Anti-Home Depot Rally Fails To Catch On
A small group of protestors gathered yet again to protest the opening of a new Home Depot store in Sunland-Tujunga. This despite the jobs and commerce the store could bring to local community. The issue? Apparently some people in the mountain community want to be able to go somewhere to buy underwear, not building supplies.
Our friend "Video" Louis Elovitz of the ST-NoHo Blog captured the protest on camera. We can see that perhaps less than a dozen people are participating in the protest and very few passers by seem to concur with the anti-retail feeling of the group.
In related news, another succesful retailer that for whatever reason seems to be hated by liberals - WalMart - is finding a welcome home in Garden Grove.
Our friend "Video" Louis Elovitz of the ST-NoHo Blog captured the protest on camera. We can see that perhaps less than a dozen people are participating in the protest and very few passers by seem to concur with the anti-retail feeling of the group.
In related news, another succesful retailer that for whatever reason seems to be hated by liberals - WalMart - is finding a welcome home in Garden Grove.
Posted by Mayor Sam @ 1/02/2007 12:05:00 AM
43 Comments:
Fails to catch on? Sam, you're out to lunch on this one. NHDC has over 4,000 signaturse and has been holding these "rallys" every week for months. At the last big meeting HUNDREDS showed up.
The smaller protests are designed to be just that, smaller.
Unbelievable!
Mayor Sam you should be ashamed for posting this kind trash reporting!
Video Louis showed up as the rally was breaking up at near 5pm. We actually hung out so he could get some footage. Just ask Louis!
And yet, there is still way more than a dozen people, and cars are honking in support. The previous two protests had 100 people or more.
What is your problem?
Mayor Sam you are absolutely right. Home Depot has every right to build a store. The motivation behind these folks in Sunland-Tujunga is purely racism. Home Depot provides jobs for people who need them. Many of them are people of color. Notice how all these folks are WHITE and FAT?
Huh? Open your eyes and see the
diversity of people in these videos!
racism? now that is funny!
Mayor Sam,
Do you know if the unions are funding these "protestors?"
HEY ZUMA DOG DO YOU SUPPORT HOME DEPOT?
Okay, so the racist card didn't work,
so now you are going for the Union thing?
9:41
Sorry, the NHDC has not received a dime from any Union, although we certainly wouldn't turn it down!
Our funding relies on the contributions of the citizens of Sunland-Tujunga.
Mayor Villaraigosa supports the Home Depot and guess what is next? A Wal-Mart and a BevMo.
What's a BevMo? And why does the Mayor support Home Depot?
Shame on you Joe for opposing a legitimate business. Shame too for turning into an emotional and not logical argument.
Home Depot and probably more succesfully Wal Mart have shown how an efficiently run business, using the latest in technology, can lower the cost of goods to the consumer and be a benefit to the economy as a whole.
These types of stores have forced other businesses to focus on quality and performance.
I watched a PBS special about Wal Mart. Every person on that documentary that was opposed to Wal Mart seemed to think other businesses who competed with Wal Mart or who did business with Wal Mart itself (i.e. suppliers) was owed something. Even the CEO of one company that supplied TVs to Wal Mart seemed to think that Wal Mart and hence Wal Mart's customers should have to pay their high prices for their goods because they could not manufacture televisions cheaper than other companies.
One interesting comment was from someone who worked for one of the suppliers to Wal Mart who felt that it was Wal Mart that shut their business down. However in the same breath they said their own supplier of materials would not lower their prices enough so the business could lower its price to sell to Wal Mart. But they still blamed Wal Mart and not their suppliers.
On the No 2 Home Depot web site the supporter list carries the name of a lot of local businesses who obviously feel threatened by a Home Depot. They must feel that if a Home Depot opens up people will shop there instead. If Joe and his minions were intellectually honest with each other they would understand why.
Individuals will shop at the store that gives them the best price with the best service (and you can toss in convenience as well). If a Home Depot opens up in Sunland no one is saying those other businesses have to shut down. If they do shut down it will be totally their own fault. Why? Because they failed to attract customers over Home Depot. If they wish to succeed they will have to offer their customers a value. They may have to get creative to do so. There are many examples of businesses who compete with Wal Mart, Home Depot, Costco, etc. who have done just that and have been succesful.
The trouble is most of these people open up these small businesses not knowing much about business nor economics. They see it as their chance to get rich. Nothing wrong with that. But don't expect the government or anyone else to guarantee your lifestyle. You are not entitled to business success.
One other point I hear come up is that the no to Home Depot people want to see other businesses their community is lacking open up instead of Home Depot. If that's the case then they should open up those businesses themselves or at least take the effort to find investors and entrepreneurs who will do that. If not, then shut up. If the stores you wish to have are truly desired by the citizens of your community someone will open them up.
Obviously the Home Depot is desired by the community or the company would not make the significant investment (including fighting the protestors who though small in percentage of the population as a whole are very loud and very good at getting politicians' attention) required to open the store. If everyone in Sunland Tujunga hates Home Depot no one will shop there and Home Depot will close. My assumption is Home Depot does not anticipate that happening.
I applaud the protestors for taking a stand for something they believe in its just that its my view their premise is completely wrong.
Oh boy! It's a good thing you're a dead pol, Mayor Sam, because your thinking
is about as ass backwards as it gets.
First off, why did you not address the issue of your irresponsible and shoddy post? That was crap in the first degree, and you know it.
We'll get to your other points, when you deal with the first.
9:45PM,
I haven't specialized in the Home Depot issue as much as other issues I blog about. But the problem with Home Depot, Wal-Mart and these types of retail outlets as far as I can surmise are these:
They may provide some jobs for some...but Los Angeles suffers from losing the high quality jobs in favor of these low-paying retail clerk jobs.
In other words, all the higer-paying manufacturing jobs have gone to China and India...all the high-paying financial jobs are in New York (and those high-tech or financial service/smart jobs in California, are in San Fransico, not here)...
So you have big corporations, offering lower end jobs...and all the local mom and pop stores are steamrolled out of business.
So that's really not a position, as much as an evaluation. My opinion is we DO need to do MUCH more in this City to attract higher-value jobs to this area. But we really are between a rock and a hard place. The City really has kinda sunk lately in the global scheme of things.
Attracting some of these high-end businesses is something I will be working behind the scenes with politicians in '07 (before I go public with the ideas, because then it can seem like I'm being combative and the mayor and council can't be seen like they are actually listening to people from the community.
And to be honest...we are gonna continue to have problems filling anything but low end clerk jobs until we fix the education system. It's a long-run problem, so all I'll say to the mayor and council is...please don't go overboard in your "bending over backwards" for those Eli Broad types.
More proof of how racist and small the No Home Depot Campaign truly is:
http://flickr.com/photos/nohomedepot/
It is ever so interesting to hear from people who do not have the slightest idea what they are talking about- and that means you Mayor Sam, et al.
Sunland - Tujunga is 95% or more united against this Home Depot. We, who want to purchase from Home Depot, have been going to the San Fernando Store for years -it is only a six or seven minute drive on the 210 Freeway. And, btw, it, as all HDs, is located in an industrial area not residential.
We have a Do It Center, two hardwares, and a masonry outlet within Sunland - Tujunga; an Osh and a third hardware just a few blocks east in La Crescenta. All but one of these S-T businesses have been located where they are for years - some as many as 40 years.
Most of them are or employ our neighbors and our friends. We do not want to see them driven out of business by a sleazy outfit that sells poor quality crap for outrageous prices.
Obviously, you have never done any serious remodeling or decorating or you would already know what rotten quality they offer. You dare not call up HD and order a delivery of lumber, for instance, because if you do not carefully select every board yourself, you will get a load of lumber half of which is unusable.
A few years back, Home Depot paid good wages, in full-time jobs, with great perks, stock options and health insurance. Today, they have cut back on all of the above. The goods are dirty, inferior, or often out-of-stock, and the service sucks.
Home Depot does not carry numerous items that you have to go to a Do It Center or a local hardware to find. If you want quality lumber, you have to hunt for one of the few decent lumber yards left who still carry quality items.
The site where HD wants to operate in Sunland is surrounded on three sides by residential housing. One block away is an elementary school. We dreaded the traffic problems that a HD would create before we started demonstrating. However, we are horrified now, because we have seen what just a few work trucks are doing to the traffic and the kinds of turns they are making.
Since when is it a good idea to put a semi-industrial, partially wholesale business that has numerous deliveries-in and numerous deliveries-out in a school zone and a residential area which is served by a single main street providing ingress and egress in a area which is hilly?
And as to jobs, HD does not hire locally. They bring in experienced personell from outside stores. Presently, the local hardwares stores are doing fine. If HD, comes in they increase the competition in a balanced economy and put thriving businesses out of business. Let's see no new jobs and dozens out of work; how does that add up to anything positive?
Additionally, HD generally succeeds in underbiding the local contractors, ends up taking the local work, and then, does shabby and incomplete work, while putting our local contractors, again our neighbors and friends, out of business, too. Haven't you been watching the NBC expose?
As to numbers of demonstrators, I am astounded at what you say Mayor Right-Wing Idiot-Friend of Corporate America! Look at the rest of the videos on the U-Tube. We have hundreds turn out for demonstrations and the horn honking is heard for blocks, and that is even over the Holidays in freezing and windy weather.
There is not one single advantage to having a Home Depot in Sunland. Not one! And it is a VIOLATION of our Specific Plan. Yes, we have a Specific Plan and as in all Specific Plans the City wants to take it down.
Get wised up, LA, the Developers and the Politicians are in cahoots. It is all about money, influence, and greed.
Constituents? Who in God's name are they?
Joe show us your proof 95% oppose Home Depot
Mayor Sam, did you even listen or look at the video you posted?
There were about thirty people left at the very end of that afternoon's demonstration when that particular video was shot and there was one whale of a lot of horn-honking going on.
You show such prejudice in favor of a worthless corporation. What a surprise!
That's easy! Just come to our next Town Hall meeting or ask anyone in Sunland-Tujunga! Really! Simply walk down our streets, visit our local businesses, churches, schools, or any public gathering, and ask anyone if they want Home Depot here. Heck, just go door to door! You'll see!
Zuma Dogg weighs in on Home Depot!
Hoody-Hoo!
Mayor Sam picks up the Home Depot slop bucket for Walter Moore who has gone on a sabbatical to try to learn some logic and common sense, we can only hope!
Joe, you are my hero. Why do you even bother to post on this b.s. blogspot. If it's not developers, it's corporations, or it's just the plain rich, they support.
Us common folks are just human garbage to these people. They don't think we count for anything. Just because we don't want this crummy corporate whore of a Home Depot in our beloved community, we are cow pies.
Don't waste your energy on these pimps, we need it to defeat their Home Depot prostitute!
Sammy Sammy Sammy, I love you like a brother but you know I can't back you up on this one. Your statement implies there is little support for the No Home Depot campaign, nothing could be further from the truth.
While I agree a company should have rights to operate a business the whay it sees fit, a community has a right to control (within reason)what does or doesn't go in their community. Proof of that is the fact that permits are issued, ensuring that certain restrictions or community standards are met. Anything less would be anarchy leading to say a strip club opening next to an elementary school or perhaps we should allow a racetrack in a residential neighborhood next to a church etc.
I have supported the No Home Depot campaign for some time not because I oppose Home Depot, I don't. (In fact it would be damn convenient as now I have to go way out to the 605 for a screwdriver at 3 am, sorry Joe) But because this particular development doesn't make sense in this area, I am sick and tired of these faceless mega corporations steamrolling over the will of the people who have to live with the results of their greed and most importantly I am convinced the No 2 Home Depot campaign represents the true will of the community.
I have personally attended the No Home Depot meetings and I can tell you they routinely turn out hundreds of people. In fact, I don't believe I have seen a coalition stay together and consistantly generate this kind of turnout.
The deeper issues with Wal Mart and Home Depot are distractions that can be debated on the merits at another time, they are completely irrellevant to this discussion. This is a horrible project disguised as a bad project for Sunland Tujunga. It violates the community plan, and lacks any common sense.
"This is a horrible project disguised as a bad project for Sunland Tujunga."
Jim, that is an awsome quote! Thanks for all of your help, we really appreciate it.
If we were going to lie about what goes on in Sunland regarding this Home Depot, do you think we would have shown you the guy flipping us off?
Yah, there are a few who are too lazy to drive five or six miles to San Fernando to that Home Depot, but based on the people I have talked to, and I collected signatures, sold shirts, and gave away bumper stickers, about 5% do not want to talk about it or are against Home Depot; but when you explain to them what the traffic, etc. will do to us and remind them we have no mercantile store and probaby never will, because we do not have any other property large enough and available for a Kohls or similar store, they change their minds.
I actually think that 95% of people against Home Depot is low. Only about 2% or 3% are for this Home Depot in Sunland.
We had 450 people at one town meeting and 380 at another, keeping in mind that there was no parking within three blocks and only 300 chairs. It is likely that hundreds could not park or could not sit.
Why don't you people care what we people want? Even if Home Depot hadn't used the discretionary help of City Planning and apparently the direct help of Mayor Villaraigosa himself to get out of an environmental review, you would think that we would have the support of anyone who believes in democracy, the law, decency, justice, and that which is clearly right.
How about that Mayor Sam?
This is one of the most intelligent discussions on an issue posted in a very long time. Great to read both sides of the issues.
Mayor Sam, Jim Alger, Zuma Dogg and whoever else is reading.
Did you consider this? Wendy Greuel has a total lack of credibility on this issue. Why? She has allowed other "horrible" developments to go through.
The rub here? Very deep conflict of interest that should be investigated. Greuel's mother owns a building supply company in the east Valley. She must feel threatened by Home Depot stepping on her toes.
I live in Sunland-Tujunga. I am tired of these self appointed do-gooders telling people what we want and don't want.
I don't want to drive to San Fernando or North Hollywood if I need some nails or tiles or yard tools. I like Home Depot's service and prices. It will be nice not to be ripped off by the greedy local shitty stores. Yea I know we have Do-It but I prefer Home Depot. If they build it we will shop there.
10:26, sorry, that you Home Depot shills had to work today.
You deny being a Home Depot Shill? Well, then, you must be one of the people who HD calls fat and lazy.
And by the way just why do you think that HD's crap sells for less? Or is that too hard a question?
All About Us
The Home Depot strives to be the best corporate partner possible in our communities. We make positive contributions as a neighbor, an employer, a retailer and as a profitable investment opportunity through successful and strategic operations of our company.
The Home Depot helps people fulfill their dreams by helping them:
To live in a clean, safe and caring community
To be part of a challenging, diverse, and inclusive workplace
To build and live in the house of their dreams
To create wealth and financial security
What does it mean to be the Neighbor of Choice?
For The Home Depot, being a partner to our cities and towns is of paramount importance. Our business creates jobs and opportunities for other businesses in the community. We strive to purchase locally, therefore keeping local dollars in the community. We’re committed to bettering our community through local and area volunteer projects. And by offering home solutions in your neighborhood, we help consumers you to fulfill their dreams of turning a house into a home.
What does it mean to be the Employer of Choice?
To be the Employer of Choice means creating an inclusive and associate-centered culture. At The Home Depot, that means providing meaningful and challenging work for our associates that creates opportunity for growth and development. We also strive to provide economic opportunities through competitive wages and exceptional benefits packages to all associates. We recognize the contributions of our associates and reward their achievements, hard-work and dedication.
What does it mean to be the Retailer of Choice?
The Home Depot provides our customers with excellent service every time they come into our stores. We offer the right products, the right selection, the right prices and a team of associates passionate about your needs. We build lasting relationships by helping customers realize their dreams and growing their trust through our products and services.
What does it mean to be the Investment of Choice?
Being an Investment of Choice means increasing economic growth through strategic marketing in stores and of products. It also means making decisions that reflect our policies surrounding social responsibility and considering the impact on our community. Being an Investment of Choice means continuing to gain on comparable store sales through innovative initiatives and growing adjacencies to meet the needs of the public to increase our economic bottom-line and our corporate reputation.
oh groan.....glossed over, misleading, corporate drivel.
Couldn't have said it better, 5:00 pm.
Just Home Depot Shills reading out of the Home Depot Manual! All one can add is "My God, they can read!"
The presence of a Home Depot near where you live is a very good sign you live in a crap neighborhood. Regardless of how many people show up at these rallys, who really wants a huge "this neighborhood is crappy" sign going up next door?
7:52 This is why the community is fighting Home Depot. They are trying to reverse the crappiness that the City continues to dump on them!
Home Depot=Crap, I like that!
Ladies and Gentleman don't believe this Home Depot Corporate Crap. It looks here as if someone copied and pasted a HomeDepot.com advertisement straight to this site, I swear I have heard that line a dozen times before and it is nothing new to me and to the million others that have been screwed over by yet another corporate scam artist. I'm not just targeting Home Depot, this includes Wal-Mart, Target, K-Mart, McDonald's, Big Tobacco, and every other major corporation in the United States and the world. Now don't get me wrong these businesses have been around for years and I enjoy as a consumer many of the great products some of these businesses provide to the consumer, and as well with the customer service and convince some of them provide, but as well every business and retailer has its downside, such as crappy products, poor customer service and a location around every corner or every 5 miles. As a Sales Associate I pride myself on trying to turn around that bad side and I myself try my hardest to provide good customer service and convenience to my customers. Then I think to myself, its not the actual corporation we are attacking, its the greedy, crooked, back stabbing, corporate thugs. They are ordinary people just like me and you, but they are drunk with power and dollar signs in there eyes, why is it Bob Nardelli and Home Depot is sprouting up Home Depot like Starbucks? Because Nardelli and his company thinks that the more and larger his company grows the more dollar, dollar bills will roll in, in fact what Mr. Nardelli doesn't realize is that he is doing himself and his company in, it cost to build, remodel, and maintain just one building. You have got to hire a number of employees to run that building, you have to bring in merchandise to maintain that building, and you have got to put out many unexpected costs to keep up that building. This effects not only the consumer, because now prices are going to increase for every dollar Home Depot has to put out each year, but as well employees will suffer as well, cutting insurance, benefits, pay, and even resources necessary to operate each Home Depot location. The new Home Depots will be built and look like brand new while the old ones will go to hell in a hand basket, fall apart and crumble. Lets go over some consumer and employee cost cutting sacrifices, Home Depot use to give out merit badges for great conduct and customer service after so many merit badges Home Depot would award the employee with a cash bonus on the following check, next with so many Home Depots popping up all over employee costs were taking money out of Mr. Nardelli and friends pockets, after a new employee reaches his/her 90 day point he/she is awarded with a 50 cent or more bonus and or full-time employment option, after a year of dedication he/she gets a bonus and pay raise, after 3 to 5 years it is possible for an employee to reach an higher position such as department manager and or Assistant Manager position. Not to mention benefits and bonuses. Home Depots "legal" solution? A recycling system, Home Depot has created a so called point system, every employee is allowed a 10 point limit, which can be acquired by either tardy past 7 minutes (1 point) a punch clock miss-punch (1 point) unexcused absence (2 to 3 points) unexcused absence on a weekend or holiday (3 to 5 points). It is not hard to acquire points and the point system is ruthless no matter the excuse you are pointed with out mercy, and once an employee reaches 10 they are terminated no questions asked. Thus employee is gone from Home Depot and will probably never return, investment well used. Points will only roll over a year after you acquired them, say if you got 1 point on September 4, 2006, you would have to wait till September 4, 2007 to have it erased from your records. Holiday bonuses have been completely erased, and don't even think about a employee discount, no sir, never! Now over to the customer let downs, product quality has sunk below satisfactory, lumber products are beat up, molded, and warped beyond use, tools are cheep and easily broken, and do not dare order products, unless you know that your local Home Depot will take care to provide quality care in your needs. The goal of Home Depot is to help the consumer to accomplish there project needs and to please them, it looks more like more and more Home Depots, Lowe's, and Wal-Marts, are slacking and giving up. They are looking too forward to making a profit and not making customers for life and that is wrong, making money is great, money is fun and is needed in everyday life, but too much money corrupts the human mind and creates a monster in all of us, I'm not doubting that Mr. Nardelli and others in his business and others are kind, friendly people, or at once were, but as far as business goes they are all nothing but greedy, dirty, people, who will step on anybody to get what they want and use the misfortune and abuse there rights and don't even recognize the hard work they all do to help there company run. It brings up a good question that I will leave you all with, each Home Depot employee is told that THEY are the Home Depot, that THEY are the glue that holds that business together, now here is the pressing question, does Home Depot mean that to be true? Do they really consider Home Depot to be all about THEM and THE CUSTOMER? I challenge ANYONE from Home Depot to give me a legit answer to that question, do you feel that YOU are the Home Depot that YOU keep the corporate gears turning? I will be very impressed if anyone who knows what they are talking about will give me a valid, reasonable answer, and not another run-around classic Home Depot run around bull crap story that I have been hearing for years and years and years. I challenge you HOME DEPOT prove me wrong, give me an answer for the world to see please post your blog here on Mayor Sam and tell me your answer! Anyone else who would like to weigh in please do, I Am The King Of Controversy and I love A good debate!!!
Good Luck Sunland
8:47, King of Controversy,
Wow! You sound like a Home Depot employee. Thanks for posting here.
or an ex Home Depot employee!
Top that Home Depot!
Home Depot's Nardelli Quits With $210 Million Package (Update3)
By Mark Clothier
Jan. 3 (Bloomberg) -- Home Depot Inc. Chief Executive Officer Robert Nardelli, under fire from investors for earning $225 million while the company's stock languished, resigned ``by mutual agreement,'' the world's largest home-improvement retailer said.
Vice Chairman Frank Blake, 57, will replace Nardelli, effective immediately, Home Depot said in a statement today. Nardelli, 58, will receive $210 million in severance payments, the company said.
Home Depot has lost market share to Lowe's Cos. during Nardelli's six-year tenure, its shares have declined 7.9 percent and the company is headed for its smallest annual gain in profit in at least nine years.
``Ultimately the board felt the negativity associated with Nardelli was an impediment to his and the company's success,'' said Daniel Popowics, an analyst with Fifth Third Asset Management. ``This is a surprise. I thought Nardelli carved out some time for himself to turn things around.'' The Cincinnati firm manages $21 billion, including Home Depot stock.
Nardelli, who joined Home Depot from General Electric, became a lightning rod for critics of excessive executive pay. Nardelli was the only board member to appear at the company's annual meeting last year, where the size of his pay package was questioned.
``I know he's been under pressure and that there've been dissidents in there,'' said Marvin Roffman, of Roffman Miller Associates in Philadelphia, which owns Home Depot shares among $410 million in assets. ``There had to be some kind of problem with the board.''
210 million for Nardelli and crap for the little workers that keep it going- NO HOME DEPOT !!! ANYWHERE!
Mayor Sam the anti-Home Depot people are almost as crazy as the animal rights wackos that use to be post on here.
Hey, 11:12 AM, come over here and let me bite you on the ankle.
No Home Depot in Sunland-Tujunga!
No body gets it! The bottom line is that the old K-Mart property is the only place large enough to support a general merchandise store, so sorely needed in this area. I chose to live in the foothills for the semi-ruralness of it all, and to get away from the big shopping malls, but was always pleased we had at least one store to buy general merchandise. Now it's no more. How would you had this dilemma where you lived? I don't mind traveling more than a few miles for major hardware supplies for an occassional remodel, but I hate not being able to get generic socks and underwear need I them!
Home Depot crumbles right before our eyes!
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