bad product choice at walmart,someone dropped the ball!

[eolafan]

Guns have been known to be used in killing innocent people, but you don't see Walmart (or just about any other toy or department store for that matter) taking toy guns off of their shelves, do you?  No, well, lots of luck trying to get them to follow your arguement on graffiti on model rail cars!

[blhanel]

....Brian {Ia.}, I'm sure you are more informed on these matters than I am...{not in my field at all}, but the units are for none other than the Commander in Chief.....!  I don't remember what country it was but it was someplace in Europe.  The info was on the news some months ago.  Beat out an American co. on the project.

Oh, OK!  Yeah, that deal... since Lockheed Martin is doing the final assembly, they're putting in all the high-tech classified stuff; the overseas airframe manufacturer is just providing the bare-bones helicopter.

[selector]

FYI, I checked at my local WalMart this afternoon and was told they sold out of the train cars in question.  There was a bare spot on the shelf where the cars were supposed to be.

 

Someone once stated that the voice of the people is the voice of God.  If people are voicing their desire to take advantage of a good thing (as they define it....still a choice, last I heard), and they speak with their wallets at Wal-Mart, who are we to tell them they're wrong?

  Maybe God should.

[Modelcar]

...On new President helicopter: Info on the internet now says it is patterned after an existing European built...Agusta Westland Eh101

Lockeed Martin is involved in build...I can't see anymore details in this article here on the "net'...As I indicated above...The report was back some months ago our American Co was beat out to design the new aircraft for the fleet update and now it looks like the assembly will be by Lockeed Martin...Don't say where...23 units to be built.

[solzrules]

From the cities? Are you trying to play some  "pizz him off and hope he trips himself up wrestling with semantics" playground game here?

That's an interesting choice of wording there. Yeah it's the factories moving to old mcdonalds farm that bothers me.

No I gave up on that game a while ago. 

Many of the factories in the city that I am referring to (Milwaukee) went out of business in the 70's due to un-competitive labor practices.  Others left for the union free areas of the state, and when the taxes caught up with them they left for me-hi-co.  The ones that survived to this day survive only because they own or contract with companies overseas to do a big chunk of their manufacturing.  One example is Allen-Bradly.  They started in Milwaukee in the 1920's (I think).  Today they do most of their R and D and administration in Wisconsin, but the majority of their manufacturing is in Mexico and China.  There is a small amount of production in their original facility downtown, but not what there used to be.  It is a similar situation with A.O. Smith.  Their coporate offices are here but their manufacturing is in Mexico.  They did this to remain competitive.  And the only way to be competitive and survive is to make profits. 

I dunno about you, but among my friends who lost their jobs to outsourcing, the vast lions share lost their jobs in the 90's

I am not familiar with the situation of your friends, I am only referring to my limited knowledge of Milwaukee's history.  What were your friends involved in? 

As far as Walmart being a big customer of the railroads.....so?  Is that supposed to influence where I buy my toothpaste?

Maybe I should review all my purchases, and cut out the items transported by CSX, until they pull their heads out of their collective rears and paint some bridges? 

No, Wal-Mart's use of the RR's wouldn't affect my shopping there, either.  But think of all the work that moving Wal-Mart's merchandise from China to distribution centers in the US is giving to unionized RR workers and teamsters?  Think of the jobs that the dock workers are getting and the longshoremen.  These are all high paying union jobs.  So were one industry suffers and downsizes another industry expands and hires.  Being that the railroads are benefitting from increased intermodal and freight in general, I think it is great!  There isn't a better time to watch trains.  When manufacturing left this country the RR's suffered, but now that we are buying Chinese goods like they are going out of style the railroads are having a field day.  Boo-ya!  Okay, I go to bed now.  

 

[Modelcar]

....Brian {Ia.}, I'm sure you are more informed on these matters than I am...{not in my field at all}, but the units are for none other than the Commander in Chief.....!  I don't remember what country it was but it was someplace in Europe.  The info was on the news some months ago.  Beat out an American co. on the project.

[One Track Mind]

Wal-Mart started in 1962. Very little if any Wal-Mart goods are hauled by rail.

[Murphy Siding]

Maybe I should review all my purchases, and cut out the items transported by CSX, until they pull their heads out of their collective rears and paint some bridges? 

     But........if  CSX bought their "krappe", cheap paint at Walmart, maybe they could afford to paint those bridges?

[Anonymous]

  Most heavy industry and manufacturing began their flight from the cities in the mid to late seventies 

Not only that, it seems to me that Wal-Mart is actually a pretty big customer of the railroads, aren't they?   

From the cities? Are you trying to play some  "pizz him off and hope he trips himself up wrestling with semantics" playground game here?

That's an interesting choice of wording there. Yeah it's the factories moving to old mcdonalds farm that bothers me.

I dunno about you, but among my friends who lost their jobs to outsourcing, the vast lions share lost their jobs in the 90's

As far as Walmart being a big customer of the railroads.....so?  Is that supposed to influence where I buy my toothpaste?

Maybe I should review all my purchases, and cut out the items transported by CSX, until they pull their heads out of their collective rears and paint some bridges? 

[solzrules]

One can only wonder how many of those poor low income people who can only afford to shop at walmart, are in fact poor because their previous job manufacturing store merchandise, was offshored?

a self feeding decline in action.

And that is a bit of circular reasoning don't you think?  They are poor because Wal-Mart drove their former employers overseas and now they have to shop at Wal-Mart?

Actually, Wal-Mart started their coporate tyrannical quest for profits in the eighties and perfected it in the nineties right?  Most heavy industry and manufacturing began their flight from the cities in the mid to late seventies (the Milwaukee Road fell victim to this).  I don't think Wal-Mart even existed in the seventies. 

Not only that, it seems to me that Wal-Mart is actually a pretty big customer of the railroads, aren't they?   

[blhanel]

...Perhaps you missed the announcement not too long ago of our military giving a contract to an offshore facility to supply some high tech helicopters for us.....

Yes, I did miss that, Quentin.  What are the details there?  Who's the contractor?  Who are the helicopters being built for?

I've been working on government contracts in a communications firm for 32 years, and have always been told that the military cannot import stuff, especially if it has classified aspects to it.

[Modelcar]

...Perhaps you missed the announcement not too long ago of our military giving a contract to an offshore facility to supply some high tech helicopters for us.....

[Anonymous]

Not just "cheap products"...CHEAP, CRAPPY PRODUCTS!!

[blhanel]

Not a good thought to have much of our miltiary electronics and various other hardware supply from abroad either....

That currently cannot happen.  It's against the rules for an offshore company to supply hardware (the high-technology stuff anyway) for the U.S. Military.

[Modelcar]

...When we finally reach a point where people of all stripes find their employement headed for the far east, etc....and we start reaching a point our populous can't afford even the "Walmarts" of the business world and it starts to affect Conservitives as well.....Then I wonder what will be the next move.....

Not a good thought to have much of our miltiary electronics and various other hardware supply from abroad either....Much of our manufacturing having moved off shore in my way of thinking is not putting us {America}, in a comfortable position.

[Anonymous]

The charge that Walmart is responsible for all the outsourcing is a red herring.  Manufacturing goes offshore because trade policies let it.  Jobs will continue to go to China and India until their cost of overhead rises to equilibrium with ours.  Because they have so many more people than we do, that equalization is a long way off.  It's far enough off to give time for all U.S. manufacturing to go there.  Businesses have no choice.  If your competitor goes to China, you have to go there or somewhere equivalent.  It's not just manufacturing assembly and production jobs being lost.  Engineering and design jobs are flying out the door as well. 

The controversy over Walmart is entirely political.  It's run by conservatives and is non-union, so liberals hate it.  Everybody who hates Walmart is not liberal, but all liberals hate Walmart.  It's a fashion.  With the exception of oil companies, Walmart is the most un-politically correct company. (The most P.C. company is Google).  But I don't want to get too political here.

[Anonymous]

  We were once a manufacturing and shipping center, but those jobs disappeared when the California gold rush ended. 

good gosh, like 135 years ago then?  What was your primary industry, knitting?

[DSchmitt]

One can only wonder how many of those poor low income people who can only afford to shop at walmart, are in fact poor because their previous job manufacturing store merchandise, was offshored?

a self feeding decline in action.

 

Where I live virtually none.  We were once a manufacturing and shipping center, but those jobs disappeared when the California gold rush ended.  In the economy, nothing is forever..

[Anonymous]

One can only wonder how many of those poor low income people who can only afford to shop at walmart, are in fact poor because their previous job manufacturing store merchandise, was offshored?

a self feeding decline in action.

[TimChgo9]

It's about pricing....  I do my grocery shopping, mostly, at my local SuperTarget... why? Because my grocery dollar goes about 30 to 35% farther there... Simple price comparison.... When a box of cereal,  is 4.99 at my local Jewel (large chain grocery store in Chicago, employing union workers) regular price and the same box of cereal is 2.54 (regular price) at Super Target, guess where I am going??  Super Target sells many national brands at prices 10 to 40% lower than my local Jewel.  So, for most of my groceries (except deli meats, Jewel has better meats) I am going to Super Target.... 

But, so far, the Jewel hasn't shut it's doors... so I guess there is room for both in this market. But, I am going where my dollar goes farther, period. 

My problem with Wal-Mart, is the fact that they have so much for such low prices...I wind up spending more than I planned on....  But, in all seriousness.  I am not a big fan of Wal-Mart either, but, over by me, the store is clean, the prices are low.... and, well... that decides it. 

 

[Tharmeni]

FYI, I checked at my local WalMart this afternoon and was told they sold out of the train cars in question.  There was a bare spot on the shelf where the cars were supposed to be.

[DSchmitt]

Awhile back I read an article that claimed Walmart was bad because they have pay low wages and have poor benefits.  It claimed a study proved that they were a burden on the enonomy and the government because their employees need goverment assistance to survive.

Nonsense! 

The alternatives for most of their employees are is job with lower pay and benefits if they can find one.  In my area there are two Walmart superstores.  It is overall a low income, high unemployment area. One benifit of living hear is that it is less expensive than more affulent areas 40-50 miles away. Many employees are older people suplimenting their income, others are young people just starting out and a few are people who made a mess out of their lives and are trying to straighten up.  If it wern't for Walmart they would have had to commute or leave the area to find a steady job (which probably would, at best, only pay  as well as Walmart).

Cheap products?

Most Walmart products are not cheap.  Most are the same brands and models sold at other stores.

When I bought a digital camera a few years ago, I could have gotten it at Walmart, but found it for less, on the internet, from a New York Camera store.  

Their groceries and sundries are the same brands as other stores sale (usually at a higher price). Even so no grocery stores or supermarkets , in the area, have closed since the Walmart superstores opened.

I recently bought a bedroom dresser and table (assemble yourself). They are sturdy and atractive BTW,  They were maufactured in the USA.

Because of Walmart and other businesses (many national names) locating near Walmart, hundreds of new jobs have been created in my community.

[solzrules]

If somebody has the extra cash to spend living out their ideals and philosophy, hey that's great!  More power to ya, brother!  Fight the power!  But if these businesses benefit people who do not have the luxury of extra money, I really don't think they should be made to feel bad for shopping at a store that can provide them with the cheapest everyday items. 

.   

See, there in is the TRUE beauty of America,  You have the right to be wrong, and I'd defend to the death your right to feel that way.

Appology accepted.

But I didn't apologize I just ........oh wait.  Saracsm.  I get it now....

Well anyhoo, I need to go use the bathroom with my cheap wal mart toilet paper that was probably made by gay chinese-mexicans in India who were whipped wile making 80 cents a year.  At least I can smile and think about all the money I saved!!!!!!

It be such a nice day out I think I shall chase a few trains around the great state of WI.

 

[eastside]

While shopping at Walmart tonight i discovered a new train related toy. Unfortunatly this toy represents a negative part of railroading. The toy im talking about is a series of railcars covered in graffiti,

My 2 cents:

1. If someone wanted his layout to be representative of the reality of railroading he’d have to include one of these cars, right?  I probably wouldn’t have such a car, but my layout had a bum and a junkyard, which I thought was pretty humorous.  I suppose the guy who thought up that car had a similar attitude.
2. If WM is really hip, they’re hoping someone will make a big stink, start a controversy, and draw attention to the product.  Then it’ll sell big.  Works every time with art, movies, clothes, music, etc.
3. Trying to force your norms onto someone else smacks of censorship.  I’d say nothing and just let the market decide.

[Anonymous]

If somebody has the extra cash to spend living out their ideals and philosophy, hey that's great!  More power to ya, brother!  Fight the power!  But if these businesses benefit people who do not have the luxury of extra money, I really don't think they should be made to feel bad for shopping at a store that can provide them with the cheapest everyday items. 

.   

See, there in is the TRUE beauty of America,  You have the right to be wrong, and I'd defend to the death your right to feel that way.

Appology accepted.

[Anonymous]

I am so tempted.......you left yourself open to a barrage of witty repartee!

However, since it is Sunday.....

One eventually reaches a point where it no longer matters 

the more costly 1000 sheet rolls last me way longer than the "bargain" rolls.
People see 12 rolls for $3 and think they are getting a steal, until they end up installing a new roll every other day.

Paying $7.50 for 12 rolls but getting  nearly 3 times as many sheets (notice I said "shEEts")  is a far better bargain.

[solzrules]

 So far can't dissagree with anything AG has said, Wally World sux, and IS bad for America...just creating generations of cheap crap junkies

Quality? Whats that?

 

edit PS: AG I'm really curious now about that last one...

I can see the argument Solzrules wants to make, "if consumers are buying it, why blame Walmart for meeting their needs?" (or something along those lines, seems to be the way the Walmart appologists usually arrange their  position)

And while there is more validity than not to that argument, I give Walmart credit (the blame in other words) for pioneering in that field, I think they have made that paradigm work, to the extent their competitors have but 2 choices, get buried, or follow suit.

The demon  (such as the case may be) is "the walmart mentality" . And as the name would indicate, the parental lineage is pretty obvious.

Now, most places you go,  you find 2 things, cheap walmart like merchandise, and Americans who used to work in manufacturing.

That last picture btw actually has Walmart suing the source. I guess that even the great goliath has seen the imperative to circle the wagons.

Whether that means I'm Walmartophobic, or Walmartmisic remains to be proven...

If a store comes in (putting on my Wal-Mart apologist hat here....hee hee hee) and undercuts the competition by underpricing their products who is that hurting exactly?  It sure doesn't hurt me!  It sure doesn't hurt those on a low income budget either.  (Isn't that the same group of people the democrats are 'for'?)  The only people they are hurting is the stores that were selling their products at a higher price, right?  But isn't that the joy of our captialist economy?  I can tell you for certain that somebody growing their business by out-selling and out-pricing the competition is not exclusive to Wal-Mart.  Business have been doing that for hundreds (thousands?) of years.  In a free market, there isn't anything wrong with that.  Just like there isn't anything wrong with you chosing not to shop there.  That's your business.  If Wal-Mart wants to sell a lot of stuff at low prices to a lot of people and make some money while they are at it isn't that their business?  Yes they buy their products from China, but according to the pro-union propaganda telling me what car I should buy to support the American worker most of our atuomobiles are from foregin countries as well.  I think that is just the nature of the game. 

If somebody has the extra cash to spend living out their ideals and philosophy, hey that's great!  More power to ya, brother!  Fight the power!  But if these businesses benefit people who do not have the luxury of extra money, I really don't think they should be made to feel bad for shopping at a store that can provide them with the cheapest everyday items. 

As for the decline of American manufacturing, why not ask our union friends why that is happening?  I guess some companies found out the hard way that you can pay someone in Mexico 2 dollars a day to punch a button instead of paying a guy 90,000 dollars a year to punch a button here in the USA.  If you don't believe me, read up on the Delphi-GM fiasco.  That is a direct result of overpriced-underworked people burying a company.  Unions are not bad, but they can take on the heir of a large, greedy company.  The same companies (such as Wal-Mart) they are supposed to be against.   

[zardoz]

 while I get  a good week (+/-) out of each roll.

I am so tempted.......you left yourself open to a barrage of witty repartee!

However, since it is Sunday.....

[David_Telesha]

Forget the made in China stuff, AG, but I don't see anything wrong with alcohol, tobacco, and firearms..

[silicon212]

Wasn't that last image re-edited from its original form in the Jib-Jab "This Land" flash movie?  I seem to remember the alien ...