After some recent stinging defeats in California (where voters in LA and San Diego suburbs approved measures to prevent Wal-Mart from opening super centers in their communities) Wal-Mart has more than doubled its spending (over $3 million so far this year) on political elections in the state. In addition to supporting candidates for local office favorable to Wal-Mart expansion, there is the matter of Proposition 72, which would require all employers in the state to provide health insurance to workers (side note: why does anyone do business in California?) Wal-Mart predictably has become the poster-child for those in favor of Prop 72, who cite a “study” by union-supported hacks (more about that here) that claim that poor Wal-Mart workers cost the state millions in public-funded health insurance. This fight will be interesting to watch.
