Morgan+Debate

Negative on Walmart Speaker #1

So you ask me is Walmart good for america i would tell you no and this is why. First off Walmart destroys small business. I've done some research and here some numbers of small busness that were shut down in Iowa since it's arrival in 1983 50% of clothes stores have been shut down, 42% of variety stores have been clothes, 32% of hardware stores, and many more stores have been shut down since then. With this anybody wanting to open a small business in the same town that there is a walmart you don't have much of a chance of your business surviving. If you ever wanted to have a grocrey store you would be forced to work at walmart because you couldn't survive in the market with walmart. Grocery stores competing aainst walmart lose 5% of thier business specialty stores lose 14% of theier business and clothing stores lose 18% of thier business in 5 years of walmart coming to town.

Another point is that Walmart makes all this money and they are selfish with it. For example, when Huricane Hugo hit Homestead Flordia Wal mart was very eager to state they gave 1 million in goods to the people who were effected by the hurricane. What they were not eager to state was most of all their money came from thier supplieres and now they wont give credit to those suppliers. another example that they are selfish with their money is that walmart makes more then almost evreryother business out there but donates the least amount of money out of that. They come dead last in chairty give aways.According To How Walmart Destroys America And What We CAn do about it By Bill Quinn

Another point I would like to bring to you attention is that Walmart shuts down millions of jobs. Once walmart gets a chance to knock out all the small businesses what are these people suppose to do for jobs. With our economy today where are these people suppse to get jobs at? We've got a higly populated country with already not enough jobs and walmart is not helping the cause by eraticating all these jobs. For example in a study by Emek Basker when walmart employs 300 people in a new store 5 years later 250 people working other places would have lost their jobs because of competition by walmart. So while 300 people sounds like a great number you have lost 250 jobs meaning you have really only gained 50 jobs and shut down several other businesses. (the Walmart effect by Charles Fishmen)

Because Walmart destroys small business and does not create enough jobs to make up for the businesses it destroys, I feel that Walmart is not good for America.

(4 stores in 5 years will shut down because of walmart)

Positive Speaker #1

Is Walmart good for america. I say Yes! The point im going to talk to you about is first, walmart gives millions of jobs to america. They are a pretty big store so they can provide hundereds of jobs to each store. In fact around 2.1 million US jobs come from walmart. According to walmartstores.com. The average walmart gives out around 400 jobs! 400. With the unemployment rate being 9% in the U.S. it is helpful that walmart supports all these jobs. Walmart also pays alot higher then fedral minmum wage. They also offer health care insurance to full and part time asscoiates at a very affordable rate. They insure more then 9 hundred thousand people.

Another good thing about walmart is that it has some of the lowest prices around and not just on one week or weekend but everyday. A UBS Warburg study discovered that grocery prices at Wal Mart are 17-20 percent lower than other supermarkets. This helps all customers of WalMart, but especially the low-income families who are really struggling in today's poor economy. When walmart says lowest price they really try to go the lowest they can. For example if one store sells something for 19.95 Walmart will sell it for 14.86. Peoplle askthem why they dont price the items at 16 or 17 dollars because that would still be lower. They do this because they want to sell everyhting for the lowest they can showing that they reallly do care about their customers. According to Warren Buffet walmart saves consumers 20 billion dollars every year " you can add it all up and walmart has contributed to the finacial well being of the american more then any instution i can think of."

Another huge way WalMart helps America is that Walmart genarates $8 billion dollars in sales tax that helps schools, policemen, and firemen. In 2004 walmart gave away over 150 million to community charities and organizations. Walmart employees also spend over 1 million hours of there own time to help there local charities. Walmart also gives matching grants to organizations who need them. For example if you need new band uniforms and you raise 1000 dollars walmart will match that and give you 1000 more dollars. Walmart is also the largest contributator to the Childrens Miracle Network they have given over 250 million dollars to them. Wal Mart is good for America because they care for their customers and people around them. For example when the terrible shooting happened at Columbine High School, Wal Mart donated lots of supplies to them because most of them couldn't go back to the school or get into their lockers. Walmart also sent 5 or 6 counselors to help students and parents with grief. Walmart clearly shows they care for America in doing all of these things.

if they bring up child labor tell how walmart inspects foreign factorys a day 12,500 per year making sure this doesnt happen

The Walmart effect by Charles Fishmen

In 2004 108 factorys were banned (totally)business with walmart another 2111 factories were disqualified temporarly from doing busness from walmart until they corrected their mistakes (all people not just children)

Sites

Msnbc (news Channel)

How walmart is destroying america and what we can do about it by Bill Quinn

In Sam we trust by Bob Ortega

[|U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics]

The walmart Way For CROSS FIRE!!!! H and H Hardware went out of business almost three months before Wal-Mart opened its doors. One event had nothing to do with the other. "I think Wal-Mart hurts a lot of small businesses," founder Don Hunter told the paper. "But it's not the reason we closed. Absolutely not." As it turns out, the Hunters sold their store to a new owner. It is now a hardware store again - despite Wal-Mart.