Status of the Wal-Mart prevention project

Submitted by Mike Benedetti on March 30, 2007 - 12:38pm. ::
  • It's not clear if anything can be done to keep Wal-Mart out of Worcester. The time for that kind of action may be past.
  • On the other hand, it's not like they'll be opening next month. People are following up on leads, connecting with allies, and looking for money so someone can be hired to do a real economic assessment of Wal-Mart's possible impact.
  • I'm looking into the details of the "big box ordinances" that many cities have passed to keep these sorts of retailers out. An ordinance like this wouldn't affect the Quinsig Village Wal-Mart, but it would guide the city towards real economic growth in the future.
My biggest challenge so far has been communicating with people about my concerns. If I talk to someone about global warming, they may not agree with me, and they may not know much about it, but they're aware it's an issue. When I bring up Wal-Mart, and saying that it could have a negative economic impact, they have no idea what I'm talking about. So in the very short term I'm interested in developing an "elevator pitch" on this issue, and in educating my friends.
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What is a useful thing I can
Submitted by Nicole on April 3, 2007 - 9:58am.
What is a useful thing I can do as someone who can't attend meetings, but has a little energy to contribute to this campaign? It seems like two issues are important in a Wal*Mart conversation. The first is the increase in burdens to local social services because of low wages. The second is the impact of Wal*Mart on small businesses and downtowns and how this seems to run counter to the City Square development happening in Worcester.
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