WAL-MART versus CITY OF MILPITAS

Wal-Mart plans to expand its existing store in Milpitas, California into one of those notorious community-killing Wal-Mart Supercenters. A few years ago a similar plan was turned back, but like the influenza virus, Wal-Mart never completely goes away and in tough economic times Wal-Mart feeds off the need of low-priced goods among the very workers and small businessmen that the predatory superstore helped to put into hard times.

The City of Milpitas released the Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR) for Wal-Mart’s Supercenter application. The public has 45-days to comment. Read more to hear what community organizers in and around Milpitas are doing about it.

* * * Attention: Important Community Meeting * * *

Please join like-minded, concerned residents to discuss how we can stop the proposed Wal-Mart Supercenter. Please bring your family and friends.

Thursday, November 19 at 6:00 PM
Omega Restaurant, 90 South Park Victoria Drive

Read more to hear what community organizers in and around Milpitas are doing about it.

A Wal-Mart Supercenter comes with risks...

• Displaced local businesses. Milpitas already serves as a regional retail magnet. A 24-hour Supercenter will not generate substantial gains in sales tax revenues, since it will simply displace other existing retail.
• Urban decay. As businesses close as a result of a Supercenter, property values will fall due to urban decay and property tax revenues will be lower than otherwise.
• Traffic congestion. The Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR) states that the 24-hour Supercenter will have lsquo;significant unavoidable impacts’ on the roadways due to traffic increases.
• 
  Lower wages. Wal-Mart pays lower wages and benefits than most of its competitors, particularly in the grocery arena. These lower wages will impact Milpitas’ economy since many employees are likely to be residents. These new jobs will displace higher paying jobs in the grocery industry.
• Lower quality of life. When a community’s mom-and-pop operations lose to national big-box chains, the community loses as well. And although Wal-Mart is located on the other side of the Interstate, a 24-hour Supercenter will impact the entire city, including your neighborhood stores.

The City of Milpitas should not allow the Supercenter. Let’s maintain our quality of life. Tell the City to reject the Wal-Mart expansion, like many other Bay Area cities.

Send your written comments via email, letter, or fax by 5:00 PM, Friday December 18th. Each letter should address the various impacts in the Draft Environmental Impact Report.

All letters should be sent to: Ms. Cindy Hom, Assistant Planner City of Milpitas Planning and Neighborhood Services Department 455 E. Calaveras Boulevard Milpitas, CA 95035 E-Mail: chom2@ci.milpitas.ca.gov

You may download a .PDF file of a sample letter to council members at: http://alexcathy.com/milpitas_letter.pdf