Is this the beginning of the Walmartization of California politics?
The Walton family, heirs to the Walmart fortune, are stepping up their involvement in California politics. The son-in-law to Walmart Board Chair Rob Walton, Greg Penner has launched a new California-based organization set on influencing state elections. Penner also sits on the Walmart Board of Directors and has been discussed for possible lead ...
Walmart Lobbying in 2011: 99 Lobbyists and $7.6 Million. Biggest Issue: Taxes
Reports filed in January show that Walmart spent $7.6 million lobbying the federal government in 2011, more than the company has ever spent on federal lobbying since it first entered the fray in the late 1990s. During the course of 2011, 99 different lobbyists worked on behalf of Walmart. They covered 22 different issue areas, and lobbied governmen ... Walmart Family Gives Big to Super PACs
The Walton Family, the richest family in the country and owners of nearly half of all Walmart stock, is joining their fellow 1%ers with some super-sized super PAC spending. In the last quarter of 2011, Jim, Alice and Christy Walton made four contributions totaling $350,000 to super PACs backing Republican presidential candidates Mitt Romney The con ... Rachel Maddow on the Walmart 1 Percent
In case you missed it, here is a segment from the Rachel Maddow Show that summarizes the incredible wealth of the Walton Family. As she explains, 6 members of the Walton Family have as much wealth as the bottom 30% of Americans combined. There is more on that mind-boggling statistic here.
The Walmart 1%
The Walton Agenda
While they haven’t given very much of their wealth away, a great deal of what the Waltons have spent has been focused on funding right wing causes. The largest of these causes has been the movement to privatize public education. Beyond this, the Walton Family Foundation has also given to a host of other right-wing organizations, including: The Cato Institute The Heritage … Read More
What could you get with one year of the Waltons’ Walmart dividends?
- A $1.28/hr raise for each of Walmart’s 1.4 million associates
- 271 GT40 race cars, like the one Rob Walton already owns
- 2,711,066,930 pairs of women’s athletic socks from Walmart
- A raise in the minimum wage at Walmart to $11/hour- with about $900 million left over
>>> More on Walmart's Dividends
Have the Waltons chosen their nominee? Sure looks like it!
March 26, 2012
Campaign finance reports show that siblings Jim and Alice Walton have made a second round of contributions to Mitt Romney’s super PAC, Restore Our Future. In January 2012, they gave a combined $200,000 to the Romney super PAC.
Just a few weeks ago, it was reported that the Waltons had given $350,000 to presidential super PACs in the last quarter of 2011. These most recent contributions bring their total super PAC spending in the presidential race up to at least $550,000, and their total to Romney’s super PAC alone now stands at $400,000.
|
Date |
Contributor |
Super PAC Recipient |
Amount |
|
1/17/12 |
Jim Walton |
Restore Our Future |
$100,000 |
|
1/16/12 |
Alice Walton |
Restore Our Future |
$100,000 |
|
11/2/11 |
Christy Walton |
Our Destiny PAC |
$50,000 |
|
10/21/11 |
Jim Walton |
Our Destiny PAC |
$100,000 |
|
10/7/11 |
Jim Walton |
Restore Our Future |
$100,000 |
|
10/7/11 |
Alice Walton |
Restore Our Future |
$100,000 |
|
Source: FEC.gov |
It’s no surprise that the Walmart 1% would throw their support behind Romney. They’ve got billions to spare, and Romney’s tax plan would cut taxes for the ultra-wealthy and for corporations. How would many Walmart associates, who average $8.81/hr, fare under the plan? Christian Science Monitor explains, “Romney’s plan would, on average, raise taxes for households in the bottom two quintiles, relative to what they’re paying this year.”
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