Monday, March 07, 2011

"Everyday Dumb Ideas" in Boston; They Have a Shortage of Grocers, But Mayor is Anti-Wal-Mart

“Wal-Mart does not suit the clientele we have in the city of Boston. I don’t need employers like that in our city.”
Last week, I featured a Boston Herald editorial by Michael Graham about
Boston Mayor Tom Menino's anti-Wal Mart position now that the retailer has "threatened" to bring jobs and low prices to the benefit of struggling families in Beantown.  

Today's Boston Globe has a related, front page article titled "Shortage of Grocers Plagues Massachusetts Cities":

"Massachusetts ranks nearly dead last — third from the bottom nationally — in having enough supermarkets with fresh, nutritious food, according to a report to be released today by the Massachusetts Public Health Association. The shortage is especially severe in lower-income communities, where many residents struggle with obesity and related ailments.

The analysis found that in some cities, such as Lowell and Fitchburg, the number of supermarkets would need to double to be in line with the national average. In other urban areas, including Boston, Springfield, and Brockton, there are about 30 percent fewer supermarkets per person than the national average.

A growing body of research indicates that people in communities without a nearby supermarket suffer disproportionately high rates of obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and other chronic health issues."

MP: So the mayor's anti-Wal-Mart position could actually have adverse health effects on Boston communities, which is then compounded because, as Michael Graham pointed out in his editorial, the mayor also opposed low-cost, convenient retail clinics coming to Boston:

"In 2008, Mayor Menino turned down CVS’s request to open “minute clinics” here, providing cheap health care in some of Boston’s neediest communities. Why did Menino oppose it? “Allowing retailers to make money off of sick people is wrong,” Menino told CVS — a company whose entire business is selling medicine to sick people."

Bottom Line: Sure seems like Boston "doesn't need politicians like that in their city," with "Everyday Dumb Ideas"  about low prices, jobs, increased choices, and convenient, consumer-driven retailers coming to the city. 

HT: Rick Spillane


9 Comments:

At 3/07/2011 3:53 PM, Blogger Dave said...

I believe Michael Graham writes for the Boston Herald, not the Globe.

 
At 3/07/2011 3:55 PM, Blogger Mark J. Perry said...

Dave:

Of course, that' right, my mistake, it's fixed now. Thanks for the note.

Mark

 
At 3/07/2011 4:46 PM, Blogger Che is dead said...

Just another way that unions have made life more difficult and expensive for those who can least afford it.

That unions have so corrupted the political process that they can deny a private firm the right to do business in a major American city should tell everyone just how dangerous they have become.

 
At 3/07/2011 6:14 PM, Blogger NormanB said...

Sorry to say this but the Boston folks aren't as tough as the current batch of movies portray them to be otherwise they'd be up in arms over their mayor. Same thing is true in Chicago. You want to let the unions keep you paying more (like Wisconsin) then you deserve to.

 
At 3/07/2011 7:55 PM, Blogger bob wright said...

So it would seem that there is a business opportunity here.

Move to Boston.

Advertise "Everyday high prices."

Make a fortune.

Move somewhere south of the equator.

Of course, you'd be doing it for the children.

 
At 3/07/2011 9:15 PM, Blogger morganovich said...

this quote leaves me stunned:

"Wal-Mart does not suit the clientele we have in the city of Boston. I don’t need employers like that in our city."

the most astounding thing in it (even more astounding than purporting to know what everyone in boston wants) is the use of the pronoun I.

"I don't need"? how much more imperial can one get?

l'etat, c'est moi. (et boston aussi)

 
At 3/07/2011 11:00 PM, Blogger bob wright said...

I'm always amazed how progressives know what other people want. This has to be on a par with any of the mass public illusions David Copperfield has done.

 
At 3/08/2011 10:54 AM, Blogger Charles said...

Tommy Boy is a fool and has been since the early 90's when I lived in Boston. I'm amazed when I family in Lowell and I hit the local grocery stores. They are old, dingy, small and user unfriendly. There has to be more at work than just Menino up there.

 
At 3/08/2011 11:10 AM, Blogger jcarroll1948 said...

Deep blue states. What can one say? The people of Libya finally woke up; maybe the people of Massachusetts will wake up one day, too.

 

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