I’m sure like myself, you received a letter yesterday from these fine folks. You know, the peeps who have there main contacts in Bentonville, Arkansas. They want to build a better (new Walmart in) Sioux Falls. Except the information and dignitaries they are peddling don’t cut the mustard.
First with these fine bullet points;
While it is probably true they will collect $1.5 million in sales tax revenue, this is NOT NEW revenue, it is simply shifting it from other retail outlets, including their own stores. Walmart has confessed several times they want to build this new store to alleviate traffic at their Louise store.
I won’t even go into the jobs statement . . . either of them. Walmart employment speaks for itself.
Expanding our city’s tax base IS a good thing, no doubt, but continued annexation and new infrastructure costs and maintenance only chip away at our tax base, not help it grow.
But what is even more curious is the signers of the letter.
Okay, we all know Hal Wick, the guy who wants to make it mandatory that every South Dakotan carry a gun while making evolution education illegal, and to heck with women’s rights? Hogwash. Wonder what he thinks about the WM pharmacy selling birth control?
Then there’s Gene Abdallah, I guess he needs no title, like ‘Prince’ or ‘Madonna’ or even ‘Carrot Top’.
But let’s look closely at the other three;
While it is true that Darryl runs a Non-Profit now (Special Olympics SD). Darryl used to be VP of Marketing for First Premier Bankcard (1997-2008). Wonder who took over that job?
Don’t know much about Diane Derry, but she might want to check her voter registration, because it seems currently she is not registered to vote, I could be wrong, but hey, she wants you to vote for the new Walmart.
Oh, and then there is Dawn Haas, or is it Hass? Walmart can’t even hire a decent proof reader! Well let’s go by her signature (I’m sure she knows how to spell her own last name.) Dawn is a lowly Project Manager Assistant at Henry Carlson Company, you know, the folks that build Walmarts all over the country.
The irony of all this is that Walmart couldn’t even comprise a signature list of five, normal, everyday registered voters to sign this letter. This should tell you what kind of ‘campaign’ they are running out of Bentonville, Arkansas.
I feel like I have been built better (bent over) already.
UPDATED: Â I found out today ‘BABSF’ was turned down by two prominent PR firms in Sioux Falls to handle their marketing, and are using an OUT-OF-STATE public relations company. It is also very peculiar that the former Sioux Falls Chamber of Commerce marketing person is running their campaign, yet NOT a peep or position from the Sioux Falls Chamber.
Funny how Walmart wants to build a better Sioux Falls, yet no one in Sioux Falls, wants anything to do with them. Talk about a bunch of cheap crap!
Holy Cow! or as my daughter says, “Holy Cattle!!!!”
If that is all you have to tell your story, most people would say, what’s the point? But not Walmart, no, let’s keep piling it on. “No one” in Sioux Falls is going to notice it is getting so deep here that is going to start stinking. Well, I really think there is a big “choice” group out there that doesn’t have a face mask on to filter out you know what.
South Dacola:
Please note that I anticipate Mr. Nordquist left Premier Card because he didn’t enjoy working with Mayor Mike.
I have known Darryl for many years and he is a stand up guy. Please don’t put him anywhere near the same category as the Mayor.
these people arent nothing then a bunch of a——s telling people how to vote right wingers who want substandard wages in a growing town, I hope unions dominate Sioux Falls about like our mayor I guess.
If building a better city means having a fourth Walmart, the great American Experiment is all washed up.
Jack F. How in Gods name is it possible to be a stand up guy, AND, Vice President of Marketing for a fee harvesting operation?
If his conscious got the best of him, then yeah, he could be a standup guy today, but certainly not during the years at first premier.
Jack F. How in Gods name is it possible to be a stand up guy, AND, Vice President of Marketing for a fee harvesting operation?
Good point, Poly43. Kind of along the lines of T. Denny…
I blame Obama.
But from whom will the poor get their loans if not from the “fee harvesting operation(s)?”…. After a hard days work at Walmart…
Not talkin about bank loans. Talkin about this.
https://www.nclc.org/images/pdf/pr-reports/report-fee-harvester.pdf
I’ve known Darryl for many years too. I’ve been a volunteer with the Special Olympics for over 10 years. Darryl left Premier Bankcard because of his passion for the South Dakota Special Olympics! P.S. And I also like Mike H.!!!
That’s soooooooooo awesome.
That’s what I hear a lot about the FP club, you either love em’ or hate em’.
To tell you the truth, I love interaction with Mike, he is so comical, sometimes knowingly, sometimes not. I have never felt ‘hate’ towards the man.
Are the BAD actions of GOOD people judged? Sure. And MMM has a list.
The only time I would hold this against the man is if his policy was hurting people. That’s debatable.
WalMart gave money to SD Special Olympics:
http://cdn.corporate.walmart.com/c2/ee/e0d35e15465b8c0b5a9d903e5cbd/state-specific-foundation-quotes_130112018968676654.pdf.
This may be Nordquist’s way of paying them back.
When Walmart Comes to Town, So Does Crime
When Walmart muscles its way into a new town, crime tends to rise, according to new study.
http://www.alternet.org/when-walmart-comes-town-so-does-crime?akid=11510.1084699.8ieqkC&rd=1&src=newsletter958908&t=5
This should say it all;
“Counties with more social capital–citizens able and willing to speak about the best interests of the community–tend to have lower crime rates,” Pyrooz said in the release. These also happen to be the towns where communities are more effective at mobilizing to block the construction of new Walmarts. “Counties with more crime may have less social capital, and, therefore, less ability to prevent Walmart from building.”
Of course, crime rates aren’t the only factor influencing social capital. Other studies have found that socio-economic variables, such as economic disadvantage, race and lower education levels all correlate with low levels of civic engagement and less social capital that could be used to mobilize a community to prevent a Walmart’s construction.
In other words, in neighborhoods who do not stand up to Walmart have a higher propensity become more crime ridden….
Who is the former Sioux Falls Chamber of Commerce marketing person who is running this campaign?
http://www.siouxfalls.org/council/city-clerk/election-information/2014-election/ballot-quest-committees/build-a-better-sf.aspx
Bob O’Connell
And it looks like they are using legal services from Missouri and PR services from Maryland.
I am really sad to hear that about Bob O’Connell. Just plain disappointed. I could say a lot of nasty things, but I am just not going to lower myself to the bottom of the barrel along with him.
Why is City of Sioux Falls hosting the Build A Better Sioux Falls (a.k.a Pro Walmart) on their site?
http://www.siouxfalls.org/council/city-clerk/election-information/2014-election/ballot-quest-committees/build-a-better-sf.aspx
DL: “While it is probably true they will collect $1.5 million in sales tax revenue, this is NOT NEW revenue, it is simply shifting it from other retail outlets, including their own stores.”
Yes Scott – every new store in Sioux Falls is just taking marketshare away from every other store… they are all sharing the same pie, so with each new store built the slices just get smaller and smaller.
/facepalm
BTW – Walmart has a warchest of $250,100 to sell their message. So if you hate the first message you better be prepared for a lot more of it… they do tend to buy in volume.
And Build A Better Sioux Falls will probably label themselves a Grassroots Campaign, just as Community Swim 365 (per Co-Chair, Margaret Sumption) intends to spend up to $125,000 to defeat an outdoor pool at Spellerberg. As Ms. Sumption said, “We are a Grassroots Campaign.”
They spent $88 for checks?
Who are they sending checks to?
How many checks does a short-term organization from Arkansas need to send to run against a bunch of Sioux Falls citizens?
Knowing from experience how business is accomplished in Arkansas, how many of these checks are actually going to be used?
They probably didn’t just get a cheapo little “pocket” check book. Probably bought a leather-bound desktop ledger style book – like I have for my checkbook. It doesn’t leave the office.
http://eurekafairwageact.wordpress.com/2014/02/18/how-walmart-money-corrupts-local-politics/
I would vote for Walmart if they were required to start all of their local employee’s at $12 per hour. Do you think we can get that attached to the proposition?
I think on their website they are promising something around $13 dollars an hour. Even though a living wage in SF should be around $17.
http://www.argusleader.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/201402180155/NEWS/302180017
“Committee spokesman Craig Dewey said the group will reach out to the public in a variety of ways with its educational campaign, and Walmart will continue to make cash and in-kind contributions as needed.”
Craig Dewey: Craig Dewey served as South Dakota Assistant State Director for Americans for Prosperity and was replaced in August 2007 by Joel A. Arends.
“Talk about a bunch of cheap crap!” Just like the stuff the bring in to sell from China.
If Walmart would pay $12 an hour every retail employee at the Empire Mall would apply there. And so would every fast food worker in town. How many retailers in town pay employees $12 an hour ( even after 5 years of service)?
Hi Everyone,
This is Bill in the little city of Eureka CA, on the north coast of California. We are the largest city on the west coast between San Francisco and Portland Oregon, but we are rural area city with a pop of around 30,000.
Two years ago Walmart invaded our town with the help of our city government in secrecy. We decided to do something so we decided to raise the minimum wage in our town. We thought 12 dollars an hour would be appropriate for large business like walmart, but we exempted mom and pops with less than 25 employees.
So small business in our town will have flexibility but the large profitable corps will have to pay a better wage. We don’t call 12 an hour a living wage either. We call it a Fair Wage.
We gathered over 3,000 sigs and its on the ballot for November 2014. That’s why your story interests us. We are in it to win it.
If you have the power of initiative you might as well use it.
have a peaceful day,
Bill
Bill suggests a much better use of the initiative process (doing something positive FOR the people) to the way it’s being used in SF (casting local government in a negative light).
Why is Eureka’s way better?
In 1998 Walmart tried the same rezone initiative in Eureka and was defeated. Here is one account:
http://urlet.com/collection.drinking its a google books excerpt.
It wasn’t until 2012 when a different city council and manager allowed Walmart to sneak into town that we acted.
You can defeat Walmart.
have a peaceful day,
Bill
[…] and the good folks at Henry Carlson Company like Meredith Larson, Diane Derry and Dawn Hass (or is it Haas?), would be rolling in the […]