and LOTS of stuff came up. A lot of it was from labor sites with an obvious political slant and I didn't wade through it all, but it would take some careful looking because much of it is merely propaganda I am sure. However, there is a PBS site that I would think is fairly reputable that you might want to look at. DH has this one site that we use for info on these issues and I'll ask him for the link. It may be through Sojourners, but I'm not sure.
My thought is that the only way out of poverty is education, agriculture, and entrepreneurship (is that a word?) one person at a time. Seems staggering, but with the "each one reach one" mentality it is very doable. Keeping people at low-paying jobs with no room for advancement and no personal satisfaction is not the answer.
The "ONE" Campaign that Brad Pitt advertises is also a good source of information, as is that article Ginny posted awhile back about the Nobel Peace Prize winner. We are locally involved with ONE. I'm sure if Conni really explores the neighboring villages, aside from the sheer physical beauty of Costa Rica, she'll see lots of third world poverty up close and personal as well.
Pamt, I am not sure if that was a snide comment towards me or not? Maybe I am mis-reading it?
Actually, I drive up a pretty impoverished looking street to get to my neighborhood. In fact, we are required by the company to live in a very secure area to ensure our safety. They almost didnt allow us to move into this house because they didnt feel we chose a secure enough area. Because we do not know the language here and we are unsure of some areas, we choose to go to the popular *safe* tourist areas for now. I posted pics of Costa Rica that I had from visits to some of these places , because people asked for them on this board. I don't feel right taking pic's of the beggars at the stop lights that I give money too? Or the lady in the wheel chair with one leg? Or the old lady that lives under the hi-way...Or the little kids who clearly are not in school- but are working to make some money for their family.  I suppose I could and post those pic's? I have only been here a month but our church does do some things here for the poor not only here but in the surrounding countries. However, some of these countries are dangerous to go into. I assure you we are aware of how 3rd world it is here...
I no longer drive alone with my children after dark... Did you know I was required to keep the maid that worked in this house as another form of security? Yeah, these are things I dont mention on the board as they are really no one's business. But, yes, because of the location of our house we were required to keep the maid working full time in the house so that the house always has someone in it and ALSO so that I am not alone in the house... Pretty crazy stuff. I could on with security measures we are having to take to live in a 3rd world country but I won't... Yes, I posted some pic's of Coast Rica sites we have visited. In order to get to those sites you see a lot of *other* things on the drive... And yes, *I* am very aware that *I* am very privelaged to even have a car here!! We are very spoiled American's... We are very greatful for the opportunity to be here and we are learning and seeing a lot, aside from the pic's I posted... And I suspect we will see more and more and experience more and more as the 2 yrs pass by...
So yes, Pamt is correct aside from the sheer physical beauty of Costa Rica there is some definite 3rd world poverty... (i dont see any connection to this poverty and walmart, however) The gospel bags they make at church and give out for the fall fest - most of those go to children that live in *poverty* that have to be bussed in for the festival...this is just *one* example of many...
No, no Conni---NOT a snide comment at all. Please don't take it that way. I meant that you are probably in a "nicer" area of San Juan where you see some poverty, but not as much as if you venture out a little bit. Kind of like the states, where most of us stay in our middle class areas and don't go to the "bad parts" of town because...well, they're "bad." I didn't mean anything negative about you at all. Just with you being new there, you are probably still getting settled and doing all of the tourist stuff ( as I would too!) that you might not have *yet* seen the abject poverty there, but I am sure you will. I know when I went to Nicaragua with Operation Smile, we were in a nice area of Managua with a nice hotel, mall in walking distance, and great restaurants. Although some poverty was encountered on our bus ride to the hospital every day, it was nothing like I saw when our church group goes out into the community and find people living in the dump and in houses constructed of cardboard with corrugated metal held on by rocks and tires for the roof.
My friends who are training to be missionaries in Costa Rica are also required to have a maid. They are in a "safe" area, but can't go out at night, have a huge concrete wall with razor wire on top around the complex where they live, etc. That was what I was talking about.
And the poverty ties in with Walmart and the notion that they use sweatshops to produce a lot of their goods. I just took it on more of a tangent than I had planned--OOPS!
Connie, I have a friend whose DH was transferred to Angola for a few years to work and they have/had much the same situation you do - a gated/guarded house, maid, driver, security, etc. American schools for the kids of the employees, specific places they are not to go. In fact, she was not even allowed to drive herself and her kids anywhere, the driver had to take them. She had to accompany them to school and to pick them up from school every day.
Americans are very spoiled. We are used to our creature comforts and freedoms - so much so that we take them for granted on a daily basis.
I think living where you are for these 2 years is a wonderful opportunity for your entire family. It's going to be a terrific learning experience.
I, for one, would love to see more pics of everything about the place.
I don't agree that Americans are spoiled. We are fortunate because we a prosperous. That isn't a bad thing.
What you may be experiencing is a bit of guilt that you have it so good in the States and there are those in other countries who have it so bad. But we should never be ashamed of living in a prosperous nation. We have worked hard to be successful and have been rewarded for our hard work. That's what the Founders of our nation wanted for us.
I do see where Pamt was going. Sweatshops bring the promise of a paying job to people who will do anything for money, include subjecting themselves to degrading work conditions. In her mind, the trade isn't an even one- the money isn't worth the loss of dignity.
They just had a grand opening at the WalMart here because the finished renovating it into a Super Walmart. All through the renovations the employees were very helpful & nice. If they didn't know where something was they were quick to find someone who did. I went today & I have to say it has a lot more variety than our other 3 grocery stores. The prices for the most part were better, but some items were more.
I like Walmart, but then I always get great service there.
Our wal-mart can be quite annoying sometimes. But, we live in a small area, so we spend a lot of time there.
We do have several other grocery stores, albertsons being one of them.
We are not low income, or elderly, but we do our grocery shopping at walmart because it's cheaper. Sometimes we'll go over to Albertsons if they have meat on sale....they do have better meat.
Our new Super Walmart opens tomorrow. We are going to see how long it we can go, without going there. LOL!
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