Walmart is unwelcome in the US China Town
While under pressure from Jewish investors, US President Obama publically remonstrated Manmohan Singh and his government for failing to 'reform' --- meaning give entry to American's biggest Jewish retail chain, the Walmart, in Indian market, --- even though its entry will result in throwing out of business for millions of corner shopowners and the existing supply chains --- the following news story by New York Times shows how Walmart is not welcome in areas where mom and pop shopkeepers of China Town in Los Angeles, California. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh should take a leaf from the protests in America and reconsider its US FIRST policy, instead of INDIA FIRST. The danger of another public agitation against Walmart and Congress, is not to be underestimated and if Congress wants to remain the running, it should think of the common people of India, rather than the moneybag Jewish investors of the world, who are descending on India in droves, to take over India, in the name of USA.
Ghulam Muhammed, Mumbai
<ghulammuhammed3@gmail.com>
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http://www.nytimes.com/2012/
For more than 70 years, small businesses have thrived in Chinatown. Now Walmart’s plans for a store — in an area that hasn’t had a mainstream grocery in decades — have spurred a furious battle, with community activists and labor unions determined to block the giant retailer.
For more than 70 years, these small businesses have thrived here, lining both sides of the street.
But some local residents and business owners fear this historic immigrant community is now threatened by the newest addition to the neighborhood: Walmart, which plans to open a scaled-down version of its superstore just a few blocks from the heart of Chinatown.
“They’re going to hurt the small businesses,” said Grace Yen, a Taiwanese immigrant who came here in 1986, as she sat in a Chinatown bakery. “They have a bigger market. They’re going to take over everything.”
The Walmart Neighborhood Market would offer Chinatown its first mainstream grocery store in decades. But since the company’s plan was announced in February, a furious battle has broken out over the project, with community activists and labor unions determined to block the world’s largest retailer from the neighborhood.
In March, the City Council banned large chain stores from opening in Chinatown. But Walmart received its building permit a day before that vote, exempting the store from the ban.
Then in June, thousands of protesters marched through Chinatown in a show of opposition to the new Walmart. Several labor unions have also sued to stop the project.
But on Friday a judge declined to halt construction on the store, which began in July, until that case is heard. As a result, the Chinatown Walmart now looks more likely than ever to open as scheduled early next year.
Christilily Chiv, 24, said she worries that Walmart’s arrival in the neighborhood where she was born and raised could mark the start of a major transition in Chinatown, which remains a first stop for many Asian immigrants, into a historic district where immigrants no longer live and work.
“Chinatown is a cultural community,” Ms. Chiv said. “I want to preserve what is there. And I fear what’s going to happen is that by having commercial corporations come in, they are going to erase the cultural community and what it stood for in the first place.”
Still, the storefront where the Walmart Neighborhood Market plans to open has sat vacant for two decades, and many residents are eager to see it filled.
“This community has not had a mainstream grocery store in 74 years,” said George Yu, executive director of the Chinatown Business Improvement District, noting that all grocery stores in the area close by 7 p.m. “What if you want yogurt or cheese? What if you want dog food? Those are pretty basic needs that every community has.”
“Ninety-nine percent of the community supports this market,” Mr. Yu added. “The opposition is coming from outside Chinatown.”
Labor unions have for years criticized Walmart for hiring nonunion workers and paying low wages. And some of the unions and workers’ rights advocates that have helped lead the charge to keep Walmart out of Chinatown also fought to limit Walmart’s influence in other parts of the region.
This year, three of the top candidates in the 2013 Los Angeles mayoral race all vowed not to accept any campaign donations from Walmart, after unions sent a letter urging them to return contributions from the retail giant.
In addition, the Los Angeles Alliance for a New Economy, which helped organize the protest in Chinatown, also helped push through an ordinance that makes it more difficult to open large superstores here.
“We’ve been organizing to try to make sure that neighborhood small businesses are protected,” said Allison Mannos, a spokeswoman for the alliance. “And also to make sure that there are not poverty-level jobs coming in.”
The Walmart Neighborhood Market planned for Chinatown would offer mainly grocery items and a pharmacy. Steven V. Restivo, a spokesman for Walmart, said the company had received largely positive feedback from the community.
“The day our store opens, thousands and thousands of local residents are going to shop at that Walmart Neighborhood Market,” Mr. Restivo said. “Those are people who probably never attended a council meeting or wrote a letter to the editor. They just want to have more options close to where they live and work.”
He added, “In terms of the cultural impact, there is literally a Burger King across the street from our location, and a Subway next door.”
Local residents remained evenly divided, according to a spokeswoman for City Councilman Ed P. Reyes, who represents the area. And even some of the local business owners are not yet sure how Walmart might affect them.
Richard Lam owns an import business, selling clothes and other accessories. He showed off a Walmart app on his smartphone. But he was nervous about the arrival of the store.
“I shop online with Walmart all the time,” he said. “I buy phone. I buy camera. It’s cheap.”
But he added, “If they don’t open, I’m happier.”
While under pressure from Jewish investors, US President Obama publically remonstrated Manmohan Singh and his government for failing to 'reform' --- meaning give entry to American's biggest Jewish retail chain, the Walmart, in Indian market, --- even though its entry will result in throwing out of business for millions of corner shopowners and the existing supply chains --- the following news story by New York Times shows how Walmart is not welcome in areas where mom and pop shopkeepers of China Town in Los Angeles, California. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh should take a leaf from the protests in America and reconsider its US FIRST policy, instead of INDIA FIRST. The danger of another public agitation against Walmart and Congress, is not to be underestimated and if Congress wants to remain the running, it should think of the common people of India, rather than the moneybag Jewish investors of the world, who are descending on India in droves, to take over India, in the name of USA.
Ghulam Muhammed, Mumbai
<ghulammuhammed3@gmail.com>
--------------------------
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/
A Walmart for Chinatown Stirs a Fight in Los Angeles
Patrick T. Fallon for The New York Times
For more than 70 years, small businesses have thrived in Chinatown. Now Walmart’s plans for a store — in an area that hasn’t had a mainstream grocery in decades — have spurred a furious battle, with community activists and labor unions determined to block the giant retailer.
By IAN LOVETT
Published: September 7, 2012
LOS ANGELES — Along Broadway here, in the heart of Chinatown, immigrants crowd around fruit and vegetable shops, asking prices in Mandarin and Cantonese. Men hawk huge red grapes from a pile in the back of a pickup truck. And poultry shops sell not only chicken, but roosters, guinea hens and pheasants — live poultry is available on request.
Patrick T. Fallon for The New York Times
A sign protesting Wal-Mart hangs on the door of a small pet store in Chinatown.
Patrick T. Fallon for The New York Times
Fish is sold by a street vendor.
Patrick T. Fallon for The New York Times
Customers shop at Yue Wa Market and Nam Hoa Fish Market.For more than 70 years, these small businesses have thrived here, lining both sides of the street.
But some local residents and business owners fear this historic immigrant community is now threatened by the newest addition to the neighborhood: Walmart, which plans to open a scaled-down version of its superstore just a few blocks from the heart of Chinatown.
“They’re going to hurt the small businesses,” said Grace Yen, a Taiwanese immigrant who came here in 1986, as she sat in a Chinatown bakery. “They have a bigger market. They’re going to take over everything.”
The Walmart Neighborhood Market would offer Chinatown its first mainstream grocery store in decades. But since the company’s plan was announced in February, a furious battle has broken out over the project, with community activists and labor unions determined to block the world’s largest retailer from the neighborhood.
In March, the City Council banned large chain stores from opening in Chinatown. But Walmart received its building permit a day before that vote, exempting the store from the ban.
Then in June, thousands of protesters marched through Chinatown in a show of opposition to the new Walmart. Several labor unions have also sued to stop the project.
But on Friday a judge declined to halt construction on the store, which began in July, until that case is heard. As a result, the Chinatown Walmart now looks more likely than ever to open as scheduled early next year.
Christilily Chiv, 24, said she worries that Walmart’s arrival in the neighborhood where she was born and raised could mark the start of a major transition in Chinatown, which remains a first stop for many Asian immigrants, into a historic district where immigrants no longer live and work.
“Chinatown is a cultural community,” Ms. Chiv said. “I want to preserve what is there. And I fear what’s going to happen is that by having commercial corporations come in, they are going to erase the cultural community and what it stood for in the first place.”
Still, the storefront where the Walmart Neighborhood Market plans to open has sat vacant for two decades, and many residents are eager to see it filled.
“This community has not had a mainstream grocery store in 74 years,” said George Yu, executive director of the Chinatown Business Improvement District, noting that all grocery stores in the area close by 7 p.m. “What if you want yogurt or cheese? What if you want dog food? Those are pretty basic needs that every community has.”
“Ninety-nine percent of the community supports this market,” Mr. Yu added. “The opposition is coming from outside Chinatown.”
Labor unions have for years criticized Walmart for hiring nonunion workers and paying low wages. And some of the unions and workers’ rights advocates that have helped lead the charge to keep Walmart out of Chinatown also fought to limit Walmart’s influence in other parts of the region.
This year, three of the top candidates in the 2013 Los Angeles mayoral race all vowed not to accept any campaign donations from Walmart, after unions sent a letter urging them to return contributions from the retail giant.
In addition, the Los Angeles Alliance for a New Economy, which helped organize the protest in Chinatown, also helped push through an ordinance that makes it more difficult to open large superstores here.
“We’ve been organizing to try to make sure that neighborhood small businesses are protected,” said Allison Mannos, a spokeswoman for the alliance. “And also to make sure that there are not poverty-level jobs coming in.”
The Walmart Neighborhood Market planned for Chinatown would offer mainly grocery items and a pharmacy. Steven V. Restivo, a spokesman for Walmart, said the company had received largely positive feedback from the community.
“The day our store opens, thousands and thousands of local residents are going to shop at that Walmart Neighborhood Market,” Mr. Restivo said. “Those are people who probably never attended a council meeting or wrote a letter to the editor. They just want to have more options close to where they live and work.”
He added, “In terms of the cultural impact, there is literally a Burger King across the street from our location, and a Subway next door.”
Local residents remained evenly divided, according to a spokeswoman for City Councilman Ed P. Reyes, who represents the area. And even some of the local business owners are not yet sure how Walmart might affect them.
Richard Lam owns an import business, selling clothes and other accessories. He showed off a Walmart app on his smartphone. But he was nervous about the arrival of the store.
“I shop online with Walmart all the time,” he said. “I buy phone. I buy camera. It’s cheap.”
But he added, “If they don’t open, I’m happier.”
This is the classic way the American Dream works, depriving lower middle class their means of earning an honest living, through hard work and enterprenueal zeal while encouraging the capitalist who has access to the world zionist credit system to expand to suck in people's money in an irreversible cycle of exploitation.
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