So, people are finally realizing what kind of damage Wal-Mart can do to their neighborhoods. And it is really hurting Wal-Mart, according to their CEO. What is Wal-Mart's brilliant plan for reversing the truth about them? Buy off the neighborhood stores and the chamber of commerce. Yea, you read it right. Wal-Mart is going to "donate" money to the chamber of commerce near 10 stores that it will be opening in the next two years. Along with that, they plan to spend $1.5 million in financial "grants", ads, and training seminars for small firms near these 10 stores. Sounds like Wal-Mart's PR department still doesn't understand PR. Come on, this is coming off as some cheap PR stunt -- and cheap it is, $1.5 million is less than a week's revenue at one Wal-Mart store -- and I am willing to bet that since it is being done as "donations" and "grants", Wal-Mart will happily write it off come tax time (so, guess what? Wal-Mart is again screwing the American people, sigh). What happens after this initial "grant" and "donation" of money? Most likely, Wal-Mart will steam-roll through the town and erase all those small firms, it didn't cost them much. Does Wal-Mart think that we're stupid? Why would they really want to keep the competition alive in an area near their stores? They don't! This is a PR stunt that preys on the stupid, and oh, I'll tell ya there will be people who will fall for it. Take a look at the Wal-Mart Employee who is quoted in the article as saying, "Other businesses, I've heard, often close because of Wal-Mart, but I've never seen it." Open your eyes my friend.