HOW TO HELP

WE NEED CONTRIBUTIONS TO BUILD THIS CAMPAIGN

We have a pressing need for financial contributions. Initial legal expenses will be in the thousands of dollars. Wal-Mart has deep pockets and they will be spending millions of dollars just to get their store approved. Please visit the Donations page to make a contribution

Let the community know how you feel
We will be in touch about public hearings and other events where we'll need to mobilize a lot of people. In the meantime, here are some activities we need help on.

Letters to the media:
The Bulletin (250 word limit)
Cascade Business News
The Source Weekly (400 word limit)
*Please provide your phone number when submitting letters to the media.

We need to demonstrate public opposition to the store and provide information about Wal-Mart to the community. Wal-Mart sent out thousands of postcards to Bend residents, asking that they write letters in support of the store. That was their opening shot in a multimillion dollar campaign. We need to counter that with letters opposing the store. Please CC letters to funkeredfinn24@aol.com.

There are some suggested points to make in letters farther down under, "WHY A THIRD WAL-MART ISN'T RIGHT FOR BEND."

Petitioning
Over 5,800 people have signed petitions opposing the store, and we have just gotten a petition drive started. We need hundreds more to convince the Bend City Council to slow this down and give the people a voice. If you can help with petitioning, please send us an email.

WHY A WAL-MART SUPERSTORE ISN'T RIGHT FOR BEND
There are lots of reasons to oppose this store. Here are some arguments that can be used in letters:

• Wal-Mart's superstore will increase traffic congestion for residents, shoppers, and workers. Even if Wal-Mart pays for a new interchange at U.S. 97 and Cooley, and even if they pledge money towards an interchange farther north, these roads will soon be overburdened with congestion.
• Each Wal-Mart drains over $100 million from local businesses every year, sending profits to Arkansas and overseas.
• Wal-Mart workers start at $7.50 @ hour; a fulltime Wal-Mart job is 34 hours @ week. That's $13,260 before taxes, $2,410 below the federal poverty level for a family of three. We don't need 400 more low-wage jobs.
• More than half of Wal-Mart's employees cannot afford the company's health insurance. Many rely on public assistance, which costs taxpayers as much as $420,000 a year for each Wal-Mart. Our local grocers provide better benefits.
• Some communities have lost three jobs for every two jobs Wal-Mart creates. Almost every community reports losing one good job for every new low-paying Wal-Mart job. This net loss of better-paying jobs will continue the downward spiral of low-wage jobs in our community.
• Wal-Mart closes local businesses or forces them to compete by laying off workers and reducing wages and benefits.


We urge people to raise these and other community concerns that impact our future. We need community input and independent studies on the impact a Wal-Mart superstore will have here and the impact felt in other communities.