[FlingWingFlyer]

We're idiots! We don't want to pay lower prices! We want to pay the full price for the crap we buy!

[Gordongekko909]

David versus Goliath? What a crock. Libs complain that corporations are too powerful. If they are, how can stuff like this continue to happen?

[Mike Darancette]

IIRC Hercules was the Butt of Creation back in the '60s when I was stationed in Vallejo.

[rhombus]

We don't want any more growth but we do want a scapegoat.

[em2vn]

I'm not a Wally fan but this is one dumb city.

[citizenK]

So Walmart just builds in the town right next door. The clever leaders of Hercules lose out further growth generated by the Walmart anchor, and they lose any share of sales taxes that the neighboring town will now enjoy. But what do the leaders of Hercules care but for their self-righteousness?

[southernerwithanattitude]

All Walmart has to do is buy some property outside of the city and they will wind up siphoning all of the businesses out of the city tax base. Of course then the city will have to anex them back into the city because of the loss of tax money.

[Graybeard58]

Good ole Wal-Mart ping.

[KellyAdmirer]

Invoking eminent domain simply to keep a lawful property owner from putting a lawful business on its property really is unprecedented. This is an abuse of the right of eminent domain. Cities can now buy the land of any company - or person - they don't like? Btw, what if Wal-mart buys some other property in the town - and some other, and some other. Is the town going to buy up all this property for vague "redevelopment" plans? I'm sure Wal-Mart could win that sort of competition - but easier to just put a store right over the city line and let the shoppers vote with their feet.

[Jaysun]

Tuesday's meeting produced more comments about Wal-Mart's business tactics and employee relations than about the trellises, tiles and trees in its most recent, downsized Hercules design.

This is the typical BS from liberals (and even some 'conservatives') when the subject of Wal-Mart comes up.

There isn't a single person working for Wal-Mart that isn't doing so voluntarily. Wal-Mart doesn't bag people at night and carry them off to work in their stores, those working there asked for a job. The idea that "Mom and Pop" stores suffer at the hands of Wal-Mart is also BS.

[Tax Government]

Urban congestion will increase as Jercules residents drive to the Wal-Marts & Costcos in neighboring communities.

[SoCal_Republican]

I hope that Wal-Mart uses its considerable legal capabilities to to develop a study that shows the very high (inflated?) value of that property so that it nearly breaks the budget of the city when they have to buy it out (high powered attorneys in court and all that). Then Wal-Mart can build next door in the next town and thumb their nose at the idiots in Hercules as their residents (and tax dollars) are shifted to friendly neighbors.

Socialist idiots.

[NonValueAdded]

Based on the hearing testimony, WalMart could probably win a court case to overturn the fraudulent eminent domain decision but why go where they aren't wanted? Build outside the town boundary and suck out whatever remaining sales tax revenue the town might have.

[GeronL]

They have decided to deny their residents their freedom of choice... right?

This debate was around in the 19teens with Sears and others accused of the same things.

Its a debate between efficiency and inefficiency and allowing people to choose where they spend their money

[Nova]

Just don't mess with my local Walmart. I happen to be fond of clothes and food, and I wouldn't take kindly to any Liberal nonsense like this.

[El Gato]

But residents quickly made it clear they did not want a Wal-Mart near the Hercules waterfront.

Then zone them, and any other similar businesses out. Do not use the power to take the land from it's current owner, using the money taken from the taxpayers (and probably paying less than WalMart, or even some other business, would have).

Unless they intend to make the land into a park, a city dump, or use it for other public purposes, this is a misuse of the power of eminent domain.

[stuck_in_new_orleans]

Hercules once had a reputation as a city that never saw a development it didn't like. But as Wal-Mart has learned in the past few months, times have changed.

Today, this city of about 24,000 residents stands as a national symbol of small-town audacity

uhhhh...yeah....a town of 24,000 is a real trend setter

[traviskicks]

One speaker said Wal-Mart wants to build in Hercules solely to monopolize retail in the area. Eventually, he warned, Wal-Mart could replace the store with a warehouse, leaving Hercules with no sales tax revenue while Wal-Mart steers shoppers to another of its stores now under construction at Hilltop mall in nearby Richmond.
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lol, what will happen is that citizens of Hercules will travel to Richmond and Hercules will loose it's tax base anyway. lol and they will deserve it. Wonder if the national media will pay so much attention then.