Sitting at home, watching the Phillies and the home phone rings. Yes, we still have a landline. It is useful to avoid tele-marketers. And to beat "anytime" minutes.
Anyway, picked up the phone and it was a survey. As a former 7 year employee of a Market Research company where I worked in the phone room for a couple of years, I always take these calls.
The interviewer asked for a male registered voter. "That's Me!" He began to ask me questions on how I feel about Target, Wal-Mart, Lowes, Frank Rizzo, Jr, David Cohen, John Street.
He asked me what I thought the worst problem facing the city. "No Super Bowl in 45 years" nor "Ed Wade" were not possible choices. I chose "The Economy" and "Government Corruption" as my top two.
Then he began to discuss the issue part of the survey and explained, the proposed ordinance will prevent large retail stores from selling groceries. He asked if I agreed with the proposal or not. I said I did not agree. Uh oh.
Then he discussed statements that someone who agreed with the ordinance would say. Like the law would protect union workers, that the stores don't really generate tax revenue, that it destroys Mom and Pop stores.
The survey never used the term Predatory Superstores, but he did ask if I have ever shopped in a Wal-Mart Supercenter. And he asked why did I oppose the ordiance.
I said, "Because I don't believe in restriciting business, if it will generate lower costs. (p) I like the convience convenience to be able to buy groceries at the same place as a retail store. (p) That's all." Okay, he didn't completely probe to the negative -- ("Probing to the negative" means to continue to ask the participant foranswers until he or she indicates there are no more answers--an example is, "What else?") . But he did probe once. There are about 3 people who will appreciate that paragraph.
Anyway, when the survey was over and I had successfully voted against the ordinace, they asked for the standard demographics. First, was I Latino or Black. "No." Was I White, Asian American. "White" Age... Income... Then he asked do I consider my politics Conservative, Moderate or Liberal. And I remembered what my answers were regarding the ordinance. Then my demographics. Could I even say "Liberal?" I mean, I really gave it to Rick Santorum on the Proof of Concept #26 Podcast Monday. I was stumped. I said "Liberal" and got off the phone. But, dammit, I may have to rethink my whole life now!
Good post Hamm
Hopefully will get a good discussion going.
Keep Wal-Mart Out
I am thrilled that City leaders are preventing Wal-Mart from entering the grocery business. Grocery stores are one of the last places that an under-educated person can get a decent paying job with healthcare. The day after learning that poverty in PA and Philly rose last year, and that 12 percent of PA residents do not have healthcare, I will gladly trade the "inconveinence" of not buying my groceries where I can also buy a set of tires, for keeping good paying jobs from becoming bad ones.
Not to mention the impact
Not to mention the impact Walmart would have on the availability of affordable, nutritious food within easy access of all city residents...
The bulk of Walmart's grocery supplies are akin to a 7-11's food stocks. They're high in calories, fat, sugar, and preservatives but low in price. The lack of supermarkets in urban centers is one of the reasons obesity is so rampant within poorer communities.
NUTRITION POLICY PROFILES: SUPERMARKET ACCESS IN LOW-INCOME COMMUNITIES
urban grocery stores
I agree with what you are saying -- that supermarkets are good places for beginning jobs (thought I's not sure benefits are a given anymore) and that the nutritional value of the food at Wal-Mart is worse than at supermarkets, but I think it is better than a 7-11 (except those that sometimes have fresh fruit). Fresh fruit is better than canned fruit but canned fruit is better than none at all. I've looked at the food in Wal-Mart and, if you selected carefully, you could prepare a pretty nutricious meal from what is on the shelves, probably several meals. Something is better than nothing, and I don't think there are a lot of options in many parts of Philadelphia.
Perhaps a compromise would be to try to encourage Wal-Mart to allow vendors to set up fresh produce stands early in the morning or at certain times of the week (there are fresh produce stands at a couple of places in downtown Camden, so there's precedent) or see if a college extension service or community organization could offer educational sessions on nutrition or meal preparation. 4-H groups might be interested in this as well, or maybe high school life skills classes.
It is by no means ideal, but is there any possibility that successful food marketing by big box general retail stores would show there is a market for a greater variety of food purchasing options in the city? It's better than a steady diet of Mickey D's.