Directions before reading - Please when you see the word Wal-Mart you may substitute any of these words – nasty, unlikable, unpleasant, grubby, sleazy, grotty, or Unsavory if you are a Wal-Mart hater. That will make reading my post easier on your eyes. I wish I could sugar coat it more for you like you are use to, but reality is harsh and cold sometimes.
If you like, don’t mind, or love Wal-Mart then just read it. You must have common sense and a good grip on reality. Your eyes do not deceive you and your mind is vast!
Thank You for Voting Against Wal-Mart Mayor McCue! Yes, thank you for keeping Cudahy safe from the big bad Wal-Mart. Wow, you kept a campaign promise. How are you doing on the rest?
You quickly and bravely exited after saying NO, like anyone would. This was your glory moment, you peaked at your zenith! If they and you are so proud where is your public statement? A message from the Mayor is coming just as fast as the KRM –Metra to Cudahy. Maybe you can phone it in!
A Wal-Mart in Cudahy would have been a tragic addition of jobs and showing we are business friendly. You could not have that!
This is a great first step toward a new Cudahy, no wait – it is the same old Cudahy. Thank you Mayor McCue for status quo! We are going backwards not forwards. As other cities go up, we shall be going the opposite way. Once again - the opinion and wishes of the people are irrelevant. All that matters is the Mayor.
Hail Caesar McCue!
I am thrilled that Mayor Ryan McCue voted against a Wal-Mart so people can see the softer side. No wait that was a Sears commercial jingle.
Cudahy can be, there I go again, I mean Cudahy is already dying a slow death from McCue slowly leaching life from the vitality of the city. How we could have grown. How we could have prospered.
Wal-Mart was not a silver bullet, but a piece of the puzzle to recovery. McCue would rather burn the city wait, here I go again, that means there's no bend with McCue and if the earth is scorched, so be it. He would like to start over and remake Cudahy instead of build on what we have.
McCue would like to remake it in his image – God complex?
"Where is the community development director?” Jack retired in November. And now with Wal-Mart out of the picture who is going to go out and find businesses for the city.
Maybe it is taking time to narrow the lists.
Who said, “We need to concentrate on keeping businesses in Cudahy and make it easy and attractive for new businesses to locate in Cudahy.”
The public should feel comfortable with their elected officials in making decisions for them. I don’t feel McCue can do the job any more! His personal feeling get the best of him. I believe in the process, just not him.
Is it because McCue drank the Kool-aid of the old guard while working in County Government? Was it the friends in County Government and the circles he placed himself in? What happen to the McCue who was considered a reformer? That is the McCue who would be a good Mayor. It looks like that McCue is gone.
Please people go watch the cult Wal-Mart hater videos. Like I said before if you watched a movie on how they kill and process the meat we all eat, one could become a vegetarian or how much bugs we eat in our grains and not want to eat grains.
If “No Wal-Mart Is Best For Our Community” I hate to see what is the worst! Maybe it will come.
Who is a Mom & Pop store? Could someone please tell me!!!! Please!!!! Dretzka's? Is that who we are worried about?
Wal-Mart is moving, but not way down the road, just five miles to a city that is pro business. Heck to a city that enjoys and wants to have an upswing in their economy. To a city where, eek a mouse – sorry I could not help myself with the eek. To a city where over 500 people will be able to make a living with new jobs from Cudahy.
Even the owner of City Lights is questioning Cudahy’s pro-business, oops, mistake, I meant, anti-business climate and should he leave.
It was very nicely written that I needed to include it right in the middle of what I am writing. I was almost finished and thought it was that good I should just place it in.
This is a bad decision and does not help Cudahy and shows the rest of corporate America as well as small business that Cudahy is not business friendly. I have found this out first hand since I opened City Lounge. I have been given a hard time about some of the most silly things. I can't have a tent over my beer garden so patrons don't get wet.
I was charged double permit fees and forced to hire a HVAC engineer for something the previous owner (my father did) not me. Forced to take my neon signs out of my upstairs windows. (Why, to keep the dark, dreary, uninviting feel to Layton Ave.??? These are all just my legal corporations that I formed and use the upstairs of my own building for. Are they worried that two many businesses are popping up?? I had to prove to them that the offices were for my business.
What is the problem over here??????? I have never felt so uncomfortable and unwelcome. Do they want me to close my doors?? Do they not want outsiders?? I regret my decision to open a business in Cudahy! I will close my doors if things keep going this way!! I have a thriving business but do not need the hassle. How about a big for sale sign on the City Lounge? Is that what they want? Wal-Mart would of helped Cudahy not hurt. You cannot possibly hurt Cudahy more than it is already hurting. It is dead and backward, made fun of, and disrespected. Wake up.
Sorry, that it broke up such a good parody!
You stood up to Wal-Mart and all of its lobbyists and its paid and/or simply misguided mouthpieces I guess like me and a good chunk of Cudahy residents.
It is regrettable we will have to drive 5 miles away to watch the Wave and shop Wal-Mart. As I said before the children at the city 5 miles away WILL send Mayor McCue thank you cards. I am sure I could get Wal-Mart to donate the cards.
I wonder if we will see these NIMBY people at the St. Francis Wal-Mart. Of course, we will, including McCue. Maybe it is South Milwaukee and they are going to put it on the KRM stop. Maybe it is Oak Creek to go with all of their growth.
Soccer Nut said - I was at a Soccer Tournament this weekend. Guess what I saw. Thousands of people, grandparents, parents, kids, friends, and a whole lot of dollar signs being flashed about. Well done Cudahy. Way to keep up with the South Milwaukees of the world!
Mayor McClueless, why is Wal-Mart good enough for Franklin, and other suburbs, but not Cudahy?
Soccer Nut’s comments ring so true – Soccer Nut has Common Sense
Yes, Why? Has the Mayor ever answered that? Has he answered anything?
Faucett said he has seen positive growth in other cities following the construction of a Wal-Mart, but the downtown master plan does not recommend a large retail development at the former Iceport site.
"As much as I'd like to see this go, I can't get past this downtown redevelopment master plan," he said.
The 1992 master plan recommends the site house a light industrial facility.
He forgets the Master Plan is flexible and was a guide not gospel, it also was not updated for what the needs for today are, but written at that time.
Let us watch how flexible the Mayor and VandeWalle and Associates become on the Master Plan. Just watch people!!! Watch for it. It has already somewhat started - Commissioner Nelson asked if a town center made up of City Hall, the police and fire departments, and other government buildings would be consistent with planning objectives in place for the site.
"I think if really creative mechanisms were utilized - I don't think it's as much about use as it is form," planning consultant Robert Gottschalk of Vandewalle & Associates said. "With all those planning objectives for this site, I think (it) could be done here with some of the uses."
"I don't think it's as much about use as it is form" – First, what does that mean? Second, if it is about form, then why did the Wal-Mart have to explain the use and get voted on use, would it not be voted on form then? Third, what does that mean?
I thought this land was needed for light industrial or some other good use? Hey I am all for moving the high school and the police and city hall to get the most valuable land Cudahy has back, but what will be put there. Condos!!! $500,000 Condos. Remember what I told you in the public forum and in past blogs.
What would we have gained after all that?
I think Cudahy should change our name to Downtown. That way the whole city is downtown!
People were worried that the train people (KRM riders) would not like to see a Wal-Mart, just imagine their faces seeing the police department there. You know all those tourist, no wait, that would be moving people to and from work. Will they be more than 500,000 like who would come to the Wave Center per year?
Silly me, tricks are for kids and the Mayor. The KRM is not to increase tourism!
Why does the Master Plan need a destination location when the City Hall and the police and fire department would be there? Will the sound of the trains not bother the students or the Mayor working in the office?
You cannot learn common sense you either have it (which I do) or you don’t!
What is next for the land?
How long?
I should point out that when McCue campaigned he talked about how long it was taking to end the ice port, he has had 13 months in office, and is no further off, check that, he is further behind BECAUSE HE STOPPED THE FORECLOSURE ACTION WHEN MAYOR HOHENFELDT LEFT OFFICE!
Oh, one further and final thought – The public forum on “Did city make the right decision?” will fill up with Wal-Mart haters, the Mayor and his cronies. Do you know why?
Because it is anonymous and they would dare not post on my blogs in fear of I would out debate them. One person can keep posting with many different names. I have sent a letter to tech support and I hope they made the change to include the IP address of each user that logs in and posts. You will then be able to pin point who. Or filter out the same IP’s. Catching on to the games people play. After the last debacle, we had.
It has started and I will answer those from the public forum here!
Josh & Tracey Borzick what is the income of Glendale compared to Cudahy?
How does Glendale compare to Cudahy
Glendale, Wisconsin population 13,367
The median income for a household in the city was $55,306, and the median income for a family was $68,429.
Cudahy, Wisconsin population 18,429
The median income for a household in the city was $40,157, and the median income for a family was $49,082.
Wow it is apples to oranges
Keys to think about – Look how at the time this big complex was invading farms and residential areas. Sears, S.S. Kresge (K-Mart) National retail chains, in addition to Sears, began to move into the mall about a decade ago.
Bayshore's history stretches more than 50 years in city North Shore HeraldPosted: Oct. 27, 2006
GLENDALE - In its day, Bayshore Mall was cutting edge for a shopper. A group of investors purchased a former landfill and strawberry farm and began construction on an L-shaped grouping of three buildings connected by a walkway in 1953. Strip malls began to dot the landscape around the country after World War II.
Bayshore was at the forefront of the "new" type of shopping district in the Milwaukee area. Considered state of the art at the time, the mall opened with 30 stores. According to accounts from its grand opening on March 31, 1954, it was a big attraction, drawing shoppers from miles around.
Interstate-43 had not been built and traffic on North Port Washington Road was heavy. A reported 85,000 people shopped on opening day, either driving their cars or taking public transportation, which dropped passengers two blocks from the mall. Most of the stores that opened in 1954 left the mall or closed years ago.
Sears was an original tenant, but stores such as S.S. Kresge, Krambo's Food Store, Larry Lynn Toys and Juvenile Furniture, Van's Nut Shop, Alandale's Apparel and Miling Bros. Inc. Shoe Store that were part of the mall's early history are gone.
In 1956, the Corrigan family purchased the mall. Under the family's leadership, the mall was enclosed and expanded. Various additions were made to the building, which eventually ended up with a main corridor punctuated by several wings of varying sizes. Remodeling kept the mall up to date with retail trends. When newer malls opened with amenities such as food courts, Bayshore kept pace.
In the early years, the mall was home to many quality local retailers. National retail chains, in addition to Sears, began to move into the mall about a decade ago. For years, the mall was the city's leading taxpayer. When Northridge Mall in Northwest Milwaukee failed, the city and Corrigan family began to discuss ways to make sure Bayshore - and the city - would continue to thrive.
http://www.myglendalenow.com/story/index.aspx?id=523519
Look at how much the city invested in TIFs.
They also have Bayshore Mall! What mall is in Cudahy?
http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=526266 Risk, Reward in Glendale’s Vision, 11-2-06It created a $42.4 million tax incremental financing district to pay for the construction of a four-story parking garage and other public improvements for the public-private $300 million effort to rehabilitate Bayshore.
Here is the Business Week source - Gresham Wal-Mart Background Information
http://www.onwardoregon.org/site/apps/s/inline.asp?c=ffIOIRMEG&b=848883
Sounds like a hate group newsletter
Where are the studies that the city did to backup your doom and gloom predictions? Just because it happens there it will happen here, right? Does that hold true for riots, diseases, or economic upswings? How about the generalization end and real studies independent non-biases ones.
Wal-Mart is the flagship corporation among those that have prospered in transforming a once prosperous people into a nation of wage slaves.
Slavery was abolished in the U.S. with President Lincoln
I am still a proud prosperous people. Look at the skill set needed for a job there. He is angry because good jobs are not around like the 60’s and 70’s
"business friendly" not with McCue at the helm!
As Goes Wal-Mart, So Goes the Nation
For a better understanding of our budget consciousness, check out the world's largest retailer.
By Jennifer Barrett | Newsweek Web Exclusive
May 7, 2008 | Updated: 4:32 p.m. ET May 7, 2008
No matter how bad the economy gets this year, Americans aren't about to stop buying groceries or gas. But as fuel tops $4 a gallon and the costs of basics like bread and milk rise, consumers are learning to economize. How?
For a clear view of our readjusted shopping habits, head to Wal-Mart. With an average of more than 100 million customers a week, the world's largest retailer offers a telling glimpse of how consumers are responding to the economic downturn. Not surprisingly, the company has largely benefited from the increase in budget-consciousness: it reported record sales of more than $106 billion for the quarter that ended Jan. 31, the majority of that coming from its domestic stores.
What's hot and not? During a presentation to analysts last week, Eduardo Castro-Wright, CEO of Wal-Mart's U.S. stores, pointed to strong sales in groceries, health and wellness products, as well as flat-screen televisions and other consumer electronics. Clothing and furniture, however, are not selling well.
Apparently, new wardrobes and home-decorating projects are giving way to economic woes. Recently, the Labor Department said clothing prices nationwide fell by 1.3 percent in March, the largest monthly drop in nearly a decade. Recent markdowns, say analysts, haven't done much to move clothes off the racks or furniture off the showroom floors. Furniture stores have reported slower sales in the first quarter of the year. "It's less about the new couch and more about a new slipcover," says Pam Goodfellow, a senior analyst at BIGresearch, a firm that tracks consumer behavior. "The losing categories in this downturn include things you can make last a little longer or things that you don't really need like furniture and jewelry."
As in previous downturns, Americans are once again tightening their fiscal belts by eating at home. Stephen Quinn, Wal-Mart's senior vice president for marketing, says the company's sales of frozen dinners and premade pizzas are up. So too are sales of coffee and cappuccino makers. That's more bad news for stores like Starbucks, which last week reported a 28 percent drop in profits during the last quarter.
As for brand loyalty, it's not something retailers can count on anymore. Wal-Mart, for example, has seen double-digit growth in sales of its more than 1,000 private-brand, or generic, products--from toaster pastries to pain relievers. That supports findings in a recent nationwide survey by BIGResearch that found nearly 29 percent of consumers are now buying store-brand products, up more than 6 percent from a year ago.
That's when they are buying. The Commerce Department reported last week that consumer spending grew just ..1 percent in March, after being adjusted for inflation. And it was clear why: income rose just .3 percent while inflation was up 3.2 percent from a year earlier. And the situation isn't likely to improve anytime soon. The Conference Board, which administers a monthly survey of 5,000 households, said consumer confidence has plummeted since last summer. It described consumers' short-term outlook as "quite grim.” Peter Hooper, chief U.S. economist for Deutsche Bank, says he doesn't expect consumer spending to pick up significantly until next year when economic conditions improve. In the meantime, Americans are going to have to keep coming up with ways to cut back.
"Consumers at all [income] levels have become value-conscious," says Dana Telsey, founder of the Telsey Advisory Group, an independent equity research and consulting firm focused on the consumer sector. "The overall uncertainty of the economic environment is making both consumers and retailers cautious."
Wal-Mart is responding with price reductions and promotions targeted to its most popular products, along with the offer, announced last week, to cash tax rebate checks for free. Though no purchase is required in return, the retailer is clearly betting that consumers will spend all or most of the proceeds there. Data compiled last month on behalf of the company found at least six in 10 Americans expected to use their stimulus checks to cover groceries and other necessities. To encourage them to do so in its stores, Wal-Mart is further discounting household items like shampoo, juice and cereal in the coming weeks. "It's a different time," says Quinn. "Customers are changing their behavior. We've really had to make sure we're competitive."
The retailer is also trying to capitalize on some of the other ways consumers say they are cutting costs: like substituting "staycations" for vacations this year, and entertaining at home instead of going out to movies or restaurants. The company hopes to offset lower sales of indoor furniture, for example, with an increase in sales of patio furniture and outdoor grills.
In the short run, such changes may benefit Wal-Mart a lot more than the overall economy, which is heavily dependent on consumer spending. But by trimming their budgets and seeking out bargains, Americans themselves should be better prepared to weather the downturn until the economy improves.
