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The War on Walmart

Thu, 28 Apr 2011 12:00:00 EDT

Retail giant Walmart is planning to open its first stores in New York City and Washington, D.C.

That's got local politicians and activists up in arms.

"Walmart, keep your plantation because there are no more slaves," says New York City Councilman Charles Barron.

Walmart will make criminals of our children, argues Washington D.C. commissioner Brenda Speaks, because "kids are kids" so they'll shoplift and then "security will grab them."

If we're tricked into welcoming Walmart through our city gates "wrapped up in a shiny package," explains New York City Public Advocate Bill de Blasio, it will take over and destroy us.

So what's getting anti-Walmart activists so riled up?

The answer: cheap groceries.

Written and produced by Jim Epstein, with help from Joshua Swain. Narrated by Nick Gillespie.

Approximately 7.30 minutes.

Click here for past Reason coverage of Walmart and its enemies.

Have California Democrats Turned Their Backs on Social Justice? A Conversation with Chris Reed

Mon, 29 Nov 2010 09:00:00 EST

Democrats are supposed to work towards the goal of social justice, right? So why is it that so many policies supported by California Democrats end up harming poor people and minorities?

Reason.tv's Paul Feine sat down with journalist Chris Reed to talk about public employee unions, welfare reform, Walmart, the drug war, and environmental regulations.

Chris Reed is an editorial writer for the San Diego Union-Tribune and a talk show host on KOGO 600 AM, San Diego's News & Talk Station.

Approximately 9 minutes. Produced by Paul Feine and Alex Manning.

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Encourage Bottom-Up Redevelopment: Reason Saves Cleveland With Drew Carey, Episode 5

Thu, 18 Mar 2010 07:00:00 EDT

Cleveland has spent billions on big-ticket urban redevelopment efforts including heavily subsidized sports stadiums and convention centers that have utterly failed to revitalize the city’s economy. Should the city be pouring even more money into and pinning yet higher hopes on long-odds mega-projects? Or should they realize that bottom-up projects driven by the actual residents and private-sector investors are the best was to build a vibrant city for the long haul?

Reason Saves Cleveland with Drew Carey is written and produced by Paul Feine; camera and editing by Roger Richards and Alex Manning; narrated by Nick Gillespie; music by the Cleveland band Cats on Holiday. This is the fifth of six episodes that will air March 15-19, 2010.

Approximately 10 minutes long. Scroll down for iPod, HD, and audio versions of this video.

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Starbucks vs. the Little Guy

dan.hayes@reason.org (Dan Hayes) — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 00:00:00 EDT

Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz recently announced that the company would close 600 of its approximately 12,000 American stores in the coming year, sending 12,000 managers and baristas to the unemployment line.

But as Starbucks contracts, many independent coffee shops are growing, beating the coffee giant in an upscale market it helped to create.

As anti-corporate crusaders are now discovering, instead of advocating for legal prohibitions on chain stores or attempting to zone the offending businesses off of Main Street USA, mom-and-pop shops can successfully combat the coffee behemoth by using old-fashioned market competition.

reason.tv's Michael C. Moynihan and Dan Hayes investigate.