Just say NO! to Target in Davis

The Target topic at the Davis Planning Commission was well attended by the public. Over 75% of the Davis residents expressed clear and concise opposition to the propsition of a Target construction in Davis and the required change of Davis General Agreement zoning laws. The change in zoning wouldenable the Target and additional bix box reatail outlet stores depending on overseas sweatshop labor (aka Wal-mart) to also enter Davis with minor revisions in the zoning law. While many accussed this view as being alarmist, it is far easier for well paid Wal-mart attorneys to spend years (& bocu $$) to pressure the Davis council (under threat of lawsuit) to allow Wal-mart entry also. One big bog sweatshop retailer in, others sure to follow..

Most amusing in a pathetic sort of way were the few (<10) proponents of the Target and their pleas and groveling to the Target franchise to bring their corporate cheapsockfest paradise to Davis, despite the existance of several big box retail outlets in all four directions. Less than 8 miles to the north there exists a Target store and also distribution center (Wal-mart distro in Red Bluff) in Woodland. A stroll through the Woodland downtown reveals struggling small businesses and many vacant stores. No hardware or supply store, they closed down after Target's entry. Sweatshop labor at poverty wages guarantees lower prices at retial outlets..

Just a 30 min bicycle ride (10 min drive) away to the southwest in Dixon sits the grand new Wal-mart just off the freeway (I-80). This lovely traffic bottleneck emits raw tonnage of diesel and auto smog, contributing it's fair share of pollution to the greater Sacto valley smog effect. The public in Dixon was also outspoken and advised city council against Wal-mart, but in this small rural community they were soon outshouted by the screaming meanies who praised Wal-mart for bringing jobs and economic stimulation for this struggling valley town. Thus another Wal-mart pops up in the Sacto valley, distributing smog and sweatshop products for all each year..

West Sacramento also Wal-mart, those lucky dogs. West Sac city council sometime also altered their initial general plan to allow big box stores that also cell pesticide coated grocery products using corporate agriplantation labor..

2004 "Efforts to restrict the growth of big box retailers are spreading like a California brush fire. The Sacramento Business Journal reports that the state's capital is the latest community to take up the anti-Wal-Mart battle. City councilors in Sacramento and West Sacramento will consider ordinance changes that ban big-box retailers that also sell groceries. West Sacramento City Councilman Mark Montemayor said the new ordinance would protect businesses willing to take a chance in West Sacramento from being hurt by the arrival of a giant retailer, according to the Business Journal. In Sacramento, City Councilwoman Sandy Sheedy said when smaller stores are pushed out of business by the large chains, it can result in blighted property. Sheedy told the Journal big box stores are "too big for an urban setting." "

more on West Sac Wal-mart y anti big box zoning @;
http://www.sprawl-busters.com/search.php?readstory=1365

Apparently this zoning ordinance was shouted down by the pro-Wal-mart team who cried foul and discrimination against their business methods of big boxism. According to the latest, West Sac is up for a Wal-mart. This happened without any forewarning as Wal-mart contruction is notoriously fast paced..

2006 "Next up is the Wal-Mart Supercenter in West Sacramento, to open next month."

corporate media praises local bank (Tri-Counties) for partnering w/ Wal-mart:
http://msnbc.msn.com/id/12911663/

Forget about any downtown businesses besides the motels that warehouse poverty stricken residents. These motels may be the only true source of affordable housing in the greater Sacto region besides the long wait times of federal subsidized housing. The double presence of both target and Wal-mart in West Sac encourage lower income residents to fork over their dollars for sweatshop products that profit the select few executives in Target corporate office. Regardless of how much people in the US may feel fortunate to have access to so many affordable items, the fact remains that every dollar they hand over to Target corporation benefits an unethical group of business tyrants who lack the moral ability to prevent sweatshop labor overseas and ecological destruction in north america..

People who support Target from a neoliberal perspective of "at least those people have jobs" when refering to either the sweatshop workers overseas or the minimum wage workers in north america neglet to mention that sweatshop workers were once autonomous indigenous peoples who had wealths in forests, mineral deposits, sealife, etc.. and many other ecosystems still intact that provided them with housing material and nutritional diversity of food. All this was lost following European colonialism and imperialism, from pre-Columbus to the modern version of free trade globalization (WTO, FTAA, NAFTA, etc..) that represses local autonomy and encourages police state repression and corporate domination. In no way does supporting Target help or benefit the sweatshop workers..

It would be interesting to break down the weak logic of the Target proponets. Many claim that by driving to Woodland to shop at Target they are wasting gas (hourly public transit exists) and that Davis is losing tax revenue to Woodland. First off , i would rather support Woodland (or Dixon or West Sac) than have more money going to Target corporate headquarters by having an additional Target in Davis. The arguement of Davis discriminating against lower income residents by banning any big box retail stores also is fallacious reasoning. Many lower income residents do not have any use for the products at Target and if they require something are usually able to purchase in a thrift store. Part of being lower income is actually not having money available to spend on psuedo-luxury items sold at Target. Many Target consumers are in reality suburbanites trying to save money for that next home buy or an upgrade to a larger SUV. These lovely folks find thrift stores to be dirty places where items are used.

"EWWWWW!" the Target consumers say, wrinkling their effete noses in feigned disgust, "it's USED!!".

The shock, horror and outrage of expecting some human to reuse a product that passed through the hands of another human! What's this world coming to??

La Mariposa is one of many thrift stores in Woodland that offers practical items at far less price than Target. They are located near (<15 meters) the 42 Yolo bus route. Disability access. People who consider themselves as lower income usually shop thrift stores before paying more at Target, regardless of whether they are aware/care about Target's sweatshop labor practice..

Maybe we're returning to the era of victimhood played out by the post 9/11 US culture where entitlement to corporate goods is viewed as some form of liberation for working class people. True liberation and freedom from tyranny includes not permitting a non-human entity (corporation) with murderous practices like Target access to your community..

Sweatshops are real entities that physically exist and Target obtains many of their items from sweatshop labor. That sweatshop labor exists is a fact not open for debate, the debate taking place is currently about the ethics of this sweatshop labor. That purchasing a product at Target made by sweatshop labor benefits corporate shareholders and execs from the exploitation of sweatshops workers is also factual, the debate is on how well one can rationalize one's own personal lifestyle habits with the knowledge that their consumption drives the machinery of sweatshop exploitation. Again, we return to persoanl ethics and whether people can become willfully ignorant and continue these habits once informed. It is without doubt that the members of Davis and other city councils are indeed informed and have knowledge of Target's sweatshop labor practices. Whether they choose to believe or can rationalize themselves into apathy and self-indulgence to material gain is another factor entirely..

Saipan is only one example of Target's use of products made in sweatshops. The evidence provided in court resulted in a $20 million settlement agreement to pay back wages and improve conditions for workers by many of north america's most well known garment/retail outlets, including Target..

"Thousands of miles across the Pacific Ocean lie a chain of fourteen islands called the U.S. Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. On the main island of Saipan, a garment industry has been booming since the 1980s. Over 30 garment factories employ more than 10,000 workers, almost all young women from China, the Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam, Bangladesh and other Asian countries. Saipan's $1 billion garment industry has been plagued with media exposes of slave-like conditions and forced abortions. Government reports have documented food poisonings and millions of dollars in unpaid wages. In 1999, former and current garment workers, together with Sweatshop Watch, the Asian Law Caucus, Global Exchange and UNITE, filed three separate lawsuits against top U.S. clothing companies to clean up the rampant sweatshop abuses in Saipan. In September 2002, after more than three years of hard-fought litigation, 26 of America's biggest clothing retailers and 23 garment manufacturers reached a landmark settlement in the Saipan sweatshop lawsuits. In April 2003, the settlement received final court approval, creating a $20 million fund to pay back wages to 30,000 workers and develop an independent monitoring system to ensure compliance with strict labor standards and an end to sweatshop abuse. The 26 settling retailers are: Abercrombie & Fitch, Brooks Brothers, Brylane L.P, .Calvin Klein Inc., Cutter & Buck, Inc, Donna Karan International, Dress Barn Gap, Inc. (Banana Republic, Old Navy), The Gymboree Corp, J.C. Penney Company, Inc., J. Crew Group, Inc, Jones Apparel Group, Lane Bryant, Inc., The Limited, Inc., Liz Claiborne Inc.,The May Department Stores Company, Nordstrom, Inc., Oshkosh B'Gosh Inc.,Phillips-Van Heusen, Polo Ralph Lauren, Sears Roebuck and Company Talbots, Inc., Target Corp. (Target, Mervyn's, Marshall Fields, Dayton-Hudson), Tommy Hilfiger USA Inc., Warnaco, Inc. and Woolrich, Inc."

more info on sweatshop retailers @;
http://www.sweatshopwatch.org/index.php?s=54


The potential loss of the South Central farm to development is also of concern to me and many, many others. The problem that connects these threads is the illusionary concept of private property ownership, especially by non-human entities (corporations). This returns to the debate on abolishing corporate personhood (revised delusion granting corporations equal rights with humans, minus any responsibilty for criminal acts that lands so many humans into prison slavery) and corporate property ownership..

"What is “corporate personhood?” Suppose, to keep Wal-Mart at bay, your county commissioners enact an ordinance prohibiting Wal-Mart from doing business in your county. The subsequent (and immediate) lawsuit would be a slam-dunk for Wal-Mart’s lawyers, because this corporation enjoys—just as you and I do as living, breathing citizens—the Constitutional rights of “due process” and “equal protection.” Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. is a person, not in fact, not in flesh, not in any tangible form, but in law."

more on failure of corporate personhood @;
http://www.commondreams.org/views02/1226-04.htm


The only reason Ralph Horowitz is able to claim ownership of the south central farm is because of his development corporation, immune from the great many responsibilities and tasks given to human beings. In addition Ralph Horowitz's corporation recieves numerous financial benifits and tax breaks from his politician allies in office. Thus he is able to outbid the indigenous campesino South Central farmers collective for the >$16 mil price tag given to the soil and imaginary borders of the farm. We use the term imaginary because property ownership is itself a fallacious concept based upon delusions of imperialist invaders to north america post-Columbus. Either way property borders are enforced via police state tactics regardless of how delusional these concepts of owning soil (in reality filled with millions of living beings). The wealthy descendents of European immigrant imperialists claim ownership of the soil and forces the indigenous campesino away at gunpoint (via police state repression). Other less fortunate European, African, Asian, etc.. immigrants are then economically coerced via wage slavery systems into providing their labor and time for 40 some hours per week to benefit the corporation's shareholders and executives. Thus Target corporation can outbid a thrift shop for prime real estate in Davis (y otras lugares)..

SouthCentral farm belongs to the indigenous campesino collective who are the caretakers of the lovely lifegiving fruits and vegetable diversity found throughout the garden. LA imc provides mucho photo evidence of this fact. This cannot be lost to the murderous Caterpillar bulldozers of corporate personhood. Resistance will take place in many forms as a response to this onslaught by the corporate takeover of human rights and ecosystem sustainability. From Target in Davis to Magna Entertainment Corporation in Dixon to Ralph Horowitz's development corporation in SouthCentral farm, the people and ecosystems using tools of life, love and edutainment will resist the weaker forces of greed, apathy and self-indulgence found in the proponents of non-living corporations..

That about sums it up from my end. Anyone else who would like to comment on city councils and target (or wal-mart, etc..) in davis or elswhere is more that welcome to post their ideas..

The Davis Anti-Authoritarians are planning a Really Really Free Market near the site of the proposed Target. Date TBA. If you are interested contact us at the above adress, and check out our website.