Little guys beat Wal-Mart, for once

Score one for the little guys.

In Inglewood, Calif., voters heartily rejected — 60… Score one for the little guys.

In Inglewood, Calif., voters heartily rejected — 60 percent to 40 percent –a ballot initiative that would have permitted Wal-Mart, the world’s largest retailer, to build a 60-acre complex there, according to the Associated Press.

The charge against the behemoth store was led by joint efforts from unions and community groups, set against allowing Wal-Mart to set up shop in Inglewood. Wal-Mart, in promoting the initiative, spent more than $1 million, which is not a dent in their vast coffers, but is a significant sum.

It is important for communities like Inglewood to keep big-box stores like Wal-Mart out, so that they can retain their diverse local flavor.

Wal-Mart typically comes into a community with the promise of jobs and wonderful deals to be had for the consumer. Then, using its vast purchasing power, Wal-Mart undercuts all the local independent businesses out of existence. The jobs, while numerous, offer very low wages, and Wal-Mart often faces allegations of union-busting in its stores. And while the merchandise is priced low, it’s not local, and is often produced in foreign sweatshops.

Wal-Mart spokesman Bob McAdam summed up the local victory very neatly, despite being against it: “We are disappointed that a small group of Inglewood leaders, together with representatives of outside special interests, were able to convince a majority of Inglewood voters that they don’t deserve the job opportunities and shopping choices that others in the [Los Angeles] area enjoy.”

Imagine the nerve of a small group of concerned citizens informing their fellow citizens about imminent danger to their local vibrancy. Imagine keeping Wal-Mart from absorbing possibly upwardly mobile jobs that offer the chance to join a labor union. How dare those upstarts — insidious “special interests” like family businesses — prevent Inglewood residents from having one giant monolith dominate their shopping choices?

Wal-Mart turns real cities into company towns. Most of the locals, after having their mom-and-pop options eviscerated, will have to get jobs at Wal-Mart, where they won’t earn enough to shop anywhere else. In Inglewood, at least, thanks to the honorable actions of a few, Wal-Mart Bucks won’t be printed up any time soon.