NYC Council Calls for Boycott of Walmart’s ‘Dangerous Dollars’

More than half of the New York City Council has asked Walmart to stop making charitable donations to local non-profits like the Coalition Against Hunger, and the groups are not happy about it.

Earlier this week, 26 members of the liberal-leaning council signed a letter from the group Walmart Free NYC saying that even charitable donations from the world’s largest retailer, which for years has been blocked from opening a local outpost, is not welcome in the city.

The letter was also addressed to the Walton Family Foundation, a separate entity established by Walmart’s founder, which says it has given some $16 million to New York City charter schools since 2004.

“Communities always lose far more than they gain from you,” the letter said. “So, we are calling on you today to stop spending your dangerous dollars in our city.”

Mayor Bill de Blasio briefly joined the fray on Thursday, saying that the retail giant is not welcome in Lady Liberty’s shadow.

“I don’t think it is a state secret that I am very uncomfortable with Walmart,” de Blasio said. “I have been adamant that I don’t think Walmart — the company, the stores — belong in New York City, and I continue to feel that.”

The letter came days after Walmart announced it had given $3 million to New York City groups, including City Harvest and One Hundred Black Men, out of a total of $1.2 billion to non-profits nationally.

But Joel Berg, who heads the New York City Coalition Against Hunger, which this year collected $800,000 from Walmart — the coalition’s single largest private donation — said he had no intention of giving the money back.

“I don’t think there’s a single non-profit group in America, or a single elected official in America, who agrees with every position of every donor,” he said.

Walmart’s critics say the company underpays its workers, drives small businesses out of communities and hurts local manufacturers by importing cheap goods from overseas.

“We have no intention of stopping our giving to worthy causes,” said Lorenzo Lopes, a Walmart spokesman. He said the company does not have “any current plans to go into New York City.”

This article appeared in print on page 14 of the June 11th, 2014 edition of Hamodia.