Inglewood Seeks Wal-Mart Assurances
Members of a Local Delegation Strive to Voice Concerns As Retail Giant Tries to Improve Its Image
Daily Breeze - April 06, 2005
By Josh Grossberg

A year after Inglewood voters defeated a plan by Wal-Mart to build a Supercenter in their town, a group of locals headed to the retail giant's hometown to gain assurances that it will be more sensitive to local concerns in the future.

The delegation, led by state Assemblyman Jerome Horton, arrived in Rogers, Ark., as the world's largest retailer began a two-day event for hundreds of journalists in an effort to spruce up its image.

"We're here to present a proposal to work with the community instead of work on the community," said Horton, who arrived with a small collection of elected officials, clergy and community leaders.

Members of the Coalition for a Better Inglewood didn't bring any concrete proposals, but had hoped to meet with Wal-Mart Chief Executive Lee Scott to hash out a legally binding agreement that would address issues such as pollution, traffic, wages and health benefits.

"We are concerned about the impact of poverty wages and inadequate health care on the quality of life of Inglewood families," they wrote in a letter to Scott. "We are concerned about maintaining business opportunities for small businesses and Wal-Mart's track record of driving locally owned and minority businesses out of business."

Contending large companies like Wal-Mart can't be trusted, the Rev. Altagracia Perez said the group wants something in writing.

"Developers will say anything to get a development through," she said. "We want living wages, health benefits and other benefits that will mitigate the impact of a store that size on our small city. It needs to be legal. It needs to be in writing. And it needs to be binding."

The group rejected a proposed meeting with other Wal-Mart officials, but a company spokesman said he hoped the group will meet with representatives today.

"We're providing them with people who can make decisions on the issues they want to address," said Bob McAdam, vice president of corporate affairs. "We're certainly willing to enter a discussion on how we do business."

McAdam said many of the group's concerns about the company are misguided.

"There may be areas where we agree and they don't know," he said. "We believe we can demonstrate that we pay competitive wages and offer competitive health care. Maybe they don't know that."

But McAdam said the company would not enter into any agreement that other retailers aren't obliged to obey.

"The only thing that's not easy for us to do is accept rules that apply only to us and not our competitors," McAdam said. "There's a Target, Costco and Home Depot there. If everybody has the same rules, we're willing to engage in that. But special rules for Wal-Mart are not acceptable."

After the company's efforts were rebuffed at the polls, it purchased the 60-acre lot next to Hollywood Park last year. McAdam said that the company remains interested in Inglewood, but it has not formulated any specific plans for the site.

"We're happy to own the land," he said.