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Wal-Mart throws out "green initiatives" goes back to basics in search of profits.

grizzer

New member
Wal-Mart throws out "green initiatives" goes back to basics in search of profits.

Another checkmark on the list of scams pushed by the democrats:
Wal-Mart Goes ‘Back to Basics’: A Cautionary Tale for the Left

Leslie Dach, former senior aide to Al Gore, was the impetus behind Wal-Mart's failed shift to "green," upscale items that fit the progressive agenda for what Americans should be buying.
April 11, 2011 - by Richard Pollock
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After suffering seven straight quarters of losses, today the merchandise giant Wal-Mart will announce that it is “going back to basics,” ending its era of high-end organic foods, going “green,” and the remainder of its appeal to the upscale market. Next month the company will launch an “It’s Back” campaign to woo the millions of customers who have fled the store. They will be bringing back “heritage” products, like inexpensive jeans and sweatpants.
Few may recognize it as such, but this episode should be seen as a cautionary tale about “progressives” and social engineering experiments on low-income Americans. This morning’s Wall Street Journal article is blunt:
That strategy failed, and the Bentonville, Ark., retail giant now is pursuing a back-to-basics strategy to reverse the company’s fortunes.
The failure, in large part, can be pinned to Leslie Dach: a well-known progressive and former senior aide to Vice President Al Gore. In July 2006, Dach was installed as the public relations chief for Wal-Mart. He drafted a number of other progressives into the company, seeking to change the company’s way of doing business: its culture, its politics, and most importantly its products.
Out went drab, inexpensive merchandise so dear to low-income Americans. In came upscale organic foods, “green” products, trendy jeans, and political correctness. In other words, Dach sought to expose poor working Americans to the “good life” of the wealthy, environmentally conscious Prius driver.
Dach’s failure should be a cautionary tale for President Obama: last week he scolded a blue collar man in Pennsylvania for driving an SUV, and he has previously admonished Americans to get out of their gas-guzzlers and into electric cars. Dach’s failure should also put Michelle Obama on notice; she has been pushing her White House organic vegetable garden as a model for working Americans.
Like other real-world experiments, the Wal-Mart story exposes the failure of progressivism in the marketplace, as the Dach strategy has been a fiasco: the merchandising turned off low-income (and largely Democratic-leaning) customers. Says former Wal-Mart executive Jimmy Wright:
The basic Wal-Mart customer didn’t leave Wal-Mart. What happened is that Wal-Mart left the customer.
Dach convinced the company to steer away from founder Sam Walton’s core values. At the core of Dach’s campaign was to prove that Wal-Mart was “going green.” He brought in Vice President Gore to speak about environmental issues: they actually screened his global warming film, An Inconvenient Truth, at a quarterly meeting of Wal-Mart empl0yees and invited environmental groups. Expensive organic foods were showcased in their produce section. Trendy and pricey environmentally safe products were put on the shelves.

http://pajamasmedia.com/blog/wal-mart-goes-back-to-basics-a-cautionary-tale-for-the-left/
 

loboloco

Well-known member
Re: Wal-Mart throws out "green initiatives" goes back to basics in search of profits.

Good article Griz. shows the futility of trying to cram things down peoples throat. At one time, K-mart was pretty much on the ropes. now, because of Walmart taking their eye off the ball, K-mart has reorganized and is doing pretty good.
 

JEV

Mr. Congeniality
GOLD Site Supporter
Re: Wal-Mart throws out "green initiatives" goes back to basics in search of profits.

Good article Griz. shows the futility of trying to cram things down peoples throat. At one time, K-mart was pretty much on the ropes. now, because of Walmart taking their eye off the ball, K-mart has reorganized and is doing pretty good.
Pretty good if you factor in the price increases in K-Mart's grocery aisles, mandated by the current CEO to increase profits on all food items. I heard this from an employee, and it confirmed my personal shopping experiences. The sale items lure you into the store, then they make up the difference in the rest of the grocery aisles. Just so you don't think I'm full of it, here are some other folks who find Kmart's prices to be high on groceries.
 

fogtender

Now a Published Author
Site Supporter
Re: Wal-Mart throws out "green initiatives" goes back to basics in search of profits.

I know Wally World has lower prices, but I can't go in and just buy Chinese Junk (not the boats! LOL). People have fled to the lower import prices and now we as a country are paying the price for that, millions of Americans are out of work because the manufactures went over seas... Not all of it was price driven either, tough environmental regulations by overly confused tree huggers made the cost of doing business so high, they ran off many of the American Businesses as well and Walmart has filled in that bill nicely.

So I don't shop there if I don't have to, just my own private little embargo.
 

loboloco

Well-known member
Re: Wal-Mart throws out "green initiatives" goes back to basics in search of profits.

Pretty good if you factor in the price increases in K-Mart's grocery aisles, mandated by the current CEO to increase profits on all food items. I heard this from an employee, and it confirmed my personal shopping experiences. The sale items lure you into the store, then they make up the difference in the rest of the grocery aisles. Just so you don't think I'm full of it, here are some other folks who find Kmart's prices to be high on groceries.
Don't know, I never buy groceries at either one.
 

mak2

Active member
Re: Wal-Mart throws out "green initiatives" goes back to basics in search of profits.

"drab, inexpensive merchandise so dear to low-income Americans" The place sells junk, mostly from China are somewhere even cheaper. I wonder how much of China's exports goes thru Wally world. I wont go there unless I have to.

My wife has refeused to shop at target for years for food, too expensive.
 

Cowboy

Wait for it.
GOLD Site Supporter
Re: Wal-Mart throws out "green initiatives" goes back to basics in search of profits.

"drab, inexpensive merchandise so dear to low-income Americans" The place sells junk, mostly from China are somewhere even cheaper. I wonder how much of China's exports goes thru Wally world. I wont go there unless I have to.

My wife has refeused to shop at target for years for food, too expensive.
Yep thats the same attitude the weathy have have when they shop at walmart far away from their house & when they think no one they know will see them . Kinda like saying I wont buy shit from harbor fright unless its a good deal . :hammer:

I just wish folks would be more honest , I get what I need when I need it for whatever I can afford from wherever , if its made elsewhere & I dont have to go in debt buying it , thats what I'm gonna get period .

I'm all for buying American made products but they aint no better then anything you buy from China , Taiwan or any other friggen place most of Ya'll buy products from , made in the US stickers are just as easy to make & cheaper to make in all the foreign countrys if you take the time to peel the stickers off after making your good buy you would see that . But most folks like to fool theirselves these days and jump on the buy American bandwagon . :doh:

After thought Mak , I especially like this comment you made . "drab, inexpensive merchandise so dear to low-income Americans " That says a lot right there if your hooked on to the government teat . IMHO .
 

mak2

Active member
Re: Wal-Mart throws out "green initiatives" goes back to basics in search of profits.

I dont care even a little bit who sees me. I shop at Goodwill less than a mile from my house. I dont know if people really think like that. Guess some do or you would not have thought of it. I try not to buy cheap crap unless I am going to use it once, like bicycles, I would far sooner buy a used 1980's bike than a new Wally world one. Like I said, I will go there if I have to.
 

JEV

Mr. Congeniality
GOLD Site Supporter
Re: Wal-Mart throws out "green initiatives" goes back to basics in search of profits.

Too many people look at Wal-Mart like they are the devil himself, and fail to see (or ignore) the most successful business model on the planet...make a little on everything you bring into the store, and this will draw more people into your stores, thus increasing your wealth. Sam never forgot where he came from, but that was thrown out the window when he died. Many are jealous of Wal-Mart's success, and think they look intelligent by slamming that success. How many of Wal-Mart's critics read Sam Walton's book, and understand where and how Wal-Mart got its roots? Most are too lazy to do what Sam did to become successful, and sit in their uneasy chair and take pot shots at the very attitude that made this country what it was before Obama came on the scene. Those same people are one or two paychecks away from losing it all should they lose their job, and they have nothing to fall back on should that happen...paper tigers...empty shirts.

I shop at Wal-Mart, and I'm not ashamed of it. I live outside of Cleveland, Ohio, and in spite of the lies by the unions, we have small businesses thriving in the shadow of Wal-Mart stores all across the area, selling the same merchandise that is on Wal-Marts shelves. You won't find abject poverty surrounding each Wal-Mart, and if you find empty store fronts, a little research will find that they are empty because someone screwed up their business, not because Wal-Mart drove them out of business. If you drive down US 20 in my city, within a one mile stretch you will find a Target Superstore, a Kmart Superstore and a Wal-Mart store. We would have a Wal-mart Superstore, were it not for the union dominance on city council who drove Wal-Mart (and its revenue) to the next town by trying to over-regulate them and basically making their life miserable during the development process. The 20+ acre tract of land still sits vacant today (5 years later) because of their short sightedness and bullying tactics, and Madison, Ohio welcomed Wal-Mart with open arms, and their tax dollars are helping the city to weather the recession.

Wal-Mart is a good corporate citizen. They create jobs, provide goods at prices people are able to afford, give back to the community through each and every store, and don't seek to drive competitors from their shadow. Big box retail actually draws small retails into their shadow, unlike what the greedy unions are telling everyone.

I said my piece, now it's your turn. As always, this is JMHO.


Just for the record, I do not own any Wal-Mart stock, but I have made excellent returns with it in the past.
 

SShepherd

New member
Re: Wal-Mart throws out "green initiatives" goes back to basics in search of profits.

i shop at sams' and costco
 

mak2

Active member
Re: Wal-Mart throws out "green initiatives" goes back to basics in search of profits.

That is something I dont understand. Sams is part of WalMart (I think) yet often has high quality stuff. Why is that?
 

joec

New member
GOLD Site Supporter
Re: Wal-Mart throws out "green initiatives" goes back to basics in search of profits.

We shop at 5 stores locally, those being Whole Foods, Meijer's, Krogers, Pure Foods, the local Farmer's Market when it is open. Never buy much more than grease for garage doors from WalMart and Prescriptions. I haven't been in the K-Mart since I came to Kentucky and it is also only a few blocks away. Food I very funny about the quality I buy.
 

JEV

Mr. Congeniality
GOLD Site Supporter
Re: Wal-Mart throws out "green initiatives" goes back to basics in search of profits.

That is something I dont understand. Sams is part of WalMart (I think) yet often has high quality stuff. Why is that?
Sam's Club is a warehouse club like Costco and BJ's, where you buy in bulk quantities. While it was started mainly for business memberships, anyone can buy a membership and take advantage of volume pricing. In the meat department you can't buy 1# of ground beef...it comes in 5-10# bulk packages. Roasts are bundled at 6-10# in a single package, and they will not special package small quantities. If you want pork loin, you buy the entire loin and repackage it yourself. Ribs come 5 slabs to a package, and you repackage yourself. Same in grocery aisles where something like jalapeno pepper slices come in 1/2 gallon jars only, and flour is in 25# bags. This is not the place to shop if you do not want large volumes of a particular item. I will go there if I'm making a meal for 200 people at church, and get my bulk purchases at better prices than the local grocer. You will find name brands at Sam's like your local grocer, but in large volume containers and at volume savings.
 

mak2

Active member
Re: Wal-Mart throws out "green initiatives" goes back to basics in search of profits.

Yes, we have been Sams members for years. I get a lot of good stuff from there, but I wont hardly go to WalMart. That is all I meant. Quantity vs quality, I get it, Thanks.
 

joec

New member
GOLD Site Supporter
Re: Wal-Mart throws out "green initiatives" goes back to basics in search of profits.

To me there is really no difference in the two other than the quantity as both to me are pretty much the same quality. I don't like my meats pumped full of salt water which I found common in both here in Kentucky. I prefer real aged beef and pork not salt cured.
 

JEV

Mr. Congeniality
GOLD Site Supporter
Re: Wal-Mart throws out "green initiatives" goes back to basics in search of profits.

Yes, we have been Sams members for years. I get a lot of good stuff from there, but I wont hardly go to WalMart. That is all I meant. Quantity vs quality, I get it, Thanks.
Please enumerate exactly what is of poor quality at Wal-Mart. If anything, I see Wal-Mart becoming more upscale in their offerings, often mirroring Target in the looks of their departments. I also see name brands at Wal-mart just like you see at Kohls, JC Penney, Macy's and others...Champion, Dr. Schols, Dickie work clothes, Wrangler jeans, Crest tooth paste, Remington shavers, Dial soap, Durkee spices, Ben & Jerry's ice cream, Bird's Eye frozen mixed vegetables, and on & on. They have private labeled items under the Equate and Great Value brand names, but if you look at the ingredients, they are exactly what the national brands are comprised of, but at a more affordable price. FWIW, many manufacturers private label their national brands for a plethora of retailers, not just Wal-Mart. Just go into any drug store chain, Target or Kmart and you will find private labeled aspirin, decongestant, antihistamine, bar soap, laundry soap, cold relief products, bandages, etc. made by Bayer, Bristol-Meyers, Proctor & Gamble and many other recognizable national companies. I eagerly await your list of "poor quality" items that cause you to avoid shopping at Wal-Mart so I can avoid those items. My guess is that you're blowing smoke and just echoing the union mantra of poor quality and abusive work practices, with no real substance for your decision to avoid Wal-Mart. Let's get objective and produce your list.
 

waybomb

Well-known member
GOLD Site Supporter
Re: Wal-Mart throws out "green initiatives" goes back to basics in search of profits.

I buy my Mobil 1 gold cap there for $28 for a 5 quart jug. ANYWHERE else, the same Mobil 1 gold cap, except in a 4 quart jug, is $28. So I get 25% more oil, free, every time.

Oscar Meyer, David Berg, Kraft, Buddig, etc lunchmeats are the same as anywhere else. Watch when they bring out fresh meats - Tyson, ASE, JBS boxes, same as anywhere else. Milk, the same. Cheese, the same. Cereal, the same. Fruits and veggies - look at the boxes, same as anywhere else. The Pepsi and coke and beer they sell there I am sure does not come from China.

These people that "hate" Walmart simply cannot think for themselves, and must be thunk for. Lemmings, to the sea.........
 

joec

New member
GOLD Site Supporter
Re: Wal-Mart throws out "green initiatives" goes back to basics in search of profits.

Please enumerate exactly what is of poor quality at Wal-Mart. If anything, I see Wal-Mart becoming more upscale in their offerings, often mirroring Target in the looks of their departments. I also see name brands at Wal-mart just like you see at Kohls, JC Penney, Macy's and others...Champion, Dr. Schols, Dickie work clothes, Wrangler jeans, Crest tooth paste, Remington shavers, Dial soap, Durkee spices, Ben & Jerry's ice cream, Bird's Eye frozen mixed vegetables, and on & on. They have private labeled items under the Equate and Great Value brand names, but if you look at the ingredients, they are exactly what the national brands are comprised of, but at a more affordable price. FWIW, many manufacturers private label their national brands for a plethora of retailers, not just Wal-Mart. Just go into any drug store chain, Target or Kmart and you will find private labeled aspirin, decongestant, antihistamine, bar soap, laundry soap, cold relief products, bandages, etc. made by Bayer, Bristol-Meyers, Proctor & Gamble and many other recognizable national companies. I eagerly await your list of "poor quality" items that cause you to avoid shopping at Wal-Mart so I can avoid those items. My guess is that you're blowing smoke and just echoing the union mantra of poor quality and abusive work practices, with no real substance for your decision to avoid Wal-Mart. Let's get objective and produce your list.

Let me see if I can help with this Joe. I have jeans by both levi and wrangler that my wife bought from Walmart a while back as well as shirt by both in denim. Now I also have some I bought at Sear's and other places that have held up for year while those I got at Walmart fell apart inside of 1 year. Same brands different quality plain and simple. Do a search of Walmart's history of what they expect and how manufactures bend to meet their want to match the price. The same is true of every thing from ammo to electronics. It is simple fact that Walmarts wants name brands for less than they can make them for so they cut corner to meet it.
 

muleman

Gone But Not Forgotten
GOLD Site Supporter
Re: Wal-Mart throws out "green initiatives" goes back to basics in search of profits.

The one thing I have noticed is they have name brand food items in unique size boxes for a lower price. The actual cost is hard to determine if the contents is a few ounces lighter. The one closest to us is the only place that carries real Seltzers lebanon bologna and my favorite longhorn cheese. They have to compete with Weis markets on some of their grocery items and will stock something you ask for if it sells for them. They also stock Kunzler turkey bacon which IMHO is the only turkey bacon fit to eat. None of the other walmarts handle these items around here.
 

Av8r3400

Gone Flyin'
Re: Wal-Mart throws out "green initiatives" goes back to basics in search of profits.

Same thing as saying the John Deere tractor you get at Home Depot is the same as the one from the Deere dealer. There are stories of "Wal-Mart" quality products coming out of the name brands. Same goes for all of the big box stores. I believe Joe's story.

But, I still shop at Wal-Mart: Trash bags, soap, toothpaste, cat litter, etc. I buy my prescriptions there, too. Mostly because it's a choice of there or Walgreens. If Walgreens was the last store on Earth, I wouldn't go there.
 

joec

New member
GOLD Site Supporter
Re: Wal-Mart throws out "green initiatives" goes back to basics in search of profits.

Same thing as saying the John Deere tractor you get at Home Depot is the same as the one from the Deere dealer. There are stories of "Wal-Mart" quality products coming out of the name brands. Same goes for all of the big box stores. I believe Joe's story.

But, I still shop at Wal-Mart: Trash bags, soap, toothpaste, cat litter, etc. I buy my prescriptions there, too. Mostly because it's a choice of there or Walgreens. If Walgreens was the last store on Earth, I wouldn't go there.

About what I buy there also AV. For electronics, bullets, cloths, meat, etc I buy else where as some things I'm pretty picky about quality.
 

JEV

Mr. Congeniality
GOLD Site Supporter
Re: Wal-Mart throws out "green initiatives" goes back to basics in search of profits.

Let me see if I can help with this Joe. I have jeans by both levi and wrangler that my wife bought from Walmart a while back as well as shirt by both in denim. Now I also have some I bought at Sear's and other places that have held up for year while those I got at Walmart fell apart inside of 1 year. Same brands different quality plain and simple. Do a search of Walmart's history of what they expect and how manufactures bend to meet their want to match the price. The same is true of every thing from ammo to electronics. It is simple fact that Walmarts wants name brands for less than they can make them for so they cut corner to meet it.
The only clothing I buy there are Dickie work pants and Dr Scholls tennis shoes, both of which give me good service. I rarely wear denim any more, so I can't say what they wear like.

I spent 12 years working for Dirt Devil, the vacuum sweeper people. I remember the way they beat on us to get our costs lower so they could sell the SKU's cheaper than anyone else. This worked both for and against us. While our margins with Wal-Mart were slim, their demand for lower cost forced is to learn how to become a more efficient and lean manufacturer. We incorporated innovation and technology into all of our processes, thus improving our quality while reducing costs. I can't tell you how many 12-16 hour days I put in refining processes to increase throughput of the assembly lines. It was also very rewarding work. The cleaners were/are still throw-away units, but we were able to improve our processes, and ultimately improve our margins.
I still remember the celebration we had when we got our first $1 million dollar order form Wal-Mart. They were there when we needed to expand into a national presence, and we had a good relationship with them for a long time.
 

thcri

Gone But Not Forgotten
Re: Wal-Mart throws out "green initiatives" goes back to basics in search of profits.

I read a story a few years ago about Walmart and it's process to vendors. I did a search for it but can not find it now.

Basically in a nutshell Walmart goes into a Vendor and tells the vendor how much they are willing to pay for their product and then throws down a huge sum of money in their face and basically says take it or leave it. The value per piece is less than the vendor's cost to build the product. The Vendor who is looking for market share or more profit dollars typically takes the money and finds a way for build the product with a small margin. The only way to do it is to cut quality.

I do believe Joec's statement on the jeans, however on the other side of Walmart's fence is Sam's Club. Sams has a No Mark Jean that I only buy now and seems to outlast all the others. So there is some good there but I am very cautious of buying more expensive items from Walmart.
 

waybomb

Well-known member
GOLD Site Supporter
Re: Wal-Mart throws out "green initiatives" goes back to basics in search of profits.

The only way to do it is to cut quality.

Disagree. Maybe for some, the solution is to cut out your own heart. For them, what goes around comes around.

Others get creative and look for ways to do things more efficiently. Robotics and automation comes to mind. Creative packaging. Supply Chain Management. Focused financing. Source new suppliers, or, force current suppliers to open their damn eyes.

The best part is the most fun - keeping your eye on the ball 100% of the time, protecting your "secret formula", and always be looking for that next $0.001. Somebody else will if you ain't. I find it to be fun.

The really cool part is that even if you don't play in Wally's world, you are still forced to innovate because competition is. And take advantage of it. Use the new technologies, processes, and systems to design a product with more percieved value added, and then charge for that perceived added value. Plenty manufacturers surviving and thriving as competitors to those that produce for Walmart.
 

mak2

Active member
Re: Wal-Mart throws out "green initiatives" goes back to basics in search of profits.

Disagree. Maybe for some, the solution is to cut out your own heart. For them, what goes around comes around.

Others get creative and look for ways to do things more efficiently. Robotics and automation comes to mind. Creative packaging. Supply Chain Management. Focused financing. Source new suppliers, or, force current suppliers to open their damn eyes.

The best part is the most fun - keeping your eye on the ball 100% of the time, protecting your "secret formula", and always be looking for that next $0.001. Somebody else will if you ain't. I find it to be fun.

The really cool part is that even if you don't play in Wally's world, you are still forced to innovate because competition is. And take advantage of it. Use the new technologies, processes, and systems to design a product with more percieved value added, and then charge for that perceived added value. Plenty manufacturers surviving and thriving as competitors to those that produce for Walmart.


or you can just produce your product in VietNam or China or somewhere real cheap, where labor works for a few dollars a day, ensuring profits for owners and losing jobs for Americans, oh yea, I forgot that is the unions fault. Nevermind.
 

CityGirl

Silver Member
SUPER Site Supporter
Re: Wal-Mart throws out "green initiatives" goes back to basics in search of profits.

To toss in a different perspective Walmart's return to some of these basics wouldn't have anything to do with market trends, the economy and with people cutting back on spending and looking for bargains, could it?

The Bentonville, Ark retailer is pursuing its back-to-basics strategy to reverse a streak of seven consecutive quarters of declining sales in U.S. stores opened at least a year, according to the Wall Street Journal.
Seven consecutive quarters? That kind of trails the economic downturn, doesn't it?

According to this article from 2006 when the green initiatives were introduced
Wal-Mart, though, has a whole lot more to worry about than convincing a few ideological critics that its eco-intentions are pure. Its business, for starters.
Its same-store sales growth has slowed down, trailing Costco's (Charts) and Target's (Charts). Its stock price is another big concern. After rising 1,205% during the 1990s, the stock has fallen by 30% since Scott took over as CEO in January 2000. http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/fortune_archive/2006/08/07/8382593/

and this one in 2009
...Profits climbed to $12.7 billion in the 2008 fiscal year, from $11.2 billion in the 2006 fiscal year, while sales jumped to $375 billion, from $312.4 billion, during the same period. The percentage of employees on Wal-Mart’s health insurance plan rose to 50.2 percent, from 44 percent....
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/25/business/25walmart.html

So, in light of the thread starting article, what progressive, environmental wacko influences were they adhering to that got them in a retail pickle by 2006 and why did sales increase after the green initiatives?

I'm proud to say I haven't spent a dime with Walmart or it's affiliates this year and I plan to stay away from them. But, I think Mr. Pollock's allegations in his article are far fetched. In reviewing articles for my response, I haven't found any that said anything about Walmart removing it's "green" initiatives but that they were adding to their product line by restoring to their stores "heritage" items that had been removed when attempting to market to more affluent shoppers. "Heritage" being items such as fishing tackle and fabric.

Maybe they realize they really need The People of Walmart. http://www.peopleofwalmart.com/ :wink:
 

JEV

Mr. Congeniality
GOLD Site Supporter
Re: Wal-Mart throws out "green initiatives" goes back to basics in search of profits.

or you can just produce your product in VietNam or China or somewhere real cheap, where labor works for a few dollars a day, ensuring profits for owners and losing jobs for Americans, oh yea, I forgot that is the unions fault. Nevermind.
Kind of like Obama sending "Green" stimulus jobs to the Chi-Comms. Here's proof from a union website...

Jobs we need go go gone to China- WHAT?

It turns out a Texas windmill farm developer’s request last month for nearly half a billion in stimulus funds to create 2,000 jobs in China doesn’t rank first on the audacity scale.
Shockingly for American taxpayers, and sadly for the staggering 10.2 percent of Americans who are unemployed, it doesn’t even rank second.
That’s because Washington already has doled out hundreds of millions in stimulus funds to foreign renewable energy firms. Of the $1.05 billion in clean energy grants awarded by Washington, D.C., $849 million—84 percent—went to foreign wind companies, according to an analysis by Russ Choma of the Investigative Reporting Workshop. He wrote:
The cash grants were given for the installation of 1,763 megawatts of capacity—1,566 installed by foreign companies. Using the Renewable Energy Policy Project’s own numbers, as many as 4,500 manufacturing jobs may have been created overseas.
A strong, broad Buy American clause in the stimulus bill could have prevented the off-shoring of U.S. tax dollars intended to create jobs for unemployed Americans. My union, the United Steelworkers, and the AFL-CIO pushed hard for that language, and polls showed 86 percent of Americans supported it. Republicans and lobbyists for multinational corporations that wanted to spend U.S. tax money overseas opposed Buy American provisions.
Congress adopted weak, limited Buy American language. Now Washington, D.C., exports stimulus dollars to create jobs in foreign countries.
More

FWIW, the sentences highlighted in red above are pure, union bullshit. The congressional approval to send the jobs to the Chi-Comms was made by the DEMOCRAT CONTROLLED CONGRESS. The Republican couldn't influence shit when this was all coming down, due to Obama, Pelosi and Reid controlling the majorities in both houses. If you believe otherwise, you've taken another big sip of the union Kool-Aid for the brain dead who just believe whatever their union tells them to believe.
 
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