$103 billion can't fill hole in Walton family soul

Maybe Walmart is not so hard on their 875,000 lower wage employees after all. They make a little over 8 an hour while CEO Mike Duke only gets a little over 11 per hour. Oh, wait. The hourly employee's wage is measured in dollars per hour while Duke's is measured in thousands of dollars per hour. Picky, picky. The real story behind Walmart's economic mis-treatment of their hourly workers is that they leach off Uncle Sam, and by extension all of us, to add to the Walmart family's $103 billion net worth (greater than the bottom 40% of the US population). Consumer advocate Ralph Nader reports just one Walmart superstore of 300 employees can cost our Uncle $1.75 million in government benefits yearly to supplement Walmart's unsustainable wages. Consider that Walmart has 4,135 stores contributing to this coerced government largess to the Walmart billionaires and you get the picture. The Walmart Associate Benefits Book even guides these desperate employees how to garner some of that badly needed government relief. Today, Black Friday, is a good day to begin boycotting Walmart till they pay their woefully mis-named "associates" a livable wage. The only thing those employees are "associated" with is assisting the Walton family achieve their goal of a second hundred billion in net worth. Till they change their disgraceful conduct, I'll drive out of my way to shop at Costco.

Walt Zlotow
Glen Ellyn