What is it about Walmart that makes them think people will believe things that are not true?

I live and work in Bellevue. I am local. And I believe in the values of fair pay for hard work and respect. Unlike the Bellevue Reporter’s editorial, I don’t welcome Walmart to our community. Not now at least. Maybe I’d feel differently if Walmart’s actions showed they support these values of fairness and respect, but they don’t.

What are the values of a company that posts $16 billion in profit and pays workers an average of under $9 an hour? What are the values of a company that says it has an open door policy and then retaliates against workers who inform their manager of a problem at work? What are the values of a company that cuts all its part time workers off health care coverage? You don’t need to live in a mansion by the lake to know that’s a potential neighbor whose values you don’t share.

If the editorialist really expects Walmart to be a good neighbor, he’s going to be disappointed. In places like Chicago, Walmart made promises which they then denied once they were given the OK to open new stores. In King County, only the fact of a legally binding agreement allowed the city of Auburn to hold Walmart accountable last year after it left the blight of an empty shell store on the local business scene. And here in Bellevue, a good neighbor wouldn’t have kept its name secret from local officials and the community as Walmart did at the Kelsey Creek Center.

Very low pay. No health care. No respect at work. Secrets. These are not the values of the community we all live in.

Our business development should support our community, rather that pushing down our living and working standards. Local communities affected by business development should be able to make choices that uphold standards just like we can do now with environmental, traffic and other impacts. What is the full impact of a Walmart coming into our community and pushing down wages and benefits? What is the impact on local businesses? What is the impact on our taxes?

Let’s have a discussion about values before we put out the welcome mat.

Garet Handy is a Bellevue resident who works at the Overlake Fred Meyer.