Vacant lots employ no one

The former Dominick's grocery store on the left employs no one. Just as the vacant lot at 83rd and Stewart on Chicago's South Side doesn't have anyone on its payroll.

Wal-Mart, the world's largest corporation, wants to build a store at 83rd and Stewart, and help revitalize an area that has few if any large grocery stores--a "food desert."

And some people want to keep it that way.

The Chicago Tribune, free registration may be required for the link, has an editorial today that about that lot. It's part of the Chatham Market redevelopment plan, and a clause in that plan calls for Chicago City Council approval for any store selling groceries with over 100,000 square feet. Two years ago, the council passed an ordinance, which was vetoed by Mayor Richard Daley, that would've forced any store with over 100,000 square feet of retail space, a "Big Box," to pay its workers more than smaller retailers. If that bill had becoome law, it would've been a disaster for Chicagoans. Fewer jobs, higher prices for goods.

From the Tribune editorial:

Despite the size trigger in the Chatham Market development and the now-defunct Big Box ordinance, this controversy has always been more about what's on the shelves than how many shelves there are. Wal-Mart is the nation's largest retailer—and the nation's largest grocer. Organized labor is determined to protect its unionized ranks at area Jewel and Dominick's grocery stores. That means it's determined to keep Wal-Mart and its big grocery departments out of Chicago.

Like Wal-Mart's employees, Lowe's workers also are non-union. Lowe's opened its 117,000-square-foot store in Chatham Market in December. Nobody protested. Lowe's doesn't sell groceries.

The city's latest rejection may not be the last turn of this wheel. Wal-Mart hasn't given up and neither has Ald. Howard Brookins (21st), who represents this area and knows how eager his constituents are for the hundreds of jobs and shopping convenience Wal-Mart would bring. But making this happen requires political courage from the mayor and from aldermen not beholden to labor. And there isn't much evidence of that.

The original developers of Chatham Market, Monroe Investment Partners LLC, vowed four years ago that "Wal-Mart is not now, and will not be, a part of our development." They might have added: A vacant lot is so much better.

Meanwhile, the food desert problem persists in Chicago and other large cities. The City of Chicago is aware of the problem, and as I noted in the related post, they are working to recruit medium-sized grocers (that means not Wal-Mart or Target) into the deserts.

Some people just don't get it.

Related Marathon Pundit posts:

Food deserts continue to plague Chicago
Obama's Wal-Mart connection: Wife served on board of big Wal-Mart supplier
Chicago's "food deserts" well known to Obama
My book report: The Wal-Mart Revolution: How Big Box Stores Benefit Consumers, Workers, and the Economy
The good life of working for the UFCW
Union leaders don't share their members pain
Chicago food desert update: Hyde Park Co-op to close
Big-box shy Chicago facing "food desert"

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Second Chicago Wal-Mart May Never Come

From Channel 2...

It looks like the city of Chicago might not get a second Wal-Mart store after all.

The Chicago Tribune reported Wednesday that the City of Chicago has rejected a request by the world's largest retailer to build another store in the South Side's Chatham neighborhood.

For the project to move forward, Wal-Mart will need to get a law changed by the City Council. Under the current zoning for the Chatham Market shopping center at 83rd Street and Stewart Avenue, the city must approve any tenant leasing more than 100,000 square feet, the Tribune said.

Wal-Mart officials say they are still hopeful they can work out a solution with the city.

The first Wal-Mart in the city limits opened in September 2006 at North and Kilpatrick avenues on the city's West Side. That followed a spectacular political battle that began when the City Council passed an ordinance that would have required "big box" stores to pay workers at least $10 an hour plus $3 in fringe benefits.

The rules would only have applied to companies with more than $1 billion in annual sales and stores of at least 90,000 square feet.

I literally hate to open up another argument where people talk about whether or not there should be a mandated living wage. Two years ago I'd argue for the benefit of bringing job to struggling city neighborhoods. I still feel that way and I definitely won't join an argument in favor of a "living wage" with the belief that empolyers should pay a wage they deem fit.

At the same time there are those who don't care for Wal-Mart for fairly valid reasons as I've seen in this vid. This is not an Illinois focused video, but there are reasons to not like Wal-Mart other than because unions don't like them or whatever other contrived reason that can be had...

Still Chatham is a good neighborhood to have a Wal-Mart. There aren't many mom-and-pop stores that might run out of business. This should be a super-center where groceries should be sold so Jewel/Osco on 87th Street and the Chatham Food Center on 79th Street might have a run for their money.

Addition: A rare comment is posted at one of my other blogs, The Sixth Ward, where this post is cross-posted and asks some good questions.

Did you know some Chatham residents take pride in the fact that our community has the most black owned businesses in Chicago? ("mom & pop stores") And, did you know Chatham Food Mart is the only black owned grocery store in Illinois? So, do you still think Chatham is a good neighborhood to have a Wal-Mart?

Well Chatham is certainly a place well known for black-owned businesses. I'm certainly aware that Chatham Food Center (I apologize for not getting the name right) is the only black-owned grocery store in the state. Now as for Chatham being good for a Wal-Mart, well I could say it's good enough for a Target so it's certainly good enough for a Wal-Mart. That being said I wish I had an answer as to whether or not a Wal-Mart might automatically harm the Chatham neighborhood and those businesses already contain within. I would like to think even with a Wal-Mart they would still survive. I'm not convinced that keeping Wal-Mart out of the neighborhood is the answer.

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Don Gordon v. Joe Moore vote fraud suit proceeds, moves to discovery phase

In a ruling given late this morning, Cook County Circuit Court Judge Marsha D. Hayes refused the request by Alderman Joe Moore's attorneys to dismiss the Don Gordon's lawsuit against the 49th Ward incumbent in which Gordon alleges vote fraud took place on a level significant level that warrants overturning the results of April's run-off election.

The borders of the 49th Ward roughly match that of Chicago's Rogers Park neighborhood.

Regular Marathon Pundit readers know that Moore has sought to make a national name for himself by trumpeting such causes as the Iraq War, Wal-Mart expansion and the banning of the goose liver delicacy foie gras in Chicago. On that last one, according to an e-mail sent to me by Jake of the Freedom Folks--he's a chef--about a dozen restaurants among the thousands of eateries in the nation's third largest city served foie gras.

Meanwhile, as Tom Mannis reports on Rogers Park Bench, Moore is not a good steward of his ward--basic needs of his constituents go unfulfilled. The Broken Heart of Rogers Park has corroborating evidence.

The case goes on to the discovery phase.

Moore is a former City of Chicago attorney, and can't too feel comfortable being on the other side of the legal microscope. When you're used to being in power, it's painful being in a situation where you can be powerless.

A Chicago election has never been overturned by the courts. But stranger things have happened. After all, two years ago, a Chicago baseball team, the White Sox, won the World Series.

Voter49 has a lot more.

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Wal-Mart seeks to water Chicago's food deserts

On the left is a former Dominick's supermarket on Chicago's North Side. The Safeway owned chained closed over a dozen stores last year, leading to the creation of Chicago "food deserts"--areas not served by a supermarket.

Ironically the food-desertification of Chicago became acute shortly after the passing of the since vetoed big-box "living wage" ordinance by the Chicago City Council.

From the Chicago Sun-Times:

Wal-Mart is prepared to move "in six to 12 months, maybe sooner" to build as many as five South Side supercenters, but the world's largest retailer is scouting sites in neighboring wards in case local aldermen resist, a top official said Tuesday.

South Side Chicago Alderman Beale Anthony Beale adds more:

We have a food desert in our community. We're in desperate need of a quality grocery store. If Wal-Mart would commit to the site on 111th, that would give me two quality grocery stores and over 1,000 jobs.

Alderman Joe Moore, author of the "living wage" ordinance must be seething. But he has problems of his own. On Friday, Moore will learn the initial ruling from the judge presiding over challenger's Don Gordon's lawsuit over the results of April's 49th Ward aldermanic election--Moore was declared the winner. Gordon is alleging that vote fraud occurred and is asking that the results be overturned.

Related Marathon Pundit posts:

My book report: The Wal-Mart Revolution: How Big Box Stores Benefit Consumers, Workers, and the Economy

Breaking: Lawsuit alleges vote fraud in last week's 49th Ward election in Chicago

Big-box shy Chicago facing "food desert"

Chicago's "food deserts" well known to Obama

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Illinois doctors wary on Wal-Mart clinics

Add some doctors to the people who have a problem with Wal-Mart. According to the Financial Times, Illinois may impose restrictions on "walk-in" clinics being planned not just by Wal-Mart, but CVS, and Walgreens.

Advocates say the clinics will improve access to healthcare and reduce costs; that they will reduce more expensive visits to hospital emergency rooms; and that they will catch some illnesses before they become serious and costly. As a result, physicians will have more time for complex cases.

But the clinics also have a direct impact on doctors, who see themselves as the gatekeepers of common, everyday healthcare.

Dr Rodney Osborn, president of the Illinois State Medical Society, said: "This is a brand new animal. That’s why we believe legislation is important to guarantee patient safety ... They’re not putting these things in to provide healthcare; these people are businessmen."

What a bunch of crap. Doctors are businessmen and businesswomen too. But they're not the best at delivering good business services.

Most doctor's offices, those not in hospitals, usually are in bad locations, with minimal parking available, and cramped waiting rooms stocked with magazines from the Bill Clinton era.

The Illinois State Medical Society and its doctors only want to preserve its near-monopoly of heatlh care services

Dr. Arnold Millstein told Financial Times:

[Doctors] wrap themselves in the holy garb of quality ... completely ignoring the facts that all the research shows current care stinks. The weaknesses that are endemic in the current healthcare system are being trotted out to block innovation and change.

The retail walk-in clinics are a good idea. Many people are afraid of visiting doctors, and a medical office in a store like Wal-Mart might assuage those fears. And for those who don't have health insurance, paying out of pocket will be less expensive than visiting those offices with all those old magazines.

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"Stuff" Happens. That's Why We Need Trial Lawyers

As the Illinois Civil Justice League continues to fight reform's to Illinois' Wrongful Death Act, to hold wrongdoers accountable when they take a life, this story breaks:

Wal-Mart issues voluntary recall of lead-containing baby bibs

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. Wal-Mart today voluntarily recalled sets of baby bibs from its stores in Illinois and New York after they tested positive for high levels of lead.The bibs were sold under the Baby Connection brand name and came with embroidered prints or images of Sesame Street characters.....

....Wal-Mart spokeswoman Nia Masten says the vinyl portion of the bibs exceeded the lead levels set by Illinois for children's products. Masten says about 60-thousand of the bib bundles were sold in Illinois without any reported injuries. (emphasis added)

First of all, I'm hoping that someone can explain to me what is considered a safe level of lead for children's products.

Secondly, I hope someone can explain to Wal-Mart that symptoms of lead poisoning often go undetected and can take years to present themselves. Effects of lead poisoning on the brain, digestive system, and kidneys can include: low IQ, memory loss, hyperactivity, hearing loss, weight loss and kidney failure. And yes, it can be fatal. Moreover, here's what pediatricians recommend:

If your child has any of these symptoms of lead poisoning and he is at risk for lead exposure then you should see your doctor immediately. Most children with lead poisoning do not have any symptoms, so if your child is at risk you should still have him tested even if he is not having any problems.

Some effects of lead poisoning, such as poor school performance because of a low IQ, do not show up until a child is much older, at which time they will probably have a normal lead level, and so may not be attributed to lead poisoning. (emphasis added)

I hope that everyone who purchased these bibs has their child tested for lead poisoning ASAP. I hope that those of you who like to spend alot of time ragging about the trial lawyers will take a step back for a moment, and remember that sometimes "stuff" happens, and that's why we need trial lawyers.

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Wal-Mart, Chicago, might compromise on "living wages"

Now that Chicago's municipal elections are over, it appears to be time for Wal-Mart and the City to revisit the big-box "living wage" debate.

Last year, in a bill sponsored by Alderman Joe Moore, the Chicago City Council passed a "living wage" ordinance that would've effected only "big box" stores such as Wal-Mart, Target, and Home Depot. Mayor Richard M. Daley vetoed that bill, and the Council failed to in its attempt to override.

From Crain's Chicago Business, free registration may be required:

Despite post-election chest thumping, the first signs of a potential compromise are emerging in the political war between Wal-Mart Stores Inc. and union-led advocates of a big-box minimum wage bill.

Sources on both sides say they're willing to sit down and talk at length, and they raise the possibility of a deal in which Wal-Mart would get zoning approval needed for more Chicago stores in exchange for agreeing to support a wider minimum wage bill that applies to more than the super-sized retail outlets known as big boxes.

Wal-Mart recently backed a similar law in Maryland, and while such a proposal would stir intense opposition from some partisans on either side of the fray, it might also provide a starting point for substantive discussions, sources say.

But sometimes, as with Palestinian extremists, people prefer to fight. When responding to the possibility of adding other retailers to the "living wage" battle, Madeline Talbott of ACORN said:

I don't know if you want every Walgreens and CVS on your case," Ms. Talbott says. "Wal-Mart is a great political enemy to have.

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