WalMart Opposition
I've been inundated over the last year regarding the reported negative impact of WalMart on communities, particularly main street retail concentrations. I can't help but notice that the evidence presented to support this position is negligible and contradicted by my own observations. A WalMart Supercenter competes most directly with a Fred Meyer in the Northwest, which are widespread in cities such as Portland that have thriving community retail concentrations. My cynical nature would lead me to believe that this is really an issue driven by the church of "smart development" and funded by the even more cynical unions. I would welcome an educated discussion of this, but have never run across one.