I am truly at a loss wondering why anyone would be opposed to WalMart Grocery store coming to Somerville in a vacant building next to Home Depot. It's a great location.
People complain that they can't get to it by foot? Bet they get to Home Depot when they need to and got to Circuit City when they were open. The same people would complain if it was too close to their house or in a residential neighborhood. People say they don't treat their employees well. Do they really think Walmart is any different than any other large business when it comes to "employee" etiquette? These people complain that it will put the small grocery stores in the area out of business.
Bottom line....The city should welcome Walmart with open arms. In an economy like this we should not turn this store away if it indeed wants to open here assuring jobs and good prices. Everyone wants to get good quality name brand food for a lower price than you can get at Shaws and S & S. If you are concerned about their labor practices don't apply for a job there and don't shop there......its that simple. Don't try to tell the me and the rest of the city this is not what "we" want or need here. Just go about your business and shop at the stores "you" want to shop at and keep those corner grocery stores and the Shaws and S&S in business. If Walmart is turned away, that site will soon look like the old Star Market lot on Winter Hill because the "coalition" will oppose anything that tries to lease it.

Carol: I understand and agree with mostly everything you said. However, one opposing opinion that resonates with me is that Walmart is known for using predatory pricing schemes to put local competition out of business. So although Walmart may bring more jobs and more choices at first, the end result may be fewer jobs and fewer choices when other competitors are out of business.

Maybe you have a good income and have a great car to get to places like the faraway discount stores but there are alot of low income families who don't have cars to get to the faraway discount stores. I think it would be grerat for a Walmart store to come to Somerville. It would bring more people to the city to shop just like the Christmas Tree store did. Now people can go and get great bargains and they don't have to worry about getting there and just enjoy getting a bargain at a great store. Stop thinking about yourself and think about how many low income families occupy the city of Somerville and how it woulkd be great for us.

1st,your "Poll" is a perfect example of bias. By giving "no" voters no choice than "over my dead body," you characterize "no" voters as fanatics.You're not kidding this is not a scientific poll!
To those who don't understand what the big deal is about, spend a few moments finding out. Most of us have better things to do than to fight the largest retailer IN THE WORLD. None of us was born opposing Walmart; we learned about them & the communities they have affected. Ghost towns, mostly.Towns downriver from stores dumping toxic waste. States whose Medicaid expenses grow as Walmart jobs increase; it is company strategy to get the State to pay workers' health insurance. The company does not provide it, nor do the wages it pays enable people to purchase it for themselves or their families. They do not, will not buy U.S. made products to sell, & factory conditions in developing countries are appalling. Not only do they pay poverty wages, they subject workers to practices illegal in the U.S. for a century.
Cities and towns all over the country have organized opposition to Walmart. They have fought hard, and they have won. I think it's important to understand why.

Some of us are ok with the idea of Walmart coming to town, IF they conform to the kinds of standards we in Somerville expect of anyone wanting to do business here. It's true that they will bring jobs--but the best predictor of future behavior is past behavior, and in every other place Walmart has come in, for every two jobs they bring, three people in that area lose their jobs. Walmart isn't interested in helping people who struggle to feed their families. They are interested in making more money for their executives, that's it. Something like 6 of the world's 10 richest people are Walmart executives or family members, while Walmart's workers need to go on food stamps or medicaid, even working full time.

Well said Julie and Rev.

Yes. Yes. Yes and please poll yes

tricia chatwood: I don't know if your comment was directed at me, but if so... I was thinking of the lower income families. The short term might be lower prices, but the long term is fewer jobs... which means prices will not be low enough for those unemployed.

RevMolly: Several WalMart execs are on the Forbes billionaires list, but I think only 1 has made the top 10 richest. Several have made the top 25 though.
http://www.forbes.com/wealth/billionaires/list

Has anyone ever checked into the labor practices, wages and benefits that our local small businesses pay their employees? You know, the businesses that you are concerned that will be put out of business when WALMART Grocery moves in. Their employees are sometimes working more than 40 hrs per week with no o.t and no benefits. They will probably be lucky to even make minimum wage. These are also the people that also need a Walmart Grocery store in Somerville to feed their families.

Carol, your point is well-taken. In Davis Sq, chain stores pay minimum- one w/ policy of NO raises.Work conditions are abhorrent. No security. Restaurant workers' exposure to high heat, noxious fumes, unvented smoke etc. prob violate OSHA standards. And how many recycle? In a city proud of its Living Wage Ordinance we have dropped the ball big time. I'd love to shine light on many local employers but again, many are large chains who don't get rich by accident, but by low labor costs & discriminatory practices of all kinds. I must often balance my conscience & my convenience-I feel goods from CVS,Tedeschi & Dollar Store R tainted. Problem is, problem w/ WM isn't limited to labor practices. Not enough space here to elaborate, but as luck wd have it, a story in todays Huff.Post by a Rap Star explains it very well & includes link to important documentary abt. Walmart. Everyone in S'ville needs to see it- with language translators. Hard to argue w/ evidence. Please check this out: "http://www.huffingtonpost.com/headroc/walmart-is-the1percent_b_1102053.html"; We need the facts vs. WM's infamous propoganda campaigns. Most of us have no idea the hidden costs of WM's cheap prices.

I agree the poll options are worded poorly. The for and against are strikingly different in tone.

They have good prices and I'll probably shop there on occasion
vs
Over my dead body

While some of the 'no' voters possibly feel that strongly, there is a big leap that needs to be made to get from something like, "I don't think it's a good idea because..." to "over my dead body."

If you're going that route with the 'No' vote, the 'Yes' should be something like: "Would kill to make it happen."

I think that under a thriving economy communities can be more stringent on who comes town. In todays tough economy and considering unemployement, we should be more open to private businesses who want to spend their private dollars (no gov or tax dollars). Yes WalMart isnt ideal but they will create jobs from the moment they buy the land. Which is another empty lot, just like the one in Winter Hill. An empty lot does nothing if not takes away from the comunity. Have other businesses tried to purchase the space? Also let your dollars speak, if you dont like it dont shop there or work there. Do date I have done my holiday shopping at all local business but it doesnt mean people shouldnt have the choice to shop at big box stores. I dont like Wal-Mart but I think people should make their own decisions on where they shop

Rjean: sounds good in theory but try achieving that at lower prices than trader joes. If u can do that then u will have one very successful business. Good luck.

I'll still shop at Market Basket. They have excellent produce and great prices, but I'll certainly give WalMart a look. As far as I am concerned if people want to shop there and like the products thats their business, likewise if people want to work there and accept the wages that's also their business.
Can it really be any worse than Bradley's was, or the Assembly Sq K-Mart?

Interesting how there was a spike of over 100 votes for Yes over a saturday night to sunday morning

Walmart has some serious issues with how they treat their female employees; low wages, lack of benefits, unable to move up, limit on # of hours. I do think Somerville should protect against that. If people don't stand up against them (and the US Justices won't) then it's up to the local government to protect their people.

Competition drives prices down.Obviously it is up to city to keep an eye on their activities.

In the same vein as "Freedom isn't free", Walmart's cheap prices don't come cheap. It is counterintuitive that paying more at the register may be in one's long-term interest, but seems to be true. It is a matter of contrasting two business models and their comprehensive effects, not just immediate prices. For anyone taking this paradox seriously I highly recommend the film, "WALMART: the high cost of low price", see http://www.walmartmovie.com/ Walmart achieves SOME of its cost reductions through efficiencies of scale and it is arguable that this is a net gain to the economy. If the company were worker-owned, and community-friendly, the savings would be returned to the communities and we all would indeed be better off. Unfortunately Walmart has fought tooth-and-nail against implementing values that most of us in Somerville treasure (fairness, safety, opportunity, transparency). I would love Walmart to grow into a "good actor" but they show no signs of this beyond propaganda. Wise people learn from others' mistakes. Show me any community whose local economy is stronger since Walmart's arrival. For the foreseeable future we must say 'no' to Walmart in Somerville.

What about a Market Basket in the space. It is popular and local and ow cost.

Please no walmart , at least not in the area being talked about. The traffic will be brutal. That strip of road just can't handle the amount of people who will flood in from Somerville, Cambridge, Everret, Medford, Arlington, ect. ect.

This New York Times article sums up my misgivings about Walmart. They only care about growth, the community and corruption be-damned!
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/22/business/at-wal-mart-in-mexico-a-bribe-inquiry-silenced.html?hp

As a 24-year Somerville resident, I am one of the nay-sayers when it comes to having any kind of Wal*Mart Store coming to our city. Their food is shoddy, their labor policies horrendous, and the damage that Wal*Mart has inflicted on communities that it's moved into is enormous. It's the biggest independent business killer that there is, and there's a good possibility that it would put other grocery stores/markets around here out of business.

I suggest that the proponents of a Wal*Mart grocery store coming into Somerville rent the DVD of t he film "Wal*Mart--The High Cost of Low Pricing", a documentary film that gives excellent insight as to the abusive labor policies, bad food, as well as shoddy merchandise, not to mention extremely long hours, and no benefits, unless one goes on welfare.

I also might add that Wal*Mart decided against moving into Somerville, because they know they're not welcome. Most people don't want them, and with ample reasons.