Property Rights Groups Pushing Oregon-Style Measure 37
March 26, 2005
Like a land use virus spreading from state to state, Oregon’s new Measure 37 law is attracting property rights advocates in other states, prompting anti-sprawl
March 2005
. Vice Chairman of Wal-Mart Board Nailed in Financial Scam
March 26, 2005
One of my favorite Wal-Mart associates is leaving the company. Tom Coughlin, who came up with the memorable quote: “At Wal-Mart we make dust, our
State Lawmakers Pass Wal-Mart Subsidized Tax Break Bill
March 24, 2005
Lawmakers in Indiana have been burning the midnight oil trying to help the world’s richest retailer use state tax dollars to subsidize it’s operation. As
Wal-Mart Gets Slam-Dunked By Opponents
March 24, 2005
Residents in Upland, California can celebrate this week the passing of another Wal-Mart supercenter. Despite Wal-Mart’s grandiose plans to build 40 supercenters in California, a
Wal-Mart Holds First-Ever “Media Conference.” No interviews please.
March 24, 2005
From Wal-Mart’s perspective, the best news is managed news. Wal-Mart loves news that comes out of a can. Everything is carefully scripted, so that what
Krispy Kreme Kloses Wal-Mart Stores
March 23, 2005
How sweet it is! No more “hot doughnuts now” at Wal-Mart. Doughnut maker Krispy Kreme is klosing its shops inside Wal-Mart stores, in a klear
Residents Battling Over Wal-Mart Supercenters
March 22, 2005
City officials in Columbus, Ohio seem to be swooning over a proposed Wal-Mart supercenter, but local residents are prepared to fight the giant retailer and
Wal-Mart Pays $11 Million in “Janitorgate” Case
March 19, 2005
The headlines across America this week announced that Wal-Mart had agreed to settle a lawsuit against it for $11 million for using illegal workers to
Lowe’s Gets Hammered At First Hearing
March 19, 2005
Home improvement giant Lowe’s is probably used to nailing down its plans without much community resistance, but on Pawleys Island, South Carolina, this week, it
NLRB Orders Hearing On Wal-Mart Unfair Labor Charges
March 17, 2005
Every Wal-Mart manager is warned by the company not to “Threaten, Interrogate Promise, Spy” on their workers. Wal-Mart calls this their TIPS on unionization. But
City Sticks By Plan to Keep Out Big Boxes
March 17, 2005
The city council in Carlsbad, California has decided big box stores are not worth pursuing. The city has been engaged in months of negotiations over
Lowe’s Tries To Get Around Size Cap
March 16, 2005
No community is really an island, and some of the most beautiful and fragile places in America are fair game for big box retailers. In
Citizens Explain Opposition to Wal-Mart
March 14, 2005
Several activists from Pullman, Washington contacted Sprawl-Busters to correct our earlier story about Pullman, in which we incorrectly moved the town to Idaho. Pullman is
Residents Alarmed by Prospect of Wal-Mart
March 14, 2005
Sprawl-Busters has received the following report from the community of Crystal Lake, Illinois regarding an unwanted Wal-Mart supercenter: “I am a resident in the Cary,
Residents Organize To Fight Wal-Mart Godzilla
March 13, 2005
Wal-Mart’s plans for a monstrous 223,000 s.f. supercenter in Pullman, Washington has brought out residents determined to fight it. According to the Lewiston Morning Tribune,
Residents Concerned By Wal-Mart Saturation.
March 13, 2005
Wal-Mart has been applying pressure throughout Utah to open up new stores in this state. Newsflash has written about clashes in towns like Centerville and
Auto Repair Workers At Wal-Mart Vote To Unionize
March 13, 2005
Add one more chapter to Wal-Mart’s union odyssey in Canada. This week, the Labor Relations Board in Quebec granted union certification to 10 auto repair
Wal-Mart Loses Rezoning Bid
March 13, 2005
Local officials in Ham Lake, Minnesota have no place to put a 203,000 s.f. Wal-Mart supercenter and gas station. The City Council this week unanimously
Wal-Mart Drops Out of Running
March 13, 2005
Chalk up another victory for anti-Wal-Mart forces. In the village of Mokena, Illinois recently, Wal-Mart announced that it was ending its plans to build a
Residents In Coconut Grove Want Size Cap
March 13, 2005
Miami City Commissioner Johnny Winton, who represents the Coconut Grove area, has introduced a measure that would limit the size of retail stores to 70,000
Activists Explore “Ethics Test” For Big Box Retailers
March 13, 2005
Activists in Longmont, Colorado are researching a new way to put a crimp in development plans of big box retailers. Here’s their report: “Our thought
Residents Organize To Fight Wal-Mart Supercenter.
March 13, 2005
Residents in Pajaro, California were up in arms to learn that a Wal-Mart supercenter has been proposed for their community. Sprawl-Busters received the following report
Wal-Mart Drops Plan For Superstore–Again.
March 13, 2005
The residents of Chandler, Arizona have gotten used to Wal-Mart’s on-and-off attitude. In the past two years, Wal-Mart has pulled out of two Chandler projects,
Two Wal-Mart Battles In One Town
March 6, 2005
Residents have back-to-back Wal-Mart proposals to fight in the city of Westminster, Colorado. The Denver Post reports that citizens in the community of Westminster are
Wal-Mart Tops List Of Workers On Public Health Plans
March 6, 2005
Once again, Wal-Mart has turned up at the top of a list they don’t want to be on. A study released last week by the
Coalition Asks TIAA-CREF To Divest Shares of Wal-Mart Stock
March 5, 2005
Sprawl-Busters has joined a group called “The Make TIAA-CREF Ethical Coalition.” In an open letter sent last month to TIAA-CREF, which is America’s largest pension
Wal-Mart Has 356 “Dark Stores” Available for Sale or Lease
March 5, 2005
Sprawl-Busters has completed its annual inventory of “available buildings” that the nation’s largest retail real estate company is hoping to unload. We have done this
Grocer Blames Wal-Mart For Turning Stores Into “Roadkill.”
March 3, 2005
Reporters often ask for evidence of Wal-Mart’s economic impact on a local trade area. Often, local merchants don’t want to talk about the true impact
More Union Troubles For Wal-Mart Canada
March 3, 2005
There’s a persistent chill in the air north of the border in the Canadian provinces, as Wal-Mart management continually is confronted with more and more
Local Residents Form Group to Push Back Wal-Mart Plan
March 2, 2005
Wal-Mart continues its saturation plans for the state of Oregon by forwarding a new plan to build a 149,000 s.f. store in Beaverton. A group
Town’s Moratorium Puts Wal-Mart On Hold
March 2, 2005
Despite Wal-Mart’s efforts to file a plan before the town of Ballston, New York could impose a moratorium, it appears that the giant retailer will
Wal-Mart Slams Door On the Way Out.
March 1, 2005
Talk about an awkward exit! Wal-Mart pulled out of a Cleveland, Ohio retail project, but made a lot of noise on the way out. The