New York City Council Demands Walmart Quit Giving Money to Local Charities

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**Frazzled**

Wow, just wow (my bold)

http://nypost.com/2014/06/04/city-council-members-rip-walmarts-charity-of-dangerous-dollars/

City Council members rip Walmart’s charity of ‘dangerous dollars’
By James Covert
More than half the members of the City Council have fired off a letter to Walmart demanding that it stop making millions in charitable contributions to local groups here.

Twenty-six of the 51 members of the Council charged in the letter that the world’s biggest retailer’s support of local causes is a cynical ploy to enter the market here.

“We know how desperate you are to find a foothold in New York City to buy influence and support here,” says the letter, obtained by The Post and addressed to Walmart and the Walton Family Foundation.

“Stop spending your dangerous dollars in our city,” the testy letter demands. “That’s right: this is a cease-and-desist letter.”

Last week, Walmart announced that it distributed $3 million last year to charities here, including $1 million to the New York Women’s Foundation, which offers job training, and $30,000 to Bailey House, which distributes groceries to low-income residents.Walmart, which has been thwarted by union-backed opposition for more than a decade, said the handouts “can make a difference on big issues like hunger relief and career development.”

The retail giant said its business agenda “aligns with supporting the local organizations that are important to our customers and associates.”

But Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito called the donations “toxic money,” and accused Walmart of waging a “cynical public-relations campaign that disguises Walmart’s backwards anti-job agenda.”

Sources said activists will stage a demonstration Wednesday outside City Hall, tearing up giant, mocked-up, Ed McMahon-style checks from Walmart to prove their point.

A key bone of contention is the Waltons’ support of New York City charter schools. Since 2004, the Walton Family Foundation has funneled $16 million into the cause, including the DREAM Charter School, Village Academies and the Success Academy founded by Eva Moskowitz.

“We’re proud of the work they’re doing to transform the public-education landscape and proud to have played a small part in their success,” Walton Family Foundation spokeswoman Daphne Davis Moore said.

Walmart has raised eyebrows with its New York political contributions before.

As reported by The Post, former Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz appeared to soften his attitude toward the company in 2011 after the retailer donated $150,000 to his summer Martin Luther King Jr. concert series.

In March, Walmart officials signaled a temporary retreat from efforts to open a New York City store after setbacks at a site in Brooklyn off the Belt Parkway.

**kronk**

More than half the members of the City Council have fired off a letter to Walmart demanding that it stop making millions in charitable contributions to local groups here.

Dear City Council Members,

feth you and the horse you road in on.

Love to the family,
Zombie Sam Walton.

**KingCracker**

Only in New York.

**curran12**

Yeah, feth you New York city council. That's the only way to put it. Seriously?

**SagesStone**

So is NYC like the US' funny sort of crazy town?

**LuciusAR**

So are there currently no Walmart's in New York? And if so is that because of some sort of campaign by the City Council to stop them?

**Co'tor Shas**

n0t_u
NYC politicians (barring a few exceptions) tend to be nutjobs, it's the one thing that's not split across party lines. I live in upstate NY, and the funny part is that more tax dollars go to NCY (the richest city on earth) that come back up.

**Frazzled**

LuciusAR wrote:
So are there currently no Walmart's in New York? And if so is that because of some sort of campaign by the City Council to stop them?

NYC is a nanny state that has successfully made it illegal for Walmarts to be there, primarily because Walmart is nonunion and guess who controls NY?

**kronk**

Frazzled wrote:
LuciusAR wrote:
So are there currently no Walmart's in New York? And if so is that because of some sort of campaign by the City Council to stop them?

NYC is a nanny state that has successfully made it illegal for Walmarts to be there, primarily because Walmart is nonunion and guess who controls NY?

The Greys? I dunno. I'm not good at guessing!

**LordofHats**

I think Walmart treats its employees like crap but yeah. NYC still smoking the stuff apparently...

**Nevelon**

While I can see how silly this seems, having a big box store like Walmart move in can strangle the life out of local businesses. And the jobs it brings tends to be minimum wage ones that people can’t live on.

Charitable donations given this way are part of advertising and bribes. They want to buy enough good will to get set up, and then can low ball all the locals until only they remain.

**Co'tor Shas**

Frazzled wrote:
LuciusAR wrote:
So are there currently no Walmart's in New York? And if so is that because of some sort of campaign by the City Council to stop them?

NYC is a nanny state that has successfully made it illegal for Walmarts to be there, primarily because Walmart is nonunion and guess who controls NY?

No offense meant, put have you actually seen NY politics?

**curran12**

Nevelon wrote:
While I can see how silly this seems, having a big box store like Walmart move in can strangle the life out of local businesses. And the jobs it brings tends to be minimum wage ones that people can’t live on.

Charitable donations given this way are part of advertising and bribes. They want to buy enough good will to get set up, and then can low ball all the locals until only they remain.

Care to back any of that up with an example?

**Co'tor Shas**

curran12 wrote:
Nevelon wrote:
While I can see how silly this seems, having a big box store like Walmart move in can strangle the life out of local businesses. And the jobs it brings tends to be minimum wage ones that people can’t live on.

Charitable donations given this way are part of advertising and bribes. They want to buy enough good will to get set up, and then can low ball all the locals until only they remain.

Care to back any of that up with an example?

You often see stuff like "Proud sponsor of ____" or " Random Charity is supported by donations by ____"

**curran12**

And how is that evidence of malice? Charity is good PR and Wal-mart is hardly the only one who does it.

**Nevelon**

curran12 wrote:
Nevelon wrote:
While I can see how silly this seems, having a big box store like Walmart move in can strangle the life out of local businesses. And the jobs it brings tends to be minimum wage ones that people can’t live on.

Charitable donations given this way are part of advertising and bribes. They want to buy enough good will to get set up, and then can low ball all the locals until only they remain.

Care to back any of that up with an example?

Only anecdotal and I heard from a friend stuff, so nope, no solid examples. I’ve seen similar things with bookstores, where big chains moved in, set up shop, and little (quite nice) local places could not compete and closed their doors.

I pay extra buying from local stores. It’s something I try to support. Not a big fan of walmart and their ilk.

**LuciusAR**

Frazzled wrote:

NYC is a nanny state that has successfully made it illegal for Walmarts to be there, primarily because Walmart is nonunion and guess who controls NY?

So is there a specific law in NY that businesses that don't allow union labor cannot set up in NY?

**Co'tor Shas**

curran12 wrote:
And how is that evidence of malice? Charity is good PR and Wal-mart is hardly the only one who does it.

Malice? When did anyone say anything about malice? These are just examples of using charity to gain an advertising foothold.

Automatically Appended Next Post:

LuciusAR wrote:
Frazzled wrote:

NYC is a nanny state that has successfully made it illegal for Walmarts to be there, primarily because Walmart is nonunion and guess who controls NY?

So is there a specific law in NY that businesses that don't allow union labor cannot set up in NY?

No.

**hotsauceman1**

curran12 wrote:
Nevelon wrote:
While I can see how silly this seems, having a big box store like Walmart move in can strangle the life out of local businesses. And the jobs it brings tends to be minimum wage ones that people can’t live on.

Charitable donations given this way are part of advertising and bribes. They want to buy enough good will to get set up, and then can low ball all the locals until only they remain.

Care to back any of that up with an example?

3 million$ dollars given to charity for selfish means is still 3 million$ given to charity

**Dreadclaw69**

Let me guess. The money should not have been donated directly, but instead should have been donated to the local government. Then the paid civil servants could have decided which projects to allocate money to based on their ~~voter base~~ need.

**kronk**

Dreadclaw69 wrote:

Let me guess. The money should not have been donated directly, but instead should have been donated to the local government. Then the paid civil servants could have decided which projects to allocate money to based on their ~~voter base~~ need.

No, they just want WalMart to stay out for various and sundry reasons.

**Tibbsy**

hotsauceman1 wrote:
[
3 million$ dollars given to charity for selfish means is still 3 million$ given to charity

I agree totally with this.

**CptJake**

Nevelon wrote:
While I can see how silly this seems, having a big box store like Walmart move in can strangle the life out of local businesses. And the jobs it brings tends to be minimum wage ones that people can’t live on.

Charitable donations given this way are part of advertising and bribes. They want to buy enough good will to get set up, and then can low ball all the locals until only they remain.

Do you think any small businesses displaced employed more people than Wal Mart would? At significantly higher wages?

I suspect small businesses pay the least they can get away with to their employees. That is how they stay in business. I know the ones I worked for while in high school and college started at minimum wage. I suspect in high rent areas of NYC they are not producing millionaire stock clerks at the local fruit market.

**hotsauceman1**

kronk wrote:
Dreadclaw69 wrote:

Let me guess. The money should not have been donated directly, but instead should have been donated to the local government. Then the paid civil servants could have decided which projects to allocate money to based on their ~~voter base~~ need.

No, they just want WalMart to stay out for various and sundry reasons.

Whic mostly involve hippie not wanting walmart to come in, despite the ample jb opportunities

**Raven911**

Why anyone would want to live in NY is beyond me.

**hotsauceman1**

The pizza.

**CptJake**

Raven911 wrote:
Why anyone would want to live in NY is beyond me.

Clearly if you have an unnatural fear of WalMart, NYC is the place to be. The odds of accidentally coming upon one are pretty slim.

**Mr. Burning**

If walmart moved in the mom and pop stores like Dunkin Donuts, Nike, Apple, Tiffanies, Mcdonalds and Best Buy would suffer.

Good on New York.

**CptJake**

The closest WalMart to me has a McDonald's inside of it...

**hotsauceman1**

Mr. Burning wrote:
If walmart moved in the mom and pop stores like Dunkin Donuts, Nike, Apple, Tiffanies, Mcdonalds and Best Buy would suffer.

Good on New York.

That always confused me. Best Buy is walmart for teckkies. Dunkin Donuts is a franchise, Nike........They are all as big as walmart
And maybe if those small stores wanted to stay competitive they woul lower their prices.