Wal-Mart Coming to Downtown Columbia?

If you want to be heard, there is a public forum on December 19, 2011 at 6:00PM at 701 Whaley. I don't live over on that side of town, so I don't really have a dog in the fight. The only thing I would say is that I think putting a Wal-Mart there is better than not developing the area at all. It would be one thing if there was an alternative plan, but I haven't heard any alternatives. A good plan executed now is usually better than a perfect plan executed later.

On the practical side, a Wal-Mart would provide a convenient location for USC students in the area to get cheap stuff for their dorm rooms, and it would probably be the closest grocery store to them.

I understand that some people are against Wal-Mart because they fear it will put smaller retailers out of business, but I'm not really buying that argument in this case. I like being able to go to Wal-Mart to buy certain things very cheaply. Oh, and it will bring some jobs and tax revenue in to Columbia - that's not a horrible thing.

If Permanent Press had a vote (and it doesn't) it would vote to allow Wal-Mart to develop the property rather than let the dilapidated baseball stadium just sit there.

Anyone disagree?

Robin Hood of Country Music in Wal-Mart

A California man was charged with "merchandise tampering" is being hailed as a musical "Robin Hood". He purchased about 100 music CDs and then came back into the store and started putting them back on the shelf (no, he didn't try to return them for the money). After being stopped by a store employee and accused of shoplifting, he said:

“I didn’t shoplift nothin’. I told the cops they could find all that country pop bull%$#! in the Rubbermaid garbage cans [of the same Wal-Mart] in home wares… where that crap belongs,” said Spears. “I was just trying to give the people around here some damn culture, so I brought my whole collection up here to give away for free. Of course, I’ve got it all ripped on my laptop. My alphabetizing skills might be lacking, but I ain’t stupid.”

“Can you believe they didn’t have a Jerry Reed CD in the whole god$#@! store?” he continued. “Well, for 15 shining minutes last Friday night, they did.”

After the store realized that he had actually purchased the CDs and was replacing Taylor Swift with Tanya Tucker [and more classic country artists], the shoplifting charges against Spears were dropped, but he still faces misdemeanor charges of mischief and merchandise tampering. Permanent Press salutes Mr. Spears for trying to bring some light to our dimly lit musical landscape. I also hope he replaced all the Jason Aldean CDs with George Strait.