County Commissioner's Office

County Talk
By
Lamar Paris - Commissioner

Questions on Wal-Mart continued

Q. What is Wal-Mart doing about protecting our environment?
A. I have requested that they utilize down facing lights to minimize the bleeding of excess light into the atmosphere.  We have also requested as many trees as possible be planted.  There may be some pervious paving surface in the remote parts of the parking lots.  In addition, their construction soil and erosion measures and storm water protection measures are far greater than anything we have seen in this area before.

Q.  Will there be a red-light on Highway 515?
A.  Yes, there will be a red light at the Hwy 515 and Kiutuestia (K Road) Intersection. There will also be a new road directly opposite the new Airport Terminal Road intersection.  This will be the main entrance into Wal-Mart which will not have a red light.

Q. Will this Wal-Mart entrance road be a county road?
A. Yes, it will be.  Wal-Mart will build the entire road complete with street lights and landscaping all at their expense.  This road will include a very neat feature mostly seen in Europe, which is a “round a bout”. This circular intersection functions similar to the Historic Courthouse “square” in downtown Blairsville. This county road will connect from Highway 515 to the Wal-Mart site and continue on to K Road.

Q.  We do not like Wal-Mart and know they will have a serious impact on a lot of smaller businesses.  Can anything be done to help?
A.  First, it has been overblown as to the negative impact on local business. Several years ago, there were serious impacts.  However, today, if you look at any of the surrounding towns that have recently had a new Wal-Mart in the past few years from Murphy, N.C., Clayton, Ellijay and Dahlonega, Georgia, the impact has been minimal.  Small business has learned how to “compete” with Wal-Mart.  We will also be offering some special classes on how to compete with “big box” retailers.  By the store being so far from downtown, it also helps not to negatively impact the downtown area business.  In fact, the numbers of people that will come from other towns to visit Wal-Mart offer a unique opportunity for small business in the area to capture part of that new business traffic.

Q. We do not like Wal-Mart because they sell so many products from foreign countries.
A.  I don’t think anyone will argue that point with you.  However, Wal-Mart is trying to offer what the public wants at a price they will pay.  Unfortunately, almost all big box stores now sell a significant amount of foreign products. Almost any clothing store also sells a majority of foreign products.  I am not sure if we can blame anyone totally, but our government policies over the past several years have seemed to encourage the decay of manufacturing in this country.  It is a disgrace that this has been allowed to happen and we are not only totally dependent on foreign oil, but also on foreign clothes, electronics, heavy equipment and many other products.  Unfortunately, finding American made products is becoming a rarity, but all the blame can certainly not be placed on Wal-Mart.

Q.  It is well publicized that Wal-Mart does not treat their employees well and only has a few full time employees. 
A.  My purpose in answering these questions is not to take up for Wal-Mart, but to provide information only.  Yes, there have been well publicized cases of employee dissatisfaction at Wal-Mart and I am not here to come to their defense.  However, because of their size, the negative publicity they receive is usually more significant than that of other stores.  In every business or government, there are people working side by side in the same jobs with one being satisfied and another not.  No two people are going to see it the same.  However, there are a lot of people appreciative of their jobs with Wal-Mart.  They do offer more benefits than they used to.  The average wage for Wal-Mart stores is $10.83 with it being higher in urban areas.  The average wage in Atlanta is $11.27.  At this time, we have no idea regarding employment or wages here in Blairsville.

Wal-Mart insures more than 1 million associates and family members making them among the nation’s largest providers of private sector health insurance.

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