News From the Trenches!
Stratford, ON (May 20, 2010) — A provincial board in Ontario has upheld the city of Stratford's decision to reject proposals for a cluster of new stores, including a Wal-Mart supercenter, ruling that the proposals "are neither in the public interest nor represent good planning."
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Eagle, CO (Jan. 5, 2010) — Voters in Eagle, Colorado, soundly defeated a proposed big-box lifestyle center yesterday in an election that saw the highest turnout in town history.
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| Poverty Rates |
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Counties that have gained Wal-Mart stores have fared worse in terms of family poverty rates, according to this study.
The presence of a Wal-Mart store hinders a community's ability to move families out of poverty, according to this study. After controlling for other factors that influence poverty rates, the study found that U.S. counties that had more Wal-Mart stores in 1987 had a higher poverty rate in 1999 than did counties that started the period with fewer or no Wal-Mart stores. The study also found that counties that added Wal-Mart stores between 1987 and 1998 experienced higher poverty rates and greater usage of food stamps than counties where Wal-Mart did not build, all other things being equal. Although the study does not attempt to draw a conclusion about why Wal-Mart expands poverty, the study's authors suggest several possible factors, including a loss of social capital that occurs when locally owned businesses close and the shift from comparatively better paying jobs at independent retailers to lower paying jobs at Wal-Mart. (An earlier, unpublished draft can be downloaded for free here. Many university libraries also carry Social Science Quarterly.) |