But the boastful professor may have given away too much.
Orlich concluded his letter by writing, "Wal-Mart just abandoned its University Place, Wash., site because it would not pay for infrastructure needs."
It's actually not University Place, it's Fircrest. But University Place owns the street in front of the proposed site and wanted Wal-Mart to pay for millions in road improvements. Wal-Mart's decision was just announced last Tuesday. So how did Orlich know about it so quickly and get a letter in yesterday's paper?
Simple, the "grassroots" group Fircrest Against Wal-Mart has the same union-backed attorney as PARD, David Bricklin, of Bricklin Newman Dold, LLP.
I blogged about this connection a while back. Bricklin wrote a letter in 2005 to the Fircrest City Council that began, "I am writing on behalf of the United Food and Commercial Workers Local 367."
The Tacoma News-Tribune reported in a story published on May 26, 2006:
Seattle attorney David Bricklin, who represents a local food service workers’ union that is against Wal-Mart, warned Fircrest in a memo that the policy limiting discussion “violates the First Amendment rights of both members of the City Council and the public.”If you remember, in Yelm, the Yelm Commerce Group, another "grassroots" anti-Wal-Mart group posted on their message board:
[...]
Bricklin represented anti-Wal-Mart groups in Lakewood and Yelm, and part of his Lakewood case took issue with the public process, which also restricted the council from hearing resident testimony. In Yelm, city officials tried to ban residents from using the “W” word at City Hall because they didn’t want to appear biased if an appeal ever came before the council.
The Yelm Commerce Group was infomed by our lawyer David Bricklin that the UFCW (grocery store workers union) has decided that our case against Wal-Mart had merit and asked Mr. Bricklin to move ahead with the appeal.So what happnens to the Tacoma suburb of Fircrest, population 6,300, now that the union thugs have had their way? The News-Tribune reports
Fircrest estimated that it would receive about $400,000 annually in tax revenue from the 127,647-square-foot store. Wal-Mart estimated the store would create up to 200 jobs.That is about 100,000 sq. ft. less than the one planned for Pullman. Do your own estimates on how much sales tax revenue we will receive.
“I think revenue-wise, the city will take a big hit,” said Fircrest Councilwoman Kathy McVay. “We’ll miss it.”
Meanwhile, TV Reed of PARD has stated repeatedly that PARD has received no assistance from any labor union. You also be the judge on the accuracy of that statement.
But don't worry. As the News-Tribune points out:
It is rare for the Bentonville, Ark.-based retailer to pull out of a planned store.Technorati Tags: wal-mart walmart
2 comments:
WSU faculty write the weakest and most incoherent letters and columns in the daily news. Orlick’s recent letter is a prime example.
I look forward most to the opinion section in the Daily News. A recent letter called for editorial standards regarding the printing of conservative views. A letter today weighs in supporting Iverson and O’Neill. While I enjoy the fireworks generated by Iverson and O’Neill, I feel that more commentary is necessary on the quality of opinion pieces by WSU faculty.
Some time ago a WSU academic wrote in that we won’t attract the best, brightest, and elitist academic faculty to the local U’s if offal like Walmart superstores are present. As a transplant from less countrified climes, I say that the Palouse has much that is really good, but Walmart isn’t the only problem. Unfortunately the quality of faculty writings in the Daily News is quite weak.
Three things to avoid to prevent WSU and the Palouse from appearing like some third rate backwater. One: write clearly and make your points concisely so we don’t have to read through your piece several times to figure out what the point is. Two: don’t engage in one sided pontificating just because you can. Three: the readers are not interested in whether or not you are smart, we assume that you are not stupid. Limit the Emily Dickinson and Mark Twain quotes.
Many on the Palouse are familiar with grades. I wouldn’t mind seeing a grading system that would also accompany the local opinionaters. Failing marks for plodding prose, verbosity, and unoriginality appearing recently: Vienna is Awesome, athiests have the moral high ground, two week visit to Hawaii means private property is bad, limits on speech means gun control is justified, and just the other day 3 reasons why Alexander the great would pull out of Iraq.
Ray Lee
Moscow, ID
I think there has to be more to this story. It just doesn't completely add up.
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