Fox News Pundits: D.C. Walmarts More Important Than Living Wages

On yesterday’s Your World, guests Charles Payne and Elizabeth MacDonald defended Walmart’s plan to nix 3 stores in Washington, D.C. if a living wage bill passes. It’s doubtful either of them live on anything close to the $12.50/hour that is being proposed and I’d love to know how much they shop at Walmart but when it comes to choices for the poor, they knew what was best – and it wasn’t the living wage. Host Neil Cavuto joined in the pile on by suggesting that such a wage was way too generous.

MacDonald said, “Local officials in D.C. have wanted a Walmart for 10 years because it brings cheap goods to the area, it brings jobs to the area, cheap groceries. …Walmart brings economic development time and again. We’ve seen that. They bring other stores that create jobs.”

Cavuto implied the $26,000 a year that would ensue under the mandate was far too generous as he called it, “a pretty nice living wage.” He went on took a swipe at the poor: “Yeah, but I don’t think they care about the customers or the revenue they generate.”

Payne almost exploded. “The fact that any politician in D.C. has the nerve to use accountability when talking about Walmart or anything else kills me. …When are the poor people in Washington, when are the black people in D.C. going to stand up and fight the politicians? They don’t mean you any good. …If you don’t rise up and eventually tell the liberals, ‘Listen you’re not helping me,’ then you get what you deserve. That means no Walmart, no cheap TVs, no jobs.”

MacDonald agreed. “Yeah, and no jobs that other stores that could come and other businesses that could come if Walmart built there.”

“And no cheap goods for all of those economic stripes,” Cavuto added.

MacDonald made the dubious claim “I’m not an advocate on either side. I’m not agitating for or against Walmart. I just see an economic development.”

“I could almost buy it, Lizzie," Cavuto told her, "if it was going to be across the board. All retailers were going to have to pay it. All big box stores are going to have to pay it. All small box stores are going to have to pay it. This is really meant to target Walmart, and I don’t want to be too jaded or cynical, methinks the fact that it’s a non union shop might have a thing or two to say.”

Payne again almost exploded. “Union grocers are exempt, fast food companies are exempt. This is specifically at Walmart, but D.C. can afford it. The rich people in D.C. can afford it. …They have the nerve to talk about accountability, and try to get Walmart to foot the bill? Are you kidding me? It’s ridiculous!”

MacDonald made a gesture at balance by saying, “To say that the workers are underpaid at Walmart, yeah that’s been an issue out there. Would the living wage change that? Possibly." But, she continued, "Would it hurt job growth in the area? Yes if you have a Walmart backing away, and that’s why they backed away from New York City as well because New York City tried to push forward a living wage, too.”

“You get a job at Walmart, the pride of earning your own income,” Payne said.

“And getting benefits too,” MacDonald said.

Cavuto added, “As miserable as these Walmart workers are, I’m told, I’ve never seen a one chained to the cash register or the desk.”

“Yeah, that’s right,” MacDonald chimed in.

Media Matters has debunked the panel’s claims that Walmart brings jobs and prosperity to communities and notes that contrary to the panel’s claims, raising wages has a “significant positive impact on low-income workers. ” Even if Fox wanted to contest those statistics, it should have at least mentioned them.

Video below via Media Matters.

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Showing 9 reactions

commented 2013-07-12 13:32:46 -0400 · Flag

@robert Urban By the way Robert, one more fact: I don’t think Wal-Mart is giving up on New York City just yet — I’ve heard talk that Mayor Mike Bloomberg is trying to help them open a store in the Flushing section of Queens near Citi Field.

commented 2013-07-12 13:23:48 -0400 · Flag

@robert Urban How absolutely right you are Robert. For the record, the local bodega owners in the East New York section of Brooklyn (this is one of the POOREST neighborhoods in New York City) banded together in a successful effort to keep Wal-Mart from opening a store in their neightborhood. These owners KNOW VERY WELL that Wal-Mart is the East India Company of the 21st century. Like the 18th century colonial tea merchants (especially the ones in Boston), these owners know that once Wal-Mart undercuts them and runs them out of business, the following scenarios will happen:

1. PRICES FOR EVERYDAY ITEMS WILL SKYROCKET INTO OUTER SPACE!

2. The quality of these items will be ABSOLUTELY P*SS POOR!

’Nuff said.

commented 2013-07-11 17:30:17 -0400 · Flag

We all know what effect cheap goods have had on the US economy since the China powerhouse entered the industrial age. Cheap goods give instant gratification to the purchaser, and to those who own stock in Wal-Mart-type Corporations, but the jobs lost have caused an economic hangover that has lasted over 30 years. We don’t need more cheap goods, we do need less, in fact.

commented 2013-07-11 17:08:32 -0400 · Flag

It always amazes me the hypocrisy of those who make a large sum of money or have health care feel the need to criticize those that don’t.

What exactly is stopping them from volunteering to accept a minimum wage as their salary, or those in Congress who voted against Obamacare who get free health care for themselves and family paid for by taxpayers. They should really try to live on these wages themselves, go without health care for at least a year, and then come back and tell us what it was like so perhaps they can then relate to those that do. I know it’ll never happen, but I’ll never understand the greed.

commented 2013-07-11 15:34:08 -0400 · Flag

Oh, my bad… in local news, despite corporate hiring freeze stunts over Obamacare adding 0.3% over the last six weeks, we’re projected to enter August back at May’s 6.4%. Possibly lower, with the end of summer temp jobs beginning to fill.

Still- SUCK IT, GOP!

commented 2013-07-11 15:24:56 -0400 · Flag

The Bay Area used to have 10 Wal-Marts and the same minimum wage as the rest of California. Then half of them were put out of business by Costco, which on top of being the superior store, allowed and helped local business to recover. Then San Francisco raised it’s minimum wage to $10.55…

Unemployment went from 9.8% to 6.7%- And in San Francisco, it’s 5.4%…

Oh, wait- Fox News viewers are expected to think we live in Pelosi caused Mad Max times over here. Despite that doing the opposite of what they want has made us one of the most financially solid regions in the country. But if it makes them feel better, they could come over and take pictures of the garbage problem. Might humiliate the right people into putting more effort on improved garbage routes and recycling programs.

commented 2013-07-11 14:45:58 -0400 · Flag

One more item, Dean’s milk is more expensive at Walmart here than at any other store in the area by about 50 cents a gallon.

commented 2013-07-11 14:43:41 -0400 · Flag

We have at least one Walmart Superstore in Chicago and a couple of those Walmart Express things in my neighborhood. Yep, two of them, about 3/4 of a mile apart on the same street (Broadway). Yep, their prices were lower for a lot of grocery stuff, but the meat was on a par with supermarkets. What happened was that the supermarkets in my area dropped their prices on some of their stuff that Walmart sells, like frozen dinners and frozen veggies and the like. So now I use the regular supermarket more and the Walmart Express less. As for the employees, there is a huge turnover.

NewsHounds posted about Fox News Pundits: D.C. Walmarts More Important Than Living Wages on NewsHounds' Facebook page 2013-07-11 14:36:01 -0400

Fox pundits think $26,000 a year is too generous a salary - for other people.