Wal-Mart renders unto Caesar?

Wal-Mart, like most corporations, has tax-avoidance schemes in place. These are definitely not tax-evasive, which would be illegal. Wal-Mart executives limply say that they have a duty to pay as little tax as they feel they should in order to maintain low prices. The State of Wisconsin has other ideas. The Revenue Department feels that Wal-Mart is not paying its fair share of taxes that support public schools, local police and fire departments and the highways it uses to transport what it sells in Wisconsin. Seems a fair point.

If Wal-Mart had a fire break out in a Wisconsin store, I'm sure they would expect the manager to call the fire department. Sam Walton would never have employed the likes of Nero in such circumstances.

As consumers we are being brainwashed into believing that "ALWAYS LOW PRICES!" is a beneficial thing. In fact it devalues the actual worth of many product lines, which can be sold at below cost (thereby distorting the market) or be manufactured with increasingly inferior quality materials.

Those that think up the tax-avoidance schemes for Wal-Mart may take time out to consider whether the public schools of Wisconsin have enough money to educate children to a level that offers business the prospect of having well-rounded employees in the workforce. Wal-Mart is keen to employ those with at least bachelor degrees for many management roles. A poor start in an underfunded school may make future recruitment a difficult task!

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