Al Norman achieved national attention in October of 1993 when he successfully stopped Wal-Mart from locating in his hometown of Greenfield, Massachusetts. Since then he has appeared on 60 Minutes, and gained widespread media attention from the Wall Street Journal to Fortune magazine. Al is the editor of the monthly Sprawl-Busters Alert, and has traveled throughout the U.S. helping dozens of local coalitions. 60 Minutes called Al “the guru of the anti-Wal-Mart movement.”
Below is a brief excerpt from his article dated February 18, 2009.
Shoppers of the world unite! Wal-Mart wants to help you overthrow governments that try to limit your “shopping choices.” Wal-Mart, the community organizer, is putting its customers to the test. The latest organizing site: Patterson, California. There are four Wal-Mart discount stores within 20 miles of Patterson.
This small community of roughly 19,200 people will get the area’s first Wal-Mart supercenter if the giant retailer has its way. The Gustine Press-Standard reported this week that Wal-Mart has applied to the city of Patterson to build a 158,000 s.f. supercenter right across the street from a SaveMart grocery store. According to the City Manager, the city is reviewing the application at this time. According to city officials, the supercenter proposal has already stirred up a controversy in the community. “You’ve got people on both sides, definitely, and it is probably a little more heated than normal,” the City manager told the Press-Standard. As part of its public relations campaign, Wal-Mart has launched a website to promote the proposed store.
The company has been spending money organizing a “Customer Action Network” (CAN) in California and New England, to help grease the skids locally……
Readers are urged to do the following three things to counter Wal-Mart’s CAN efforts:
1) write a letter to Patterson Mayor Becky Campo at: bcampo@ci.patterson.ca.us opposing the Wal-Mart project. Email her a copy of this story;
2) go to the Irrigator newspaper website and vote “Neither” in the newspaper’s Wal-Mart poll;
3) email a letter to the editor of the Irrigator at: news@pattersonirrigator.com.
They say imitation is the highest form of flattery. Wal-Mart has learned from its consultants that if you want to get public support for your huge projects, you have to use the same tactics that anti-Wal-Mart groups have been using for years.
Setting up websites, and encouraging customers to protect their “shopping choices” has become the new civil rights battle for Wal-Mart. It’s all part of helping the Walton billionaires ‘live better.’ Click here to read full story.
Big Red said,
February 22, 2009 @ 11:59 AM
The “eye of the tiger” theme continues. Just a few thoughts on Wal-mart, shouldn’t we start to propose alternatives than just say they can’t build in Patterson?
How about proposing other uses for that corner? It’s kind of a gateway to the city.
I can hear it now, from a person passing through on interstate five, attempting to explain the city Patterson to another person, they don’t describe the wonderful people or the beautiful palm trees, they describe it as the town off the freeway with a super wal-mart.
Our unique town is slowly starting to resemble every other freeway town in California, fantastic.
Christopher V said,
June 15, 2009 @ 10:49 AM
From an outside perspective I can say that by having a superstore such as wal mart there in town this may help suppress the economy in the town and may help with the amount on vacant/foreclosed homes.
I am considering purchasing my first home in Patterson, but I can not see having to drive back to my home town (Tracy) just for the essential items for my house. If a store such as wal mart or even Target was in town I would be a lot more easy minded about making my decision to reside in Patterson.
I believe if this is planned correctly it will greatly benefit the town.
The Recorder said,
June 15, 2009 @ 3:15 PM
I think these guys are headed down the right path regarding Wal*mart. I don’t think they totally oppose the store they are just looking at other options. I think they’re working on some sort of community agreement proposal that would be used to negotiate with wal*mart. I actually agree with you Christoper, Patterson needs more shopping items, I get the sense that Patterson natives just don’t want to see any major change.
Christopher V said,
June 15, 2009 @ 3:44 PM
If they don’t want major change I can’t see the values of homes going up there anytime soon. Change in that direction would be good for everyone.
I guess time will have to tell.
The Recorder said,
June 15, 2009 @ 3:58 PM
I think the value of homes are beyond the wal*mart “effect”. This city needs JOBS, like so many smaller cities, government (school district and city) are the largest employers. Wal*mart will not bring the type of jobs that can help people pay a large mortgage, so I guess my point is we need change that is exponentially larger than wal*mart. And I’m not talking about more manufacturing jobs.
Patterson is a wonderful city to raise a family in, you won’t regret the move if choose to do so. Good luck!
Paul St. Onge said,
November 1, 2009 @ 7:57 PM
I welcome a Super Wal Mart in Patterson. I just moved to Patterson from Reno, NV. And we had 4 Super Wal Marts in Reno and Sparks area; it would be a great advantage for shopping here in Patterson, since the nearest Super Wal Mart is in Stockton. I Vote 100% for a Super Wal Mart in Patterson Ca. Can’t wait.
MrBill said,
November 2, 2009 @ 7:08 AM
You know, you could move back to Reno. Most of us that have either been in this community a long time or were born and raised here have no desire for the Wal-Mart. For the most part, it isn’t those that built and maintained this town that want the Wal-Mart, it is those that have moved in recently and want our town to be just like the big city they moved from. We don’t want Patterson to be Reno, East Oakland, Modesto, Stockton, or any other place like that. We want Patterson to be Patterson.
If you really want to live in a city that is like the city you came form, move back.
It is that simple.
OldTimer said,
November 2, 2009 @ 8:46 AM
I couldn’t agree more. I wonder if there are numbers to show how much support the Wal-Mart has from those that have been in Patterson over 20 years. And then numbers for those born and raised here. Among all my long-time friends, there is absolutely no support for Wal-Mart. The only people that I know that want it are those that have been here less than ten years. If those residents really wanted all the big boxes that they had in their previous cities, they should have either stayed in their big cities or move to another big city that had everything they wanted. It would be so much easier for them and us. They wouldn’t be complaining about the lack of big boxes here and we wouldn’t have to hear them complaining about it.
Now that would be a classic win-win scenario.
Lon said,
November 2, 2009 @ 9:38 AM
I’ve been here 4 years now, moved from a big city, and don’t want a Wal-Mart.
OldTimer said,
November 2, 2009 @ 2:18 PM
Then you, Lon, get to stay. Welcome to Patterson!!!!
OldTimer said,
November 2, 2009 @ 2:39 PM
Back to Paul’s post, isn’t the Wal-Mart that opened up on McHenry in Modesto a supercenter? Is it a super wal-mart or not? If so, my maps show me that Modesto is closer to Patterson than Stockton is.
Taken from an article in the Modesto Bee:
Super-sized start; Crowds flock to opening of Walmart Supercenter
Modesto Bee
November 13, 2008
At a time when retailers are bracing for cutbacks from consumers spooked by a rocky economy, Walmart showed off the power of its brand at the opening of its Modesto supercenter Wednesday.
At 6:45 a.m., people started lining up to get into the supercenter at 3848 McHenry Ave. By the time the doors opened at 8 a.m., hundreds of shoppers were waiting in a line that stretched south along the front of the store.
OldTimer said,
November 2, 2009 @ 2:41 PM
Actually, as I look again at the above page, the content was from a Modesto Bee article, but the page itself was a wal-mart page, found here:
http://walmartstores.com/FactsNews/NewsRoom/8789.aspx
That would even lend more truth to the closest supercenter being in Modesto.
Lon said,
November 2, 2009 @ 3:14 PM
The store is a not a true Super Wal-Mart, but rather a conversion of an old grocery store. It may say Super, but it isn’t a megaplex.
OldTimer said,
November 3, 2009 @ 11:14 AM
Thanks for the update. Regardless, there are plenty of options other than a super walmart that are within driving range.
If someone really needs a super walmart to improve their quality of life, then maybe they should have moved to Stockton instead of Patterson.
There are more residents here that live here because it has that small town feel to it than those that want the big boxes. They are content in driving to Modesto or Turlock for their big shopping needs.
Many people that were born and raised here and think that Patterson is too small of a town for them have moved to the bigger cities. Instead of forcing their wants on the rest of us, they have moved on, moving where they can have all the big boxes they want without impacting the small town feel of Patterson.
Those wanting the walmart and other big boxes are taking the classic liberal stand, where they say “What is good for me is good for you, so you will just have to take what I want. Even if you don’t want it.”
Most of us don’t want the walmart, yet a few people are going to jam it down our throats. They are going to do whatever it takes to force us to take something we don’t want. This walmart goes straight at what is at the heart of the issues people have with our current council. Whose land is the walmart going to be on? Who just got a nice check from the city? Who has the influence over the council on whether the zoning is correct for the health center move or not?
Believe it or not, it is all the same person. Again, this is a case of the few forcing their wants and desires on the many.
While on the topic of all of that, I have heard from a few people that they actually think the stink about the health center move is just a ploy to slip the walmart through. While everyone is out pushing for the center’s move and discussing it, those that stand to benefit from the walmart, and those that he controls, are doing their best to push the walmart through very quietly. Before you know it, construction will begin and nobody will have noticed. It will be too late for the many to put up a fight against the very few.
Sneaky politics at its best.
Ptownmessenger said,
November 3, 2009 @ 5:35 PM
This is great conversation..The EIR is now underway so it will be a battle to keep wal-mart out! I also just read that Wal-Mart is now in the business of selling Coffins, yes you read right, Coffins! So now we can add Hillview Funeral to the list that will be competing with Wal-Mart! Folks need to realize that wal-mart will be the monopoly! No other business will come in and compete with them..but we can still stop them! People need to attend the meetings in Masses, just folks did for cleve..you saw what the pressure did to the slate!
By the way, i want to compliment Elias Funez on the great photo Annette Smith, AKA “im a citizen first, so i can verbally attack whoever i want, wherever i want.” I bet that is the same face and action that she used while typing all the bullcrap about the Young Cuellar after taking photos off his facebook page!, Can we add stalker to the list? and I bet that was the same mug she used while verbally attacking Cathy Wright at Savemart wile collecting signatures for the Health district move, or ” the change in zoning ordinance” as the very sneaky, i mean snakeish, i mean weak ass legal council Georgie Ramos..i mean logan nicely put it!
Bottom line the patterson residents need to step up and be heard! put the pressure on and let them keep making mistakes and delay this process to bring Wally World to Patterson!
anything but wallmart said,
November 3, 2009 @ 7:30 PM
Oldtimer, why do you insist that its liberals that want wallmart? I know flying off the handle is a “republican” kind of thing, like starting wars for no reason and stuff but wallmart started in the south, is anti union, and gives to the gop. Liberals hate wallmart. Perhaps your more liberal then you think?
http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/retail/2004-02-02-walmart_x.htm
I do agree with you that this city council is doing a horrible job of running this city, unless your financially tied in with them.
big red said,
November 4, 2009 @ 11:38 AM
We should all meet to get an initiative on the ballot!
anything but wallmart said,
November 6, 2009 @ 8:27 AM
Im sure that would be interesting big red lol Only times I have available are evenings or on the weekends.
Wal Mart Not ALLOWED said,
July 12, 2010 @ 12:49 AM
if the wal mart comes to the town it would have devastating affects on the whole community especially those who own local businesses. wal mart will tear apart all the traditions that made Patterson. it may have some benefits but it is heart breaking to see all the other private owners that have lived and have been doing business for years.
what’s the new for walmart? is it really coming to patterson? any recent updates?
BackInTown said,
July 12, 2010 @ 12:54 PM
I had an opportunity a couple of months ago to overhear that they have negotiated approval for the project. Or, at least they feel that the project has been approved.
I had a chance to see the plans, and, as much as I hate WalMart coming to town, they are at least going to build something that does look pleasing to the eyes.
I was with a friend when Joel was telling him about the plans, how they had gained ‘approval’, and was being showed one of the proposed designs.
I walked away from the encounter with a very strange feeling about how the citizens are being kept in the dark about the whole process and the fact that it is going to go forward no matter what anyone tells us.
As my friend and I left the scene, he said that he now knew why Margo told him that the move had been negotiated and everything was going to work out for the move. He said that he could now put one and one together to come up with a reason why all the fight against the health center move died when it did.