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To the Editors:

I was dismayed and upset when I read that Wal-Mart is planning a development here in our town. I personally find Wal-Mart morally reprehensible and purposely do not shop there. Yet, at the time of my composing this letter, I am somewhat uncertain about what feelings and opinions to express. My main caveat is this: As a student at Oberlin College, I don’t need Wal-Mart as a source of low-price products or, more importantly, as a source of employment. As part of Lorain County, one of the poorest counties in Ohio, these issues are more pressing than Wal-Mart’s labor abuses in its factories or environmental concerns such as sprawl.

However, I truly believe that a new Wal-Mart store would be bad for the town of Oberlin. Despite hopes that Wal-Mart would spur economic development, studies actually show that Wal-Mart destroys three jobs for every new one it creates. In addition, Wal-Mart jobs do not pay as well or have benefits as good as the ones they replace. The average employee makes only $15,000 a year for full-time work, and most employees are prevented from working full-time. Only 38 percent of Wal-Mart employees have company-provided health insurance compared to a national average that shows that 60 percent of employees are covered by company plans. These facts and much more damning evidence can be found online at: www.alter-net.org/story.html?StoryID=12962 and www.walmartwatch.com as well as many other Internet sources. Also, I worked at a huge retail chain store this summer, and it sucks.

I am not an expert in economics, but I love Oberlin and consider it my home. We do not need Wal-Mart in our community. As demonstrated by the comments of many recent city council candidates, there are plenty of other ways to spur economic vitality in our town and there are plenty of better businesses that Oberlin residents could be proud to work and shop at. We also already have Ben Franklin, which provides products at absurdly low prices, and other local businesses to shop at. Please think about these issues, and decide what you think is right. If you oppose the development, then write to the city council, the board of commissioners, Pittsfield Township Clerk Jim McConnell or Oberlin City Manager Robert DiSpirito, and express your disapproval of this project. The development is not inevitable, and it is our duty to do what is good for the city.

–Rose Williams
College sophomore