Local News Comments

Why are my tax dollars paying Walmart's legal bills?

This is a shopping center. The building pad for the expansion has been there since day 1. Can someone explain why another EIR is required? Just doesn't make any sense.

I know a lot of people don't like Walmart but it does, in fact, bring jobs to the County. Ok, so they might not be the most highest price jobs, but, they're still jobs. And I'm sure that those doing the most complaining about this are the ones who complain about so many people being on welfare and the unemployment rates being so high too. Go figure!

It is my opinion that the opposition group are a few liberals who just want to hold up progress. Most of them can be seen shopping at walmart for the savings though :-) If the majority of the people up here didn't like walmart the parking lot wouldn't be packed ever day. Why can a few zealots who want this county to stay exactly as it was 50 years ago hope to stop change? And it has nothing to do with an environmental study. The Zeaolts are just using this as a roadblock. I know a few are going to say that things were better 50 years ago and I can't argue that but time marches on and we have to change with it or be stuck in the past.

Is the city council so under paid that they should have to shop for cut rate goods at Wally World?

It's about time this issue gets resolved. I understand that there are a lot of retired folks up here who don't want to see big box stores or the Wal-Mart grocery store expansion. They want Sonora to keep it's small town charm. But with so many low income people living in Tuolumne County, we need the low prices that Wal-Mart offers. The lot next to the existing store is ready for expansion and will not cause any more traffic because Safeway is in the same shopping center. Competition between the two grocery stores will ensure low prices. I'm confident the Supreme Court will vote to allow the expansion.

Wait the jobs provide by Wal-Mart are the just the one the president news maker of the day, is talking about 9.00 dollars a hour living wage jobs. If we can get our soda cheaper from a Wal-Mart grocery store to off set the new soda tax I for one say YEA!!!!!

Project proponents, in this case Wal-Mart, are required to pay legal costs.

Walmart not only supplies low cost products and jobs, but it drives prices lower at other stores. I,d like to see walmart get into the oil bussiness!

squirter - I'm one of the retired people you mention, and I would appreciate you not lumping us all together as some kind of Luddite mass. I don't shop at WalMart very often, but I don't think blocking the expansion of big box stores in the area is very bright, either in terms of job creation or tax revenues. Other large chains look at this kind of situation closely, and if they see impediments to growth, such as the law suits we are talking about here, they will just go somewhere else. This area needs jobs, and it needs more big stores, it is woefully under-retailed for its size.

Gee, I don't know why other State Governors say Kalifornia is anti business?

I may be mistaken, but I remember seeing in a past article that one of the main funding sources AGAINST this expansion is none other than Safeway. In other words, they want nothing to do with good, stiff competition in the same shopping center. Someone should fact check that, but if true, that should be illegal. If nothing else, it should be a reason to avoid shopping at Safeway.

mcarden, no offense intended, you and I usually agree on most issues posted here on MML. Sonora is growing and we do need more jobs. I'm not retired yet and am not wealthy; just an average working stiff. I personally shop there because of the selection and low prices. I've shopped at a Wal-Mart grocery store; they have the lowest prices.

1. Supply and demand. Too many grocery stores = one will close, then GOOD paying local jobs are lost and low paying walmart jobs replace them.
2. Half the people around here put a small cash savings at a store ahead of controlling a corporate monster who endorses slave labor in developing countries to get it products cheaper.
3. For those of you who can read, go online and read about how awful walmart truely is and then decide just how far YOU personally will go to save money.
4. For those of you who think that walmart is OK , there are a lot of things in the world that are wrong and need changing. READ, LEARN. Give a dam

Whats really wrong with an environmental study folks? Once it is all said and done through the CEQA process and proved there will be no significant impacts to the area they can move on with the project. Do you really think there will be that big of an impact besides financially? Yes, I shop at Walmart because it's deals are hard to beat but I also shop local. I'm not going to call names or point fingers either. We all need to survive with what $ we have but there are some of us who wouldn't mind knowing that the i's are dotted and the t's crossed as well. Progress is good but responsible and sustainable progress is great. Cheers.

What a racket. Make the victim pay for the aggressor.

Take it from this retired person...Wal-Mart adding a grocery section to the existing store would be good for the community, and I'm totally for it. Not only would there be jobs available, but lower cost groceries for those who need to watch where their money goes. I have shopped Super Wal-Marts, their prices can't be beat....so, guess what Safeway, and SaveMart will have to do if they want to stay in business..... The way I look at it, if a person doesn't like Wal-Mart, don't shop there, you probably won't be missed.

I find it hard to believe with all of the investigations into walmarts illicit business pratices that anyone still likes them, therefore I must conclude that those here in favor of them are plants who work for them

All this aside, the expanded Walmart will be as big a mess as it is now because of poor management and poor employee treatment. The shelves are always woefully lacking in common items, everything is a mess, and the prices have gone UP. It's ridiculous. Like everyone else, I'm forced to shop there on occasion because they are still cheaper than elsewhere... I hope if it's expanded they will take a look at the management and get someone in there who knows what they are doing.

So I like to play devils' advocate. What if the group allegedly backed by Safeway wins? We just don't develop that section? I for one shop at both. Wal-Mart has good deals on some things, but Safeway also has deals and often has a better quality. I think the majority know that. But what if that lot just stays empty and we just keep the Status Quo? Who wins? Noone. Safeway (allegedly) may appear to win, but there is stagnation. That is obviously not what we need. But, Safeway loses too. Because, there is no new diversity of selection which would attract people to that shopping center. It's a lose lose all around. Now for a quick rant: Stop using BS environmental laws to stop progress. I am all for the environment but people need to stop hiding behind these rules to further thier agenda.

San Francisco 21- opposition team 28........ doesn't really tell you much does it?

A more thorough article would have mentioned who the opposition is.

Expanding Walmart will not create jobs nor bring in extra tax revenue. Jobs will simply shift from union grocery stores who pay a living wage to a Walmart wage job. Many more Walmart workers rely on government assistance than do union workers. The lessening of the wages means less money being taken out for taxes and less money being spent elsewhere in town. The overall local economy does worse in the long run...unless you are Walmart who is truely the only beneficiary from the expansion.
The reason Walmart is so busy is because they have been driving down local wages for many years now and pushing out other local businesses and living wage jobs. The Walmart expansion needs to be stopped before this town becomes depressed any further.

Go to Fresno and Selma and there Walmarts are dumps. Sonora is middle of the road. Idaho Walmarts that I have been in were clean and orderly, great stores. This should be intersting to see how this hand is played out.

Ah afraid of competition? I do not like Wally that much but hell if in this tight and fading economy you are not shopping as thrifty as you can to save money then obviously you need a serious lesson in home economics. My GF and I shop all over Jackson where ever we can find the sales and that includes Wally.

Competition drives business , it will help Sonora !