For years, Walmart has sought permission to build in Chicago, and for months their proposal to build at 83rd and Stewart in Chatham was tied up in the City Council. As of yesterday’s meeting, it remains tied up, under the watch of decidedly anti-Walmart Ald. Ed Burke’s Finance Committee. The background for the union-driven fight was our print version’s cover story; you can pick up copies on stands right now. It’ll be interesting to see what happens next. During the meeting, Ald. Howard Brookins (21st) told Burke he would “hound him” on the issue and gave him a plush dog.
The received wisdom in my NPR-listening milieu seems to be that Walmart is vulgar at best, so I was intrigued to discover a community organization called Jobs or Else is trying to bring them to Chatham. Among its members: Rhymefest, Kanye’s Grammy-winning cowriter for “Jesus Walks,” and Dr. Leon Finney, veteran community organizer and pastor of Metropolitan Apostolic Community Church. A citywide poll the Tribune took a few weeks back found 68% of respondents supported the store.
Truly fascinating: GMU economist (and University of Chicago PhD) Russ Roberts interviews journalist Charles Platt on the experience of being hired and working at Walmart.
