The New York State Progressives summarize numerous efforts by local governments and activist groups to delay, reform, and quash Wal-Mart's entry into the Urban core:
As Wal-Mart arrives at its last unconquered market – urban America – city residents are fighting back to protect their communities by blocking or modifying big-box developments, sometimes through reforming economic development subsidies.Question: I do not want to denigrate the serious efforts of sincere people, but I must as how many, and what percent of, "city residents" actually "fought back"? Their efforts are real and important, but it is a dramatic oversimplification to imply that they are spearheaded by truly grassroots groups. Those opposing Wal-Mart form a network exhibiting both weak and strong ties, encompassing formal organizations and ad-hoc assemblies. Money, power, information, activist tactics, press contacts, and legal help can and do flow between nodes of this network...Reforms won or proposed by grassroots groups in Los Angeles, Chicago, Austin, San Francisco, Hartford and smaller cities make it clear that Wal-Mart vs. urban America is a big new chapter in the fight for accountable development.
Posted by Kevin on January, 10 2005 at 11:48 AM
Phil wrote:well obviously enough citizens to force their politicians to act, not an easy task for sure. i think these coalitions have included local small businesses, unions of workers, unionized employers, churches, environmental groups, and other public interest groups. So it's been a mix of both moneyed (large unionized employers) and people-based efforts, but I'd say it's been significantly "grassroots." Some of the laws were passed directly by the people through referendum, despite all the money Wal-mart pumped into the campaign.
-- January 13, 2005 06:49 PM ∞
Roy W. Wright wrote:The question isn't whether such actions against Wal-Mart are done with the consent of the majority; the question is whether it is just for the majority, or any group of people, to infringe upon the rights of a company that they find distasteful.
-- January 13, 2005 08:44 PM ∞
Kevin Brancato wrote:"Grass-roots" means from the little, local people upward, not from national organizations downward. Actually, I'd say--by looking at the actual number of people and type of organizations involved in Inglewood and other cases, when compared to the entire local population--that in most localities, the the will of a well-attuned, vocal minority was imposed on a docile majorty with outside assistance.
I agree many efforts are people-based -- unions are filled with people, of course -- but these are people who will suffer the costs of WM, and are deeply connected to national networks and money. Those who would benefit from WM are not similarly organized nationally...
-- January 13, 2005 09:28 PM ∞
Larry Felton Johnson wrote:While I am leery of Wal-mart on a number of levels, my objection to their activity in various parts of Atlanta, particularly the urban core, is the crappiness and anti-urban character of their buildings. If they could resolve that problem, I wouldn't view them any differently from any other retail chain.
-- January 21, 2005 10:37 AM ∞
atlantalarry wrote in Avondale Estates:I've always thought of Avondale Estates as one of the pieces of a puzzle which, if completed, could easily compete with the City of Atlanta as the center of urban gravity in the region.
-- January 21, 2005 10:39 AM ∞
