What is the American dream? Is it cheap junk and lots of it? Or is it a decent job that allows people time with their family and participating in their community?
Wal-Mart wants you to believe it's the stuff that makes us happy, and it doesn't matter to us if it gets to us because workers and suppliers are squeezed.
What is fair competition? Is it breaking the law -- labor, environmental, whatever -- with a "catch-me-if-you-can" attitude so you can gain unfair advantage over your competitors? Or is a level playing field of companies who practice respect for the law? Walmart wants you to believe anything done in the name of competitive advantage is just fine, because Americans love a winner. On steroids.
Walmart doesn't respect American values, and we don't need their junk or their shady business practices here in Ventura. Measure C will keep them from getting the gigantic superstore they want on Victoria Avenue. They don't care about how much traffic local people have to deal with, as long as the traffic leads to a Walmart.
-- Bette Goldenring, Ventura