Capital Stupidity

The Washington, DC City Council has finally given permission to Wal-Mart allowing the retail behemoth to do business within the city. Funny that someone like Marion Barry can stop economic growth and expansion- but that's the joy of urban liberalism. Look at cities like Detroit, Cleveland, New York and Baltimore for further evidence of liberals with power destroying economies...

But that's not my point. What got my attention was this hysterical article in the Washington Post where local yokels express their concerns about Wal-Mart's impending arrival. Let's looks at some of what keeps Washingtonians up at night:

1. "would a new Wal-Mart there really stock the same quality of food and products as its stores do in better-off, suburban communities? "I'll believe it when I see it," Mya Harris, 24, said skeptically. "Sure, you can put the store here, but what are they going to put inside it?"

Ah, yes Ms. Harris. I can see you are not a business major. Just tell me- in your 24 years of life and some, say, 14 of buying products: what store have you ever seen that puts things on their shelves that people don't want to buy? Maybe YOU don't buy those things. But someone does. Or... guess what, Ms. Harris? You know what happens? That store goes out of business (or gets a government bailout, depending on what President Obama's magic ball says).

What does she think will be on the shelves? Saddles? Microscopes? or things that people need. I think, one can safely say, that Wal-mart has a pretty good reputation on stocking their shelves with things that people buy. You know, success didn't come because of a government subsidy. This isn't General Motors.

2. "Brenda Speaks, a Ward 4 ANC commissioner, actually urged blocking construction of the planned store in her ward at Georgia and Missouri avenues NW partly because of that risk. Addressing a small, anti-Wal-Mart rally at City Hall on Monday, Speaks said young people would get criminal records when they couldn't resist the temptation to steal."

I have no words for this gibberish. I only suffer knowing that my tax dollars pay for this woman's salary.

3. "the Respect DC coalition of nonprofit groups, unions and churches that organized the demonstration... demand was that the company sign a citywide Community Benefits Agreement that would promise in writing to do things such as invest in local communities and treat its workers well."

What gaul. What absolute gaul. A company that hasn't even arrived yet but plans to bring retail, low prices, enormous tax revenue and hundreds of full time job being issued a list of demands by a "coalition". I'd love to know what the hell this coalition has done for DC, what jobs they have created, what revenue they have contributed to the city coffers. They risk no capital, they invest no time nor treasure into this venture. It's not their money, their vision, their entrepreneurship yet they want to issue demands.

You know how Wal-Mart can "invest in local communities"? By BUILDING A FRIGGIN WAL-MART IN THE COMMUNITY. You know how Wal-Mart can "treat its workers well"? By giving them jobs. Jobs that DO NOT exist now. I don't know, Hippie Coalition, I think that's a pretty nice way to treat someone.

I'm always amazed groups that have no background, experience or knowledge in business feel entitled to dictate business rules to corporations that are taking enormous financial risks. This isn't rewarding entrepreneurship- it is stifling it.

Typical of my beloved Washington. A city where old men in wingback, leather chairs want to dictate rules on baseball, foreign policy in Iran, oil policy, transfats and automotive futures. Knowledge and experience and vested interest account for nothing.