Walmart Supercenter At 111 Yale St.

[RedScare]

I have very little interest in what DC is doing.  Why don't you move there? 

 

I think you intended this for the person who brought DC into the debate. Let's ask him. s3mh, Leonard would like to know why you don't move to DC. Why don't you?

[Leonard]

I don't really know much about the DC thing, but if the elected leaders think it's a good idea, I'm sure it is.  HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!

[TGM]

Gosh TGM, maybe because you have to take the jobs that are available. I don't know. I don't know why any one would complain about anything, given your logic. That's the way it is, so just shut up. Your City government is making dirty deals with developers, what did you expect? You knew politicians were dirty when you moved here. Keep your head down and shut up. People are going to make statements you disagree with on idiotic forums, there is nothing you can do about it so quit complaining.

I have very little interest in what DC is doing. Why don't you move there?

Your "you have to take the jobs that are available" statement pretty much sums up your belief that we are all just subjects, or serfs to some greater force out there, with no choice, control, or ultimately accountability for our actions, decisions, and destiny. If you don't like what they are paying don't waste any time filling out the job application.

I almost moved to DC back in 2000, but chose not to after several location scouting trips. While the DC area is a beautiful part of the county I did not like what I would have to pay to live in the equivalent of Midtown, Houston. Houston was the best value, and the most logical choice for my career path. It was an extremely tough choice to make because they offered a move-to bonus equal to my salary, and paid 2 points on a mortgage. I stayed in Houston and they went BK 2 years later. Oh and it was also hard to find a good Walmart in the area.

[Leonard]

Just because someone doesn't have the ambition or opportunities you have doesn't mean they should be walked on.

 

The strong should protect the weak, not build on their backs.  I'm sure, given the choice, anyone would choose the pay and benefits you get with your job over the pay and benefits of a Walmart associate.  I kind of doubt that most Walmart associates would qualify for a job that pays points on a mortgage.  

 

 

[barracuda]

Reprint from Hotair

http://hotair.com/archives/2013/07/09/sigh-d-c-council-poised-to-chase-off-900-jobs-because-they-dont-like-wal-mart-so-there/

Sigh: D.C. Council poised to chase off 900 jobs because they don’t like Wal-Mart, so there

POSTED AT 10:01 PM ON JULY 9, 2013 BY MARY KATHARINE HAM

A couple lessons, here. First, businesses are not obligated to open in your city or your neighborhood, particularly when you incentivize them to locate elsewhere. Washington, D.C. is particularly susceptible to losing potential jobs (particularly in entry-level and working class retail positions, as opposed to lobbyist slots) to nearby jurisdictions because it doesn’t take much to simply cross the bridge to friendlier climes in, say, Virginia.

Second, as Sonny Bunch reminds us of a lesson from Econ 101, hiking the minimum wage kills jobs.

...

 

On the surface, it doesn't look like they are singling out Walmart, but then there is a grandfather period for existing big-box stores whereas the Walmarts would be new.  

 

Living wages for larger employers is an interesting idea, particularly if it helps shift the burden for social safety nets from taxpayers back to corporations like Walmart that have plenty of profit to share with their employees. I'm certainly not a fan of subsidizing the tax system so corporations can eke out more profits while putting their employees on food stamps. On the other hand, this kind of law puts the enforcing municipality at a disadvantage to neighbors with no living wage policy.

Edited July 10, 2013 by barracuda

[samagon]

Just because someone doesn't have the ambition or opportunities you have doesn't mean they should be walked on.  

 

Replace ambition with ability and I'm with you.

 

Someone who has ability and opportunity, but lacks ambition deserves to be stepped on.

 

Lack of opportunity, or lack of ability, there's little a person can do to give themselves better opportunities, or ability. So yeah, give them a leg up.

 

Lack of ambition? Sorry, go feel bad for your situation some place else.

[s3mh]

Here is probably the last large tract available inside the loop with a similar trade area, but pretty iffy traffic access:  http://www.theleadernews.com/?p=10795.  If HISD decides to sell to St. Thomas (math question: is potential number of students taken out of HISD as a result of St. Thomas expansion times $7,000 greater than the 7.5 mil difference in lease payments and $450k in additional tax revenues?), then the loss of the Yale St property to strip malls hits really hard. 

[samagon]

Are you looking for Walmart to expand inside the loop? I agree the Yale location is successful, but I don't know that they want to expand too much and eat into their other locations.

[Leonard]

What data do you have that the Yale street location is successful?  Have you seen that the sales tax numbers meet or exceed the projections?  Please share this data with us!

[august948]

What data do you have that the Yale street location is successful? Have you seen that the sales tax numbers meet or exceed the projections? Please share this data with us!

You're grasping at straws. Walmart isn't going to fail at this location. Walmart rarely fails at any location due to the amount of research they do before-hand. They didn't get where they are by being stupid. The only time I've seen a Walmart close is if they build another bigger, newer one nearby. Try visiting this one and you'll see people shopping there all the time.

[august948]

Are you looking for Walmart to expand inside the loop? I agree the Yale location is successful, but I don't know that they want to expand too much and eat into their other locations.

On the west side of town we've got four Walmarts within 2 to 3 miles of each other in a slightly less dense area of town so there's plenty of room for expansion inside the loop, even relatively nearby.

[august948]

If HISD decides to sell to St. Thomas (math question: is potential number of students taken out of HISD as a result of St. Thomas expansion times $7,000 greater than the 7.5 mil difference in lease payments and $450k in additional tax revenues?), then the loss of the Yale St property to strip malls hits really hard.

Are you saying that you think HISD is going to lose a significant number of students to St. Thomas? I know you're salivating because the developer's rep is quoted as saying they "could" build mixed-use there, but what if they decide to build a Sam's Club instead?

[Leonard]

I'm looking forward to seeing the sales taxes for the 14 months the Yale Street Bridge is closed.  I bet whoever at Walmart did that research doesn't have that job anymore. 

[august948]

I'm looking forward to seeing the sales taxes for the 14 months the Yale Street Bridge is closed. I bet whoever at Walmart did that research doesn't have that job anymore.

You're grasping at straws again. There are plenty of alternate routes. People coming in from the north will take Heights Blvd and those coming from the south won't be affected at all. People will keep coming because it offers low prices and one-stop shopping.

I'd bet that Walmart already figured that closure in. Since it will be there for a long, long time a road closure is just a temporary inconvenience. I'd also bet that whoever at Walmart did that research is now researching other locations inside the loop. Never bet against Walmart.

Edited July 10, 2013 by august948

[Leonard]

hahahaha!  yeah, Yale street traffic does nothing for this Walmart. 

[s3mh]

You're grasping at straws again. There are plenty of alternate routes. People coming in from the north will take Heights Blvd and those coming from the south won't be affected at all. People will keep coming because it offers low prices and one-stop shopping.

I'd bet that Walmart already figured that closure in. Since it will be there for a long, long time a road closure is just a temporary inconvenience. I'd also bet that whoever at Walmart did that research is now researching other locations inside the loop. Never bet against Walmart.

 

When was the last time you shopped at Woolworth's?  Everything you have been saying about Walmart, people used to say about Woolworth. 

[s3mh]

Are you saying that you think HISD is going to lose a significant number of students to St. Thomas? I know you're salivating because the developer's rep is quoted as saying they "could" build mixed-use there, but what if they decide to build a Sam's Club instead?

 

If St. Thomas expanded to K-12, HISD will lose some students.  How many?  Who knows.  But, HISD claims that students cost @$7,000 a year.  So, if St. Thomas takes away 100 students, HISD arguably saves $700,000 a year.  100 students is not a bad guess assuming that a k-8 program would probably be at least as large as the high school (700-800 students).  Or even if they stayed with just high school and added 400-500 students, 100 pulled from HISD is not an unreasonable guess.  I suspect HISD will just take the bigger money and the tax revenues.  But, you have to wonder whether they are trying to factor in the cost savings of an expanded St. Thomas.

 

Anything other than a large multifamily development on that tract is a tough fit.  Very poor traffic access.  Mixed use would probably have minimal retail and be more concentrated on office and residential, especially considering that Regent Square will have a lot of retail just across the bayou.  If they built a Sam's club it would be a waste of space and a very bad sign for Houston's real estate market.

[august948]

hahahaha! yeah, Yale street traffic does nothing for this Walmart.

hahahaha! People will find their way to Walmart. There's plenty of access. It's not going to close because the Yale bridge is being replaced. Keep dreaming.

[Leonard]

I didn't say it would close, I said I'm interested in seeing the sales tax revenues from that time period.  Yeah, plenty of access without Yale street. 

[august948]

When was the last time you shopped at Woolworth's? Everything you have been saying about Walmart, people used to say about Woolworth.

Woolworth's? Seriously? Walmart ate their lunch. Walmart even took Woolworth's spot on the Dow. When Walmart starts to go into decline, we'll talk. If and when it does, guess what? It won't be replaced by a handful of boutiques at a mixed-use development. It'll be replaced by another, bigger box store.

[august948]

I didn't say it would close, I said I'm interested in seeing the sales tax revenues from that time period.  Yeah, plenty of access without Yale street. 

Don't worry too much about it. Walmart will be generating lots of tax revenue for both the city and state at that location for many, many years to come.

[Leonard]

Enron

[Leonard]

Yeah, there was millions of unspent dollars just sitting around inside the loop.  If only I had somewhere to spend my money, people said.  This new retail merely moves tax dollars from one location to another.  From Target to Walmart.  It's not new tax dollars, merely moved a mile. 

[JJxvi]

Enron

lmao

[Leonard]

And what was that accounting firm?  Remember them?  Arthur Anderson. 

[RedScare]

BTW, just got home from Walmart. For those who are not afraid to shop there, their fruit and veggies blow every other store away lately. It isn't even close. For the rest of you, I hear Jeff Skilling is getting out of prison early and becoming Walmart's new CEO.

[TGM]

Enron

So you're suggesting that Walmart has a ton of great ideas, many years ahead of their time that will never be realized due to the actions of those who traded the long-term, big-picture view, for something that looks better on a yearly performance review?

I better stock up on frozen peas before the next audit.

Edited July 11, 2013 by TGM

[TGM]

On the other hand, this kind of law puts the enforcing municipality at a disadvantage to neighbors with no living wage policy.

I say the best living wage policy is a municipality that offers a low barrier of entry for those wanting to start their own business or relocate their business to said municipality.

The real question to ask is why the hell is it harder to live in some places rather than others?

The laughable circular disfunction is that the Walmart haters want them to pay a living wage, yet don't want these workers to be able to purchase discounted goods at stores like Walmart!

Edited July 11, 2013 by TGM

[Leonard]

Walmart workers can't afford health care, and cost $900K a year per store for welfare for it's workers.  I imagine many Walmart workers shop at Walmart now.  It's not really helping them, and it's not really laughable. 

[august948]

Walmart workers can't afford health care, and cost $900K a year per store for welfare for it's workers. I imagine many Walmart workers shop at Walmart now. It's not really helping them, and it's not really laughable. 

And, of course, the solution to this problem is to avoid shopping there and encouraging others to boycott as well, deny Walmart building permits, establish fringe protest groups to grasp at every bogus reason to block it, and complain about caliper inches and misplaced fire hydrants. Because, of course, mixed-use developments employ far, far more people. I'm sure driving the world's largest private employer into bankruptcy will improve the lot of the 2 plus million Walmart workers and make health care more affordable for them. But wait, isn't Obama already taking care of that?

I am curious, though, where you got the $900k welfare cost per year per store statistic from. Not from a Michael Moore movie, I hope.