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A Walmart Grows in Brooklyn?
By
Jacob Dobkin
Published Jul 8, 2006
Modified Mar 7, 2008
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By
Jacob Dobkin
Published Jul 8, 2006
Modified Mar 7, 2008
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If you are all out of outrage about the Atlantic Yards project, but still want to feel upset about something in Downtown Brooklyn, check out this editorial in the Brooklyn Papers, entitled "Brooklyn and Wal-Mart: Perfect together":
The debate over Wal-Mart is healthy. But even healthier would be to encourage Wal-Mart to open in Brooklyn — in the right place, with a suitable design, and with proper respect paid to Brooklyn workers.
Whichever borough captures New York City’s first Wal-Mart could benefit richly. Because Wal-Mart is trying to enter urban markets throughout the country — and meeting strong resistance — the company is highly motivated to “do the right thing” here.
As the song goes, making it here — in other words, doing an urban store right — will mean Wal-Mart can make it anywhere.
And if the company does the right thing in Brooklyn, the whole country will hear about it.
The editorial does address some (but not all) of the, ahem, "concerns" about Walmart-- the union-bashing, the environmental damage, the crushing of small businesses, the mistreatment of employees, the censorship, the sweatshop suppliers in China, etc. Once those are out of the way, it concludes with: "With the proper political and civic leadership, Brooklynites are likely to bring changes to Wal-Mart’s culture far more significant than the changes Wal-Mart will bring to ours."
Yikes!
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Jacob Dobkin
Jake Dobkin co-founded Gothamist with Jen Chung. In 2019, Jake released Ask a Native New Yorker, a book based on his Gothamist advice column.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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