What they’ve done is pretty typical of liberal governments everywhere. They are arrogant with their power and totally ignorant of the economic impact their decision will have on the city. But boy did they strike out at big box stores and do they feel good about it:
D.C. lawmakers gave final approval Wednesday to a bill requiring some large retailers to pay their employees a 50 percent premium over the city’s minimum wage, a day after Wal-Mart warned that the law would jeopardize its plans in the city.
That’s right, the hated Wal-Mart must pay more because retailers with corporate sales of $1 billion or more and operating in spaces 75,000 square feet or larger will be required to pay employees no less than $12.50 an hour.
No arbitrary or capriciousness there, huh? Not a discriminatory law at all. And who cares, right, because as one of the council members says:
“The question here is a living wage; it’s not whether Wal-Mart comes or stays,” said council member Vincent B. Orange (D-At Large), a lead backer of the legislation, who added that the city did not need to kowtow to threats. “We’re at a point where we don’t need retailers. Retailers need us.”
Yeah, retailers need them.
Really? That’s what he thinks. What if retailers decide they don’t need them? Not only do the goods go away, but so do the jobs. So $12.50 times zero gives you what? It gives you this:
“Nothing has changed from our perspective,” Wal-Mart spokesman Steven Restivo said in a statement after the vote, reiterating that the company will abandon plans for three unbuilt stores and “review the financial and legal implications” of not opening three others under construction.
So 6 stores and the jobs that go with them … poof, gone. Oh, and this is gone as well:
Well before it had any solid plans to open stores in the District, Wal-Mart joined the D.C. Chamber of Commerce and began making inroads with politicians, community groups and local charities that work on anti-hunger initiatives.
The campaign was matched with cash. Through its charitable foundation, Wal-Mart made $3.8 million in donations last year to city organizations including D.C. Central Kitchen and the Capitol Area Food Bank, according to a company spokesman.
Yeah, there you go. That’s worth it isn’t it? 6 x no jobs and about $4 million in charitable contributions to help those in need in the area … gone. Just to make a political statement and display for all their insufferable arrogance and their economic ignorance.
Of course, all of these unintended consequences will likely go unnoticed by the usual suspects while they cheer the council slapping Wal-Mart around.
~McQ