Wal-Mart will have a problem pushing low-energy lightbulbs simply because their up-front cost is too high for their low-income customers. Why pay extra for a light bulb that lasts seven years if you live in a rental month-to-month? How can you justify spending those extra few dollars if you live paycheck-to-paycheck? Low-income renters might be better off buying cheap incandescent light bulbs at the dollar store. Buying expensive long-life bulbs is for people who feel secure about their future, have stable housing and the means to look ahead.

Posted at January 3, 2007 8:22 AM in response to Wal-Mart Doing Good for Environment

True, big donors will think twice if they're smart before they give money to the Republicans. There's no honor among thieves and not only will their money be used to perpetuate the RNC's ongoing financial fraud, they themselves may be implicated and sold down the river as the bigwigs act to save their own skins.
And as for Abramoff's religiosity, isn't that par for the course in American politics? It's just a matter of time before Rep. DeLay morphs into Rev. DeLay . . . .

Posted at January 10, 2006 6:17 AM in response to The Daily Muck

. . . why not require employees to weigh less, exercise more, eat only approved foods, etc.?

 If Wal-Mart employees were obligated to eat only healthy foods, they wouldn't be able to eat any of the wall-to-wall junk food that lines the product aisles in Wal-Mart Super Centers.

The subtext of Chambers' article is: how do we get rid of aging, overweight, female employees? This distaste for older women doesn't only extend to health care. Wal-Mart is trying to attract younger and more affluent customers a la Target. Aging female associates detract from the hip discount image Wal-Mart is trying to convey.

Posted at October 31, 2005 7:41 AM in response to Wal-Mart Health Care Memo Raises Concerns

Delay and his advisors have made a decision to make him look as upbeat as possible at his arraignment. On TV, he looked positively happy to have been indicted. But how well does this go over with the general public? Does he think this is all some kind of joke?With his endless grinning and smarmy self-confidence, he is sending the public the message that he believes he is above the law. Watch it backfire completely.

Posted at October 21, 2005 10:32 AM in response to Delay's Court Appearance

Posted at August 3, 2005 7:19 AM in response to Post Bolton Baggage

Another troubling fact about Roberts is the unpaid legal work his wife does for an anti-abortion organization cunningly titled "Feminists for Life." The Roberts have two adopted children. FFL has a "college outreach" program. I suspect this group isn't really interested in making the lives of poor, pregnant women easier. They want to see college girls go through with their pregnancies. From what I've been able to get from their website, there's a real eugenic tinge to this group. <http://www.feministsforlife.org/>
FFL is part of a deceptively titled anti-choice campaign called "Women Deserve Better." Women certainly deserve better than to be manipulated by this slick and dishonest group.

Posted at July 25, 2005 10:51 AM in response to Poor Mr. McClellan

It's not fair to raise the retirement age on workers who cannot get jobs because of age discrimination. And polls show that the public is dead set against raising the retirement age. Most people opt for Social Security at 62 because they have to, not because they want to. Older Americans are pariahs in the workplace and virtually unemployable. Of course, a Republican like Tierney would suggest that unemployed old people should start their own businesses and become part of the "ownership" society.

Posted at June 14, 2005 1:54 PM in response to Timesman John Tierney