Indy TV #37: The town of Greece, NY had allowed Northgate Plaza, a once vibrant shopping mall with stores like McCurdys, JC Penny, and Woolworth to deteriorate despite citizens’ complaints. In 2007, the citizens of the town found out why the town had not forced the plaza owners to fix the deteriorating mall., Walmart had a lease with the plaza owner, Widewaters Group, to build a Super WalMart. Watch Episode | Read More

Image from Santa Cruz Indymedia

Medford, Oregon, December 11, 2009 -- Medford Citizens for Responsible Development (MCRD) has not given up on the fight against powerful Walmart's legal team and the Superstore planned for South Medford. The fight continues and so do the worries about traffic congestion. Building such a monster store will bring on a super traffic nightmare, yet Medford refuses to do a traffic study which is required in their code. The area is already becoming a traffic nightmare even without building a Walmart Superstore.

MCRD has now petitioned the Oregon Supreme Court requesting a review of the earlier Court of Appeals Decision to Overturn a LUBA Ruling in the Matter of Requiring a Traffic Study for the Wal-Mart Superstore. (LUBA is Oregon's Land Use Board of Appeals.) We anticipate a decision by the Court to consider our appeal within 30 to 60 days.

Attached below is the petition for review delivered by MCRD's attorney to the Oregon Supreme Court earlier this week.

Text of letter to Medford city council members from Medford Citizens for Responsible Development (MCRD) urging them to comply with the most recent LUBA ruling ordering the city to require a traffic study, and not seek to have the ruling overturned by the Oregon Court of Appeals. Provides links to further sources of information on this issue at the end of the message.

Tonight Worcester's Zoning Board of Appeals declined to hear a petition to overturn the Definitive Site Plan for a development in Quinsigamond Village that would include Worcester's first Wal-Mart.

According to the City's Law Department, a zoning ordinance passed in Feb 2007 takes away the ZBA's ability to hear appeals of site plan decisions.

However, the Board made clear that they can take up petitions on the Wal-Mart development when a building permit is issued.

For more info, see Worcester First.

Audio: Listen to the discussion as an mp3 or ogg.

Many Worcesterites are uneasy about the proposal to build a Wal*Mart in Quinsigamond Village in Worcester. If you're curious to learn more about the impact a Walmart would have on Worcester, or if you're concerned and want to know what can be done about it, now is you're chance to find out more. Here are some upcoming events:

• June 18 - Wal*Mart: High Cost of Low Price - documentary about Wal*Mart - free - 6:30 pm Quinsigamond Village Community Center Worcester
• June 25 - Zoning Board of Appeals hears Wal-Mart Site Plan Appeal - Please come and support the abutters to this site who are concerned about the impact a Wal*mart would have on their neighborhood. 5:30 PM Worcester Public Library Saxe Room 2 Salem Square

• For more information visit: Worcester First

The City of Tigard is in desperate need of your opinion. The city is revising it's comprehensive plan - the blueprint for all future development in Tigard. The next step in the Comprehensive Plan process is to receive input and direction from Tigard's citizens.
Policy Interest Teams are now being organized through the City of Tigard, where Tigard residents will help create goals, policies and action measures to drive the Tigard 2027 Plan.

We're asking all interested parties to join teams to help raise the issue of traffic and discuss potential land use changes that will alleviate congestion. The current opportunity requires just a two month commitment.

To join a Policy Interest Team call Darren Wyss at or email him at  darren@tigard-or.gov.

For more information regarding Tigard's traffic mess and the current zoning which creates it please visit  http://www.tigardfirst.com

It’s been a year since we last confronted the Wal-Mart shareholders-- another year of poor healthcare, gender discrimination, environmental degradation, poverty wages, the destruction of local businesses and union busting. The Wal-Mart shareholders are meeting up again and Against the Wal is gearing up for another exciting week of resistance. Lets ask the shareholders to make this year a year of people over profit, a year of human rights, living wages and respect for communities!

While posing as a friendly hometown retailer, the international corporate giant conducted elaborate espionage on citizens. Read More>>

Against the Wal plans to protest this year’s Shareholder’s Meeting in June at the University of Arkansas Campus. To find out more about Against the Wal go to www.againstthewal.net/ or email info (at) againstthewal.net.

Related: Democracy Now Coverage

After over two years of debate, the Oregon Land Use Board of Appeals is expected to rule Thursday, March 22 on the Wal-Mart Supercenter proposed for southwest Gresham. Opponents will meet Thursday night at 7pm to discuss the decision and next steps. Read More>> | greshamfirst.org

Walmart is setting there sights on property just north of Vancouver, WA. There are already three Walmarts in Vancouver. In my opinion, that's three to many. The sight is located off of 134th street just east of I-205. That's just 3 miles or so north of an existing walmart that is located off of Highway 99. It seems that the nieghborhood isn't in favor of a walmart being built here but the corporations money may trump the desire of people who live here. Hopefully it doesn't get built. Boycott Walmart and let them know they are not welcome here. I'm trying to do a paper on this but without a bias. If anyone has any leads or suggestions, I would like to hear them. Thanks.

Come hear Wal-Mart sweatshop workers from India and Colombia, Oregon's Labor Commissioner Dan Gardner, and a Portland fire fighter speak on why Portland should rid sweatshops from city contracts and become sweatfree now.
RALLY FOR A SWEATSHOP FREE PORTLAND

Monday, February 19th (President's Day)
12pm-1pm
In front of City Hall
(1221 SW 4th Ave, between Madison and Jefferson Streets)

Background on the campaign: The goal of the sweatfree campaign is to end taxpayer subsidies of human rights abuses. The City of Portland purchases goods from companies known to have partnered with subcontractors accused of labor rights violations. The Sweatfree Coalition is working to pass a sweatfree ordinance that upholds local and international labor laws and respects the dignity of all workers.

Printable Flyer

After almost three years of debate, the decision on a proposed Wal-Mart will be back in the hands of the Medford City Council. Fresh faces on the Council are likely to consider neighborhood concerns and impose strict requirements for new development. Opponents are hopeful that the project can be defeated once and for all, and are rallying public support.

Many residents of Tigard were alarmed this week after receiving anonymous survey calls designed to test attitudes about retail choice in the area, and to question their support for a new 24-hour "super store". For most participants, there was no doubt who was behind the calls.

To combat pressure from neighbors, Wal-Mart often keeps projects a secret as long as possible, limiting neighbors' time to organize opposition. Once a project is announced, the company works hard to find supporters. In Cedar Mill, Wal-Mart sent thousands of postcards asking neighbors to testify in support of the new store, or send written comments to local leaders.

A phone poll may be the newest way for Wal-Mart to identify local supporters, and this week's survey has neighbors worried that an official proposal could be coming soon.

The nation's "fastest growing social movement" visited Philly yesterday as part of the Wake Up Wal-Mart Tour. Dozens packed a friends meeting house including local pols, union organizers, and activists for what House candidate Patrick Murphy described as "an incredible opportunity to change our country and make our voice heard."

On Friday June 2nd, CEO Scott Lee convened Wal-Mart's annual shareholders meeting. In celebration Jobs with Justice and the Rukus Society held a national Quarantine Wal-Mart Day of Action. In Philadelphia, Philly JWJ, activists and labor leaders converged on Wal-Mart in Hazmat suits and declared Wal-Mart a social and ecological disaster area. Why? As JWJ organizer Eduardo Soriano-Castillo explained during the action, "A majority of Wal-Mart employees have no healthcare while the healthcare options that Wal-Mart does provide are inadequate and full of hidden costs. Because of these violations, Wal-Mart has been classified by the Bureau of Worker Health as a threat to public safety and will be placed under strict quarantine until said offenses are remedied." Read Entire Article

Watch video of Wal-Mart Quarantine: QT7