« USS Iowa (BB-61) @ Benicia/Suisan Bay | Main | Rancho one step closer to $7M fed funding for Folsom Blvd. »
March 11, 2005
2 socal city council members get burned backing Walmart
2005 ELECTIONS -LA Times
Wal-Mart Foes Claim Win in Rosemead
Voters oust two council members who backed chain, which still plans to build a store there.
By Jason Felch - LA Times Staff Writer
March 10, 2005
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-walmart10mar10,1,4784178.story
Excerpt:
Wal-Mart's efforts to build Supercenters in Los Angeles County suffered a setback this week when voters in Rosemead ousted two council members who supported the project in that community and replaced them with two critics.
Although the results were unlikely to halt construction of the store, experts said it demonstrated the aggressive efforts of labor unions and community groups to challenge Wal-Mart at every turn as the retail giant attempts to expand across California.
The election in the small bedroom community 12 miles east of downtown Los Angeles was widely seen as a key battle in Wal-Mart's efforts to expand in Southern California. Wal-Mart wants to build 40 Supercenters, which combine a regular Wal-Mart store with a discount grocery market, in the state.
Wal-Mart's Supercenters have received a largely warm welcome in outlying communities in the Inland Empire. But unions, some politicians and some neighborhood activists have vigorously fought to keep them out of Los Angeles County.
"Its been slowed to the pace of a snail because they've run into all this opposition," said Jack Kyser, chief economist for the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corp., a nonprofit that has done regional economic studies for Wal-Mart. "It's working, but Wal-Mart is fighting back. It's too rich a market to walk away from."
The Rosemead City Council voted last year to allow Wal-Mart to build a store in the city. Though two anti-Wal-Mart council members were elected Tuesday, a majority on the council is still in favor of the development.
Posted by cystdog at March 11, 2005 02:37 PM
Trackback Pings
For trackbacks, please use this URL:
http://www.scupper.net/cgi-bin/mt-tb.cgi/151
