Comments on: Wal-Mart To The Rescue! http://allfinancialmatters.com/2008/04/03/wal-mart-to-the-rescue/ A personal finance blog dedicated to discussing such topics as budgeting, asset allocation, 401K, IRA, cash flow, insurance, financial planning, portfolio management, and other areas in personal finance. Sat, 11 Feb 2012 20:32:19 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v= By: jordan7 http://allfinancialmatters.com/2008/04/03/wal-mart-to-the-rescue/comment-page-1/#comment-276334 jordan7 Tue, 08 Apr 2008 18:50:47 +0000 http://allfinancialmatters.com/2008/04/03/wal-mart-to-the-rescue/#comment-276334 Sign up at easystockalerts.com for free to see your stock news before it breaks to the rest of the public! Just try it out for a week and see what you think. Sign up at easystockalerts.com for free to see your stock news before it breaks to the rest of the public! Just try it out for a week and see what you think.

]]> By: Marcia http://allfinancialmatters.com/2008/04/03/wal-mart-to-the-rescue/comment-page-1/#comment-273021 Marcia Mon, 07 Apr 2008 11:12:14 +0000 http://allfinancialmatters.com/2008/04/03/wal-mart-to-the-rescue/#comment-273021 Thanks for sharing this about WalMart. I really get tired of hearing so many negative things about the company. It's wonderful that WalMart helped communities when they needed it the most. Thanks for sharing this about WalMart. I really get tired of hearing so many negative things about the company. It’s wonderful that WalMart helped communities when they needed it the most.

]]> By: lorax http://allfinancialmatters.com/2008/04/03/wal-mart-to-the-rescue/comment-page-1/#comment-271414 lorax Sat, 05 Apr 2008 14:59:51 +0000 http://allfinancialmatters.com/2008/04/03/wal-mart-to-the-rescue/#comment-271414 WalMart is all about efficiency. It's just good business. They have a dedicated "charitable" division, but in my opinion, that's just to counteract the bad press it sometimes gets as it exploits efficiencies. (Because this often involves "creative destruction" - destroying local businesses or jobs that are less efficient.) But regardless of the motive, it's great that WalMart was there to help. I do have serious questions about rebuilding a known flood zone though. @Meg - As someone who lives near one of those "extreme home makeover" targets. It seems like the results are not as shown. The neighbors and local government had serious issues with the resulting building, as well as the building itself. The family in question probably would have benefited more from a monetary donation that they could choose how to spend. They now have a home that is annoying neighbors, of questionable zoning, and has expensive taxes. WalMart is all about efficiency. It’s just good business. They have a dedicated “charitable” division, but in my opinion, that’s just to counteract the bad press it sometimes gets as it exploits efficiencies. (Because this often involves “creative destruction” – destroying local businesses or jobs that are less efficient.)

But regardless of the motive, it’s great that WalMart was there to help. I do have serious questions about rebuilding a known flood zone though.

@Meg – As someone who lives near one of those “extreme home makeover” targets. It seems like the results are not as shown. The neighbors and local government had serious issues with the resulting building, as well as the building itself. The family in question probably would have benefited more from a monetary donation that they could choose how to spend. They now have a home that is annoying neighbors, of questionable zoning, and has expensive taxes.

]]> By: sam http://allfinancialmatters.com/2008/04/03/wal-mart-to-the-rescue/comment-page-1/#comment-270652 sam Fri, 04 Apr 2008 19:06:31 +0000 http://allfinancialmatters.com/2008/04/03/wal-mart-to-the-rescue/#comment-270652 Wal-Mart bashing is sooo 5 minutes ago. Wal-Mart bashing is sooo 5 minutes ago.

]]> By: yu know who http://allfinancialmatters.com/2008/04/03/wal-mart-to-the-rescue/comment-page-1/#comment-270404 yu know who Fri, 04 Apr 2008 14:06:12 +0000 http://allfinancialmatters.com/2008/04/03/wal-mart-to-the-rescue/#comment-270404 As a person who lives in an area tremendously affected by Hurricane Rita, I can tell you that many major companies stepped up to the plate to serve above and beyond. Many, many local companies did as well, and above that, Faith Based organizations have outdone all of the above. Hurricane Rita happened less than a month after Katrina and the eye areas of those storms is less than 4 hours driving time apart. September 2005 seems a long way behind us, but live in the area, and realize much work is still needed. Even now there are many Faith Based organizations still working on houses, with workers coming in from all over the country spending from a few days to a few weeks. We are all belssed to live in such a giving nation. God Bless America, for her people and the outpouring of love when it is really needed. Anywhere, Anytime. As a person who lives in an area tremendously affected by Hurricane Rita, I can tell you that many major companies stepped up to the plate to serve above and beyond. Many, many local companies did as well, and above that, Faith Based organizations have outdone all of the above. Hurricane Rita happened less than a month after Katrina and the eye areas of those storms is less than 4 hours driving time apart. September 2005 seems a long way behind us, but live in the area, and realize much work is still needed. Even now there are many Faith Based organizations still working on houses, with workers coming in from all over the country spending from a few days to a few weeks. We are all belssed to live in such a giving nation. God Bless America, for her people and the outpouring of love when it is really needed. Anywhere, Anytime.

]]> By: Independent George http://allfinancialmatters.com/2008/04/03/wal-mart-to-the-rescue/comment-page-1/#comment-270401 Independent George Fri, 04 Apr 2008 14:02:58 +0000 http://allfinancialmatters.com/2008/04/03/wal-mart-to-the-rescue/#comment-270401 If it were a PR ploy, they wouldn't have delegated that far down. PR is a CEO leading a fleet of trucks containing supplies nobody neads; dozens of anonymous store-managers being figuratively deputized to deal with a crisis is about results. If it were a PR ploy, they wouldn’t have delegated that far down. PR is a CEO leading a fleet of trucks containing supplies nobody neads; dozens of anonymous store-managers being figuratively deputized to deal with a crisis is about results.

]]> By: Meg http://allfinancialmatters.com/2008/04/03/wal-mart-to-the-rescue/comment-page-1/#comment-269937 Meg Fri, 04 Apr 2008 02:45:37 +0000 http://allfinancialmatters.com/2008/04/03/wal-mart-to-the-rescue/#comment-269937 I don't think anything like that is ever purely a PR plug, of course. Companies are made of people, after all, and during Katrina I don't think there was a single person (Wal-Mart employee or otherwise) who hesitated to give and do whatever they could for New Orleans and its residents. What I think is important is the power and leverage that these big, for profit companies - i.e. the people - have when they need/want to act. It's really awesome, in every sense of the word. People fear powerful companies, but that power can be (and usually is, in a market economy) used for good. And those companies are just made up of executives, shareholders, and employees who may very well literally be your neighbors. It reminds me suddenly of that Extreme Home Makeover show. Yes, the show exists to get ratings and advertising, but all the people involved (contracting companies, studio employees, hosts, etc) get really into it and truly want to help. And in the end everyone always ends up incredibly touched, and those families get a brand new home in a week! It's just another example of how awesome capitalism can be (of course some people lose out in a capitalist system, but you have to point out these virtues of the system too). I don’t think anything like that is ever purely a PR plug, of course. Companies are made of people, after all, and during Katrina I don’t think there was a single person (Wal-Mart employee or otherwise) who hesitated to give and do whatever they could for New Orleans and its residents.

What I think is important is the power and leverage that these big, for profit companies – i.e. the people – have when they need/want to act. It’s really awesome, in every sense of the word. People fear powerful companies, but that power can be (and usually is, in a market economy) used for good. And those companies are just made up of executives, shareholders, and employees who may very well literally be your neighbors.

It reminds me suddenly of that Extreme Home Makeover show. Yes, the show exists to get ratings and advertising, but all the people involved (contracting companies, studio employees, hosts, etc) get really into it and truly want to help. And in the end everyone always ends up incredibly touched, and those families get a brand new home in a week!

It’s just another example of how awesome capitalism can be (of course some people lose out in a capitalist system, but you have to point out these virtues of the system too).

]]> By: Ron@TheWisdomJournal http://allfinancialmatters.com/2008/04/03/wal-mart-to-the-rescue/comment-page-1/#comment-269900 Ron@TheWisdomJournal Fri, 04 Apr 2008 02:03:05 +0000 http://allfinancialmatters.com/2008/04/03/wal-mart-to-the-rescue/#comment-269900 Thanks for posting this. My dad was one of those truck drivers. Thanks for posting this. My dad was one of those truck drivers.

]]> By: Andy http://allfinancialmatters.com/2008/04/03/wal-mart-to-the-rescue/comment-page-1/#comment-269675 Andy Thu, 03 Apr 2008 21:12:50 +0000 http://allfinancialmatters.com/2008/04/03/wal-mart-to-the-rescue/#comment-269675 Yeah, why does it matter why they did it? Yeah, why does it matter why they did it?

]]> By: Esmond http://allfinancialmatters.com/2008/04/03/wal-mart-to-the-rescue/comment-page-1/#comment-269651 Esmond Thu, 03 Apr 2008 20:52:12 +0000 http://allfinancialmatters.com/2008/04/03/wal-mart-to-the-rescue/#comment-269651 Even if it's a PR ploy, if Wal-Mart is helping when they are needed, that's all that counts. Even if it’s a PR ploy, if Wal-Mart is helping when they are needed, that’s all that counts.

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