Wal-Mart has an option to purchase 63 acres in Broussard, Louisiana, and the retailer is also weighing adding a Sam’s Club to the mix. “I have two groups of representatives for Wal-Mart coming in later this week to meet with me,” Broussard Mayor Charles Langlinais to the Gazette newspaper. “One group is with the head real estate officer and the company’s Louisiana attorney and the other group is the company’s consulting engineers to discuss traffic improvements, water, sewer, and other logistics needed for the site. This is something that is a long time coming. They will be the major anchor for Broussards continuing diversification of our business base… from primarily oil service and fully diversified employment and cash flow for the city!” After routing the retailer worldwide sales statistics, the newspaper ended its story with, “Lets all welcome Wal-Mart to the community!” But not everyone in Broussard is greeting Wal-Mart with open arms. One resident fired off a letter to the Gazette which read, “I am sadly aware that Wal-Mart may be coming to Broussard. We moved to Broussard last June and we love it so very much. We love it for the small town community feeling and local merchants. Do we really think Wal-Mart will leave these local merchants and future local merchants unharmed? Do we really think hiring people for part-time near minimum wage jobs with high premiums for health insurance is better than my neighbor down the street owning their own business? Please reconsider bringing Wal-Mart to Broussard. There are books and documentaries abounding about Wal-Mart’s tactics and overseas buying of their products. Please do some research about why Wal-Mart would NOT be good for Broussard. We have one down the road on Pinhook and there is already one in New Iberia. Leave Broussard out of Wal-Mart’s plan!”
Anyone interested in fighting Wal-Mart’s redundant store in Broussard, contact info@sprawl-busters. If you want to see Wal-Mart’s impact on surrounding property, go to the Assessors office in Lake Charles, Louisiana and see the damage a superstore has done to home values. One Wal-Mart neighbor has lost 28% value in her home since the giant retailer moved in behind her lot.
