Like most New Yorkers, I found it pretty nutty when many City Council members and their cohorts demonstrated last week against Walmart’s donations to local New York City charities.
But the fact is that the deep, longstanding hostility to any Walmart presence in the city is just as crazy.
Why should our local nonprofits turn down sorely needed funding to continue helping people they serve and sustain those they employ? Any drop in funding means downsizing or pay cuts for nonprofit employees, and/or cuts in services to people in need.
But some lawmakers — and the special interests that pull their strings — are always seeking new ways to attempt to shame Walmart, the largest employer in the country.
One common claim is that Walmart destroys economies and drives small business to extinction. Perhaps this has some merit in rural areas, but I have yet to see any evidence that such impact occurs in metropolitan areas.
New York City has millions of consumers who sustain large and small retailers. These businesses’ continued co-existence here is proof that the “extinction” threat simply doesn’t hold in densely populated areas.
Costco thrives in the city without severe impact to large or small retailers. Home Depot and Lowes have each established a strong presence in our local economy, while patrons still support many neighborhood hardware stores.
And out on Long Island, with its sizable population and diverse demographics, Walmart stores exist without a deadly impact on jobs and established retailers.
By blocking Walmart from entering the city’s economy, the special-interest groups are exhibiting the same selfishness that they accuse Walmart of.
Walmart saves middle- and low-income consumers money on everyday items and basic essentials. It’s especially valuable to those on fixed incomes and public assistance, who benefit by stretching their budgets to get more for less.
America’s largest retailer can contribute to underdeveloped neighborhoods as the “anchor” of economic expansion plans, such as new shopping centers that also house small businesses and a myriad of franchises.
Areas like my old neighborhood in East New York could richly benefit, because Walmart can provide affordable and healthy fruits and vegetables to low-income families now trapped in “food deserts.”
Why say “never” to a retailer who can revitalize underserved urban communities?
Walmart foes always fall back to wages and benefits. Sorry, while I strongly believe that the minimum wage should be raised modestly over a period of time, there’s a larger and more urgent issue in New York, city and state: poor job development.
Our communities desperately need a job market that provides choices.
Our politicians have failed to implement pro-growth policies and promote a business environment that creates well-paying job options for blue- and white-collar job seekers. But I can tell you from personal experience that holding down a job, any job, makes it much more possible to land a better job.
Walmart should continue to seek ways to do better at providing low prices while also enhancing wages and benefits — but that’s not easy when profit margins are extremely narrow.
Remember, too, that if Walmart jobs weren’t appealing, then the store wouldn’t receive thousands of resumes for every 100 positions available.
There is a balance that we can reach if we allow the people to decide for themselves, rather than letting the politicians take choice away from us. We are all of age and can make our own decisions.
Harlem-based John Burnett is a business consultant, entrepreneur and former candidate for city comptroller.