Posted on 04/17/2015 7:42:14 AM PDT by FR_addict
BRANDON, Fla. - Walmart stores across the country suddenly closed Monday, supposedly as a result of plumbing problems.
Now a Hillsborough County commissioner who has worked closely with the company for years says he has plenty of questions.
In Midland, Texas, which, until Monday, was home to one of the 10 busiest Walmart stores in the country, City Building Official Steve Thorpe told the I-Team his plumbing inspector was sent away when he visited the closed store and offered to help secure permits.
While the company claimed to have an average of 100 to 150 plumbing issues a year in recent years, a longtime employee of a tax service located in the store told the I-Team she never saw a plumber or an "out of order" restroom in the three years she worked inside the store.
...At the Brandon Walmart Monday night, a five-hour, unadvertised going-out-of-business sale was held after employees were informed the store would be closed for at least six months for plumbing and other renovations.
The store pays more than $243,000 a year in Hillsborough County ad valorem taxes and collects many times that amount in sales tax revenues.
The store appeared to have been fully stocked with perishables when the sudden closure was announced. ... The I-Team has learned no plumbing permits have been pulled in any of the five cities where the stores were suddenly closed for at least six months.
Permits in Midland show 70 plumbing fixtures were just replaced in an eight-week period three years ago.
That store never closed during that renovation.
Hillsborough County Commissioner Victor Crist says Walmart officials didn't even mention plumbing issues when they reached out to him, informing him of the closure which affected more than 400 workers. ...
(Excerpt) Read more at abcactionnews.com ...
Yep, the ADA caused that all over.
It’s why it’s very hard to find a drinking fountain anymore except in big chain stores who could afford the multiple ones.
It’s also why it’s harder to find a restroom in many places which aren’t required to have publically available restrooms. It used to be you could ask to use the restroom in many businesses and they were available. But now they can’t be available or they’d have to do many expensive upgrades.
Ditto a lot of other things that have virtually disappeared. For example coat/purse hooks in restrooms. The lower ones were swinging into people’s eyes, faces etc and causing injury so they just took them out. The solution? Take them all out. Now you have to hold onto your shopping bags, purses, coats etc while you try to go to the toilet.
It is rumored that the Pico Rivera store closure is due to employee protests for higher pay.
That happened to a large number of grocery stores in bad areas of town. It’s the reason for “food deserts”.
The local Wal-Mart stores will be the places where people will report to receive the Mark of the Beast.
That is just too funny!
Yeah, I’ve dropped in there a time or two, and it’s a bad clientele there, even worse than the normal Walmart ... :-) ...
That's what I suspect. Puts the fear of God in the employees across the entire system and shuts down any employee friendliness with union reps.
Upthread I posted a comment that the Pico Rivera store had experienced employee protests re: wages. That's now a non-issue.
Please report suspicious activity at Walmart to Janet Napolitano at DHS
Secretary Napolitano Announces Expansion of “If You See Something, Say Something” Campaign to Walmart Stores Across the Nation
The local news monkeys in Midland said that the perishables from the northside store would be donated to the food banks.
I saw one guy with a delivery truck loading some empty display racks. There was no sign of any other removal activity. The customer parking had a lot of cars due to an employee meeting. Also, the pharmacy department is still open for a couple of weeks.
Why can’t they be forthcoming?
They don’t have to be, but they are making it worse when the plumbing excuse doesn’t hold water(pun sort of intended). It only attracts more unwanted attention.
Of course they can but why lie about it? Aren’t you the least bit curious?
Is it possible that Walmart is planning some big new store look, major change in store design, etc?
Been there, but the hood’ argument doesn’t really hold true. I will believe the conspiracy theory if they did shut down the Crenshaw Blvd location as it’s located in “Trayvon” land.
Why didn’t you just tell them that you don’t serve handicapped people so you wouldn’t need the smaller fountain and it was also the reason you ripped out the wheelchair ramp last year?
I was thinking the union angle.
If the closings are designed to intimidate labor they can’t come right out and say it.
Why not?
Interesting. Not to mention leaving a gaping hole in local revenue.
;)
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