By Guest Contributor, on July 10th, 2013 
Cross-Posted From DC Independent Media Center By Luke
The Large Retailer Accountability Act Clearly Supported By DC’s Progressive Community
On the 10th of July labor and neighborhood activists held a rally outside the Wilson Building to support passage of the Large Retailer Accountability Act. It would raise the minimum wage in certain big box stores to $12.50 an hour. Wal-Mart has vowed to abandon at least half their plans to open stores in DC if this passes. Rev Hagler told them not once but twice to “Go to Hell” during his speech!
I think this is the first time I’ve ever heard any pastor tell anyone to go to Hell, but if anyone deserves it, Wal-Mart does, especially in light of their resort to extortion when bribery failed.
Workers from several big box stores complained about being unable to afford to shop where they work due to law wages. One man who works at a Wal-Mart said he could not even afford to have his own place due to the wages Wal-Mart pays.
After the rally, activists went into the Wilson Building to confront several anti-LRAA councilmembers, then observe the vote. I could not go with them, as the Wilson Building is an ID and bag search building.
Wal-Mart has also crudely threatened the DC Council. On the 9th of July, less than 24 hours before the final vote on the LRAA, Wal-Mart lobbyists bluntly said they could cancel their Skyland and two other unbuilt stores if the bill is signed into law. They also said they might abandon (“reconsider”) the three stores under construction. Well, this extortion won’t exactly break DC”s legs, as a lot of people would rather have an abandoned Wal-Mart than an open one in their neighborhood!
This Just In! from Grassroots DC’s Coordinator
DC’s City Council voted for the Large Retail Accountability Act. The vote was not unanimous. Councilmembers Yvette Alexander (Ward 7), Muriel Bowser (Ward 4), David Catania (At-Large), Mary Cheh (Ward 3) and Tommy Wells (Ward 6) all voted against the bill. We must still wait to see if Mayor Gray signs on or vetoes the bill, but it looks like years of pressure from community groups, labor and individual activists is turning the tide against a Walmart invasion of the District of Columbia. Is this what democracy looks like? I think maybe so.
By Liane Scott, on October 26th, 2011 
It’s been a minute since we’ve done a post on Walmart, but that’s not to say that DC’s progressive community has stopped working on the issue. Currently, the group No-Ward-4-Walmart is calling for an anti-Walmart presence at the Historic Preservation Review Board Hearing (October 27th at 2:10pm, 441 4th St. NW, Room 220 South) where they will consider designating the old streetcar storage barn at Georgia and Missouri Avenues NW a historic landmark which would make it impossible for developer Foulger Pratt to build a Walmart on that site.
Respect DC takes the position that it’s okay if Walmart comes to DC so long as they sign a community benefits agreement that would guarantee that any Walmart within the District provide its workers with a living wage. Not much word on the community benefits agreement, but on October 20, 2011, Respect DC teamed up with Occupy DC and staged a flashmob at a $1,000-a-plate fundraiser at Union Station. The fundraiser featured Walmart board chairman Rob Walton as well as Wes Bush, CEO and president of arms manufacturer Northrop Grumman.
As its name suggests, the group Walmart Free DC believes that DC doesn’t need any Walmarts: they not only fail to provide a living wage to their employees, but they also have a tendency to drive small businesses into the ground. Empower DC also opposes Walmart coming to the District. This summer, Grassroots Media Project intern Roshan Ghimire and hip-hop artist/community activist Head-Roc teamed up to produce the following video Keep DC Walmart Free, which makes our position pretty clear.
In addition to hosting a series of screenings of The High Cost of Low Price throughout the city over the summer, Walmart Free DC has posted several links that make a strong case for their position. LGBT activist Robby Diesu’s post sums up much of that information and makes a few points that are missed on most of the other anti-Walmart websites.
Why the GLBTQ Community in DC Needs to Reject the Wal-Mart Invasion of Our City
By Robert Diesu
In November 2010 Wal-Mart decided that DC would be its next target in their attempt to amp up their already impressive market share of the retail world. They have met a lot of resistances so far, but not enough. Wal-mart has a special place in the minds of us who are progressive, leftist, and even liberal, and that is the vast majority of us can think of only one word to describe them; evil.
In the District, Wal-Mart plans on bringing in four stores by 2012. Wards 4, 5, 6, and 7 will hopefully not be the home to these planned stores. Each of the four stores in the invasion are going to be 80,000-100,000 sq feet. Doesn’t that just make you feel all warm and fuzzy? But they have not signed leases at any of the four locations, though.
Yet, we as queer people have some extra special reason’s to oppose the evilness that is Wal-Mart, and mainly they don’t support our liberation as a community. To this date, they do not have an anti-discrimination policy that protects trans people and other non-gender conforming peoples. This prompted the National Gay and Lesbian Task force to come out against them invading New York and hopefully soon, DC as well. [1]
They donate to crazy right-wingers, who are actively working against our interest in congress, and by donate I mean hundreds of thousands of dollars, not five grand like Target. Members of the Wal-Mart board of director and the Wal-Mart PAC have given $455,500 to current members of the “Tea Party Caucus” in Congress (this also includes Tea Party backed candidates who lost)[2]. Not to mention $1,431,000 to candidates who have actually voted against voting rights for DC.[3]
Oh, and they think we are a “highly controversial issue”[4], as a reason why they don’t donate to any National LGBT groups. Since when is treating other human beings with respect and dignity a controversial issue? The last time I checked, our liberation and the emancipation of our community from oppression was a good thing, not something controversial? What should be highly controversial is that a city government that is as progressive as DC would even think of allowing Wal-Mart in our city-limits.
Now there is this fad among our community to boycott companies who are against our liberation and it always seem inept to me. (I mean Target is right next to my gym, and is constantly calling my name.) Yet, here . . . → Read More: DC Still Walmart Free
By Liane Scott, on March 7th, 2011 
The District’s mainstream media has not gone out of their way to cover Walmart and their current attempt to locate four stores within DC’s borders. There are a few media activists within the community who have been following the story. Here’s a brief survey.
Longtime DC activist and video journalist Luke regularly posts to DC’s Independent Media Center. All of the following articles include video:
Dozens Protest Outside of Developer’s House
Unions Demand Wal-Mart “Respect DC” at Wilson Building Rally
Anti Wal-Mart Film Screening Packs the House at Plymouth Congregational
On February 25, WPFW’s Spirit in Action program dedicated an entire hour to the issue of Walmart. Empower DC co-founder Parisa Norouzi’s arguments against Walmart coming to DC were pretty unshakeable. I am trying to get a copy of the program to post here. In the mean time, you can find it on WPFW’s Program Archives page. You’ll have to scroll down to Spirit in Action, 2/25/2011.
The Washington City Paper fancies itself alternative press. The jury is still out on that but they did cover our favorite rapper Head-Roc and his efforts to keep Walmart out of the District in their article Head-Roc’s Mouth: Keep D.C. Walmart Free.
Radio journalist Pete Tucker of Fightback Radio looks at the issue from the point of view of small business owner Gary Cha in the podcast Yes! Says No to Walmart.
Although the Washington Times is not alternative media, their article Alexander Aides on Wal-Mart Team about Ward 7 Councilmember Yvette Alexander’s ties to Walmart is relevant nonetheless.
Should you have the time and the inclination to get your information in a more sociable way, the group Walmart Free DC has been scheduling free community screenings of the film “The High Cost of Low Prices” in every ward in the city. The next screening will be in Ward 3:
Palisades Neighborhood Library 4901 V St. N.W. – PAL Large Meeting Room Thursday, March 31, 2011 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Following that is a screening in Ward 5:
Woodridge Library 1801 Hamlin St. N.E. Wednesday, April 6, 2011 6:00 PM – 8:30 PM
If you’d like to do more than just follow the story in the media, Walmart Free DC has begun meeting regularly on Saturdays at Empower DC, 1419 V Street NW. The best way to become involved and stay informed is by subscribing to their list serve. To do so, send an email to walmartfreedc@lists.riseup.net.
The groups No Ward 4 Walmart and Ward Four Thrives appear to be working in conjunction on this issue. If you’re a Ward 4 resident looking to get involved, they can be contacted via their website WardFourThrives.blogspot.com. Their blog has lots of information about Walmart in general and links to a bunch of articles that aren’t posted here. Enjoy!
By Liane Scott, on January 21st, 2011 
On Tuesday, I went to the common security club event that was the subject of the last post. There were many ideas proposed for how individuals and communities can get by during hard times. The speaker, Chuck Collins from the Institute for Policy Studies, pointed out that our economy is designed to funnel money upward toward the wealthy. Those on the right believe that wealth trickles down. Why we believe money conforms to the laws of physics–funneling upwards like a cow caught in a twister or trickling down like soap suds caught in the drain–eludes me.
I’m not a physicist nor am I an economist. I don’t know how money reacts in a physical universe except to say that it does leave my wallet just about as fast as I can put it in there. My sense is, when I go to Walmart (I’ve only ever been once. I bought a sweater.) the money I give them is mostly funneling up. Sure, some small portion of it goes to pay the cashier, the sales associates, stock clerks, etc. A significantly smaller portion (an infinitesimal portion) makes its way back to the factory worker in Indonesia who put together my $12 sweater, but I think the vast majority of my money found its way into the wallets of the Walton Family.
Sure they’ll take my money and yours and build more stores and employ more cashiers, stock clerks, sales associates and managers, but no one is getting rich working for Walmart. Evidence suggests that most Walmart employees are just barely making ends meet. The Walton family on the other hand, well they’ll just keep doing better and better. It’s not their job to make sure their employees get rich. So far as they see it, it’s the responsibility of their employees to see that the Waltons remain rich and become even richer. Do they feel any responsibility to their employees or their suppliers? Or is it in the interest of the Walton’s that their employees be given just enough to get by and no more? After all, if they did make a good living, well … all manner of things might happen to upset that strong current upward.
What does any of this mean to someone who doesn’t have a job? In the current economy, I’m not blaming anybody for working for Walmart or for shopping there. I do believe that if we are ever to get out of this bind of waiting for money to trickle down so we can send it back up through the funnel, we need alternatives and we need to fight for them.
With that in mind, I’m posting here coverage by Luke from the fight to keep DC Walmart Free–Dozens Protest Walmart Outside of Developer’s House posted on DC’s Independent Media Center and his video Walmart’s DC Developer Gets 2nd Protest at his House as posted on LiveLeak.com.
Soon Walmart will intensify a media campaign that insists that those who oppose Walmart would turn down new jobs, stop people from paying lower prices and hinder Walmart’s noble efforts to feed poor folk healthy food. (Oh Michelle, what are you doing?) To get the other side of the story, check out walmartwatch.org and walmartsubsidywatch.org.
If you’re none too fond of sitting in front of a computer screen to get your information and would prefer to be among people, go to the free community film screening of
Walmart: The High Cost of Low Prices Wednesday, January 26, 2011 6:30-8:30 PM Emory Recreation Center 5701 Georgia Avenue NW
To get specifics about the campaign in DC and join the fight go to walmartfreedc.org.
Finally, for all of us out here who want to put food on the table and buy clothes for our kids that we can afford without shopping at Walmart or Target consider forming or joining a common security club. You’ll get all the information you need and more at the Common Security Club Workshop sponsored by the Institute for Policy Studies:
Saturday, January 29, 2011 10:00 am to 4:00 pm Festival Center 1640 Columbia Road NW Washington, DC
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