Washington D.C. tries to stop Wal-Mart from ruining its city

Wal-Mart’s plot for world domination  has hit a snag, as its plan to open six of its low-price, low-wage, high-exploitation retail stores in the nation’s capital is meeting resistance from local lawmakers.

The D.C. Council introduced a bill that would, according to The Washington Post, require  “retailers with corporate sales of $1 billion or more and operating in spaces 75,000 square feet or larger to pay their employees no less than $12.50 an hour. The city’s minimum wage is $8.25.” This obviously doesn’t fit Wal-Mart’s wildly successful business model of only paying their employees enough to be able to afford to shop at Wal-Mart.

It’s still possible the corporation will be able to get away with business as usual; Mayor Vincent Gray has hinted he may veto this legislation, as did Chicago’s former Mayor Richard M. Daley when similar legislation hit his desk years ago. “The cancellation of three planned stores will surely set us back,” Gray said in statement. “I strongly urge the Council to consider whether this legislation will actually promote strong economic development in the District and expand job opportunities for District residents.”

I strongly urge Gray to rethink his position. In a still-recovering economy (hell, in any economy), Wal-Mart’s low-wage jobs do more harm than good. Workers deserve a living-wage, and a company as profitable as Wal-Mart can afford that and more. The government can’t continue to be complicit in their abhorrent business practices.