NEWS
July 22, 2011
Walmart is the biggest and strongest department store in the world. And we could see it in Burbank soon (“Walmart to engage community,” July 20). It will have its good and bad effects on our community. After the public's swift and blistering reaction online to news that Walmart may move into the Great Indoors store next to the Empire Center, a “No Wal Mart in Burbank” page on Facebook was created. I and lots of people joined this page to share our opinions and suggestions.
NEWS
September 25, 2012
In reply to the letter to the editor regarding the traffic issue and Walmart (“ Walmart traffic issue is a red herring ,” Sept. 19), it's probably true that the traffic problem is a non-issue. I really wonder, though, do we need another superstore in the Empire Center? We already have a Target and a Costco, and a Kmart not that far away. Perhaps Whole Foods is not the answer, but anything but a Walmart, please. The type of people the store attracts, and the crime, would be bad for the rest of the businesses in that area.
NEWS
June 2, 2012
I think Walmart will be a fantastic addition to the Empire Center, and to Burbank as a whole. The two letters published in the Saturday edition of the Leader (Mailbag, May 19), one expressing worries about the City Council selling out, and one fearful Walmart will change the very fabric of Burbank, are not concerns residents should use to prevent Walmart from becoming part of Burbank. I don't think the City Council has “sold out” residents by allowing Walmart to set up shop in the Empire Center.
NEWS
October 16, 2012
I see the Topless Maids van with a phone number on the side of the van hit the front page of the Oct. 10 issue of the Leader. This seems to be OK, but don't let the dreaded Walmart come to town because of the crime it will bring in. Where is our City Council while all of this is going on? Jim McAllister Burbank
NEWS
December 14, 2012
I don't understand the logic behind approval for the new IKEA store and the constant delays in approving the Walmart store. Burbank deserves the same choices and convenience that so many others have benefited from across L.A. County with their Walmarts. Burbank should be treated no differently, especially considering that big-box retailers like IKEA and Walmart contribute equally to community development - be it the individual jobs or the collective government revenue that is collected to help pay for our schools, streets, teachers, firefighters and police force.
NEWS
January 13, 2012
I see Walmart fitting in very well with this community. It will also bring more people into the city. We used to travel outside of Burbank to shop at Walmart. With the addition of Walmart, it will bring better prices to the area and other stores. Sure, it will force pressure on some of the other stores, but nothing stays the same forever. When Target came to Burbank, I stopped shopping at Kmart. Why was there not the same stink raised? The only ones I see complaining are the unions and high-priced labor.
NEWS
December 20, 2011
The letters defending Walmart in the Dec. 14 Leader - “Crime isn't any worse at Walmart” and “Can't wait for Walmart to arrive” - are laughable because they reflect a total ignorance of the destructive effects that the retailer has had on American workers. The authors' main concern appears to be that they have easy access to cheap, Chinese-made goods. There are very good reasons why many cities have fought hard to keep Walmart out. Walmart has destroyed the livelihoods of thousands of small business owners throughout the U.S. by offering non-competitive volume purchasing and discounting that small businesses can't match.
NEWS
September 16, 2011
Am I the only person who remembers reading and being shocked by the L.A. Times Pulitzer prize-winning three-part expose of Walmart, published in 2003, titled “The Wal-Mart Effect”? I suggest anyone on the fence in the “let-'em-in or keep 'em out” debate go back and read what was written. Since reading about their business practices in those articles, I have never again set foot in a Walmart store and never will. I will go without that new T-shirt before I'll cause some mother in Honduras to work 18 hours a day to meet her quota while her children take care of themselves.
NEWS
December 9, 2011
A recent pepper spraying incident at a Walmart store in Porter Ranch where an angry female shopper injured 20 people, with the shooting of two people in the parking lot of a Walmart store in San Leandro, should be proof enough that Burbank does not need this retailer in our midst. In addition to the excessive traffic it will generate, Walmart attracts many people of criminal or disreputable character who are prone to violence. City Council members, notably Mayor Jess Talamantes, say there is nothing they can do to keep Walmart from opening in Burbank.
NEWS
March 3, 2012
Since this has been a big issue for Walmart to open a location in Burbank, why don't they move the location to the old Kmart property on San Fernando Road in Glendale? The lot has a big open space and it has not been used for years. It also has plenty room for parking. I also think it will help the neighborhood because they don't have a Target near them and it will help with employment. Cathy Safavi-Ruelas Burbank