Re: Fwd: Wal-Mart and the Strip-Mining of America, Corporate Watch

[lkeenan@norby.latah.lib.id.us (Lori Keenan)]

>At 011:24 AM 11/13/98 -0800, you wrote:

  Also, Mega-lo-Marts sacrifice quality in order
>to keep prices low.  I bought a stapler at Staples for around two dollars.
>It cannot reliably staple two pages together.  If I would walk into Ken's
>Stationery and mention this story, they'd probably say, "That's what you
>get for buying the cheapest thing you could find.  You have to pay more for
>our staplers, but you can be sure they would work trouble-free for
>years...."  What minimum wage worker is benefitted by purchasing defective
>products at a low price?

I wonder if the issue isn't more complex than that.  Given a choice, who
wouldn't prefer quality over junk?  However, there are many people in our
community who do not have that choice and need to buy their children's
clothing, school supplies, or whatever at the place which offers the lowest
price.  For me, the question remains, do we, who may be fortunate enough to
buy wherever we want, have the right to critize the shopping habits of those
who have less of a choice?  Isn't it a good thing when a financially diverse
community provides shopping access to all of its residents?  Doesn't a
community reluctant to provide such a choice lay itself open to the charge
of elitism?  

More questions.  Lori Keenan

>
>
>Robert Hoffmann                      115 N. Jackson St., Suite D
>Alt-Escape Adventures                Moscow, ID  83843  USA
>http://www.alt-escape.com            Phone: (208) 883-0642
>	             Fax:   (208) 883-8545
>
>




Lori Keenan, Director
Latah County Library District
110 S. Jefferson Street
Moscow, ID  83843
tel: (208)882-3923
fax: (208) 882-5098
e-mail: lkeenan@norby.latah.lib.id.us