Five different stores make sudden announcement, claiming “plumbing” issues

a reply to: Rocker2013

Lets look at this logically, shall we?

Yes finally, thank God you're here because, all these
other people, are completely illogical.

originally posted by: stellawayten
why just the south? For all of the people that have alternative ideas besides the jade helm connection... why just the south?

It isn't just the south. Read my previous post.

Another consideration is tax abatements at these locations.

The Walmart in Livingston Texas (Polk Co.) received a 10-yr tax abatement when it was built, circa 1994, and a renewal in 2004. (Polk County appears to hand out tax abatements like candy). Now it's a little over another ten years since it's last tax abatement to Walmart, one has to ask - did they renew that abatement, or did they let it expire? Twenty years is a long time to maintain a tax abatement for a property, and Walmart has a history of fighting property tax appraisals.

Sources:
ROLLING BACK PROPERTY TAX PAYMENTS: HOW WAL-MART SHORT-CHANGES SCHOOLS AND OTHER PUBLIC SERVICES BY CHALLENGING ITS PROPERTY ASSESSMENTS

Yet what Wal-Mart does not disclose in site fights—but is revealed for the first time in a new report by Good Jobs First—is the extent to which the company later in effect concedes the point about reduced property values. Once a store has been in operation for a while, Wal-Mart frequently challenges the assessed value that local officials assign to it for tax purposes. In an effort to cut the property tax it pays to local governments—revenue that pays for public education, police and fire protection and other vital services—Wal-Mart routinely tries to belittle the value of its own facilities.

Our key findings:

• An examination of a 10 percent random sample of Wal-Mart’s 2,833 Supercenters and discount stores in operation as of the beginning of 2005 finds that at least one assessment challenge has been filed at 35 percent, or more than one-third, of the stores. Applying that rate to all Wal-Mart stores, we estimate that the company has brought challenges at more than 1,000 of its retail outlets nationwide.
  
• An examination of all of Wal-Mart’s giant distribution centers in operation as of the same date shows that 40 percent have had an assessment challenge—this despite the fact that many of the warehouses had previously been granted property tax abatements (exempting them from property taxes in whole or in part as an economic development subsidy) when they were first built.
  
• At many locations, Wal-Mart has filed challenges in multiple years—either because it was not initially successful or because it wanted an even bigger tax reduction. We estimate that the company has filed a total of more than 2,100 appeals at its stores and distribution centers nationwide.

Polk County Texas, Tax Abatement (PDF File)

Just something else to consider.

I'm leaving a post to add this to my subscriptions. I still have to dinish reading but this seems VERY wrong.

a reply to: Blackmarketeer

But why april? Most company fiscal years begin september And the tax year january.

originally posted by: Rocker2013

originally posted by: doobydoll

originally posted by: midlandghost
a reply to: Flux8

The Walmart here in Midland is contracted out to a local plumber who serves a lot of big businesses in west Texas. He has a contract with them so they were supposed to call him first for their plumbing issues. Like I said in my last post he just recently did a check on the plumbing and his results showed no issues. He said it doesn't take 6 months to fix the plumbing. He also said he could replace the whole thing in 2 months. 4 weeks to take it apart and 5 weeks to replace and repair any damage to the flooring/walls

Go put some plumber's overalls on so you look like a plumber's mate, go get your plumber friend and take his work van to the Walmart store and tell them you are there to take care of the 'plumbing problem' they have, as per your contract.

Then come back and tell us what happened.

They would probably ask for ID, and then wonder why this person doesn't have any ID to work with the company Walmart has chosen for all this contractual work. You think it's easier to get access to a closed corporate property than a private party at a club? If the average doorman can use a list of approved arrivals don't you think a corporation like Walmart would have at least that?

Even if they did get in, security would probably have no more of a clue about the problem than you or me. A corporation like this doesn't hold little meetings to inform security of everything that's going on. They would have a remit of those coming, when they are coming, and the company they work for. The arriving contractor would be expected to know why they are there and what they need to do.

oh they do indeed not only ask for ID at the door, and have a list of approved people/companies. i have done that job myself during construction of a new store. of course i also had to check anyone or anything leaving for stolen (they are paranoid about theft lol) merchandise. everyone also has to sign in and out with times and the purpose they are there for and a "visitor" badge given to them. NO ONE is to be admitted that is not on the list without management approval, this even includes employees of the company, be they workers from another store or even workers for that store, forget about someone claiming to be a plumber there to fix the problem. but try it since i highly doubt there is a plumbing problem to be repaired at all, i suspect they wouldn't even look at the list before refusing.

originally posted by: randyvs
a reply to: Rocker2013

Lets look at this logically, shall we?

Yes finally, thank God you're here because, all these other people, are completely illogical.

We must onto their "Weather Underground" depopulation plan, execution (directed by Obama's E.O.s) if the lefties are trying to deflect concern.

They don't want you to see the 500 car railroad train heading to California with tanks, mraps, Hummers, machine gun mounted APCs.

IF the building was built by code then there shouldn't be any plumbing issues right? Apparently the same plumber worked on all stores? Maybe the blue prints was flawed? Then all Walmarts would be bad then right? Non of this makes any sense. Giving people 5 hour notice is pretty extreme. Maybe they plumbed toilet water to the drinking fountain. You never know. Maybe there was poisonous food sent to those locations.

a reply to: sean

By your logic all cars should fail at the same time or none at all

a reply to: MysterX

Texas is a right to work state. You can be fired for no reason at all and its perfectly legal. You can't do anything about it. That's why you don't here of any unionizing of the oilfield. You can't here. Well... I guess you could try but you wouldn't get anywhere.

originally posted by: Rocker2013

originally posted by: hopenotfeariswhatweneed

a reply to: Indigent



From that pic one could be forgiven for coming to conclusion lack of customers was the stores reason for closing,from a glance at the large and empty looking spaces with so few people around...

This is the most plausible explanation. Companies shut down or scale back all the time, and if it's a gradual decline they start off by shuttering their less profitable locations. With the numerous locations they have, they could be using this as a test area to see what the response is, rather than roll out closures across the country and potentially destroy their entire company in the process.



It's no secret that Walmart is always going to be in a precarious position as a corporation with the number of stores it has across the country. That's a hell of a lot of infrastructure to maintain, and if the corporation collapses it's likely to take a massive number of other businesses with it too. There are a lot of US companies that rely on corporations like Walmart for their existence. If this corporation collapsed in a week there would likely be thousands of other smaller companies sinking with them, and there absolutely would be millions of people unemployed overnight.



Just in the US the company employs 1.4 million people. That's without the thousands of smaller companies relying on Walmart too. Imagine all those people being told they no longer have a job.

I have been a retail manager for 25 years and have been through several store closings. A company that decides to shutter some unprofitable locations do not give those stores only 5 hours notice. They are given 4-6 weeks to sell off their inventory and clean out. A 5 hour notice means some emergency type event is taking place. What that event is, I don't know.

originally posted by: stellawayten
a reply to: Blackmarketeer

But why april? Most company fiscal years begin september And the tax year january.

In the last 3 companies I've worked for the end of financial year has been:

June

December

December

I always asked "Why not April?"

Never got an answer.

a reply to: proteus33

The Walmart here in Midland Texas is a supercenter. Not just a small grocery Walmart. Also the Walmart here in midland is among the top grossing in the state of Texas. Funny they would shut down such a money making machine. If your not familiar with this area, just know Midland and its partner Odessa are money making machine. There are 4 in this area and they all stay super packed. You get lucky if you can park in the front 100.

a reply to: sean

It's close to unanimous.

Non of this makes any sense

So when does something not make sense?

When part of the picture is missing or the full story has yet to unfold.

So I think there's more to come on this.

When we make sense of it, it will be to late.

Someone on our local breaking news group on Facebook said that one of her friends who was laid off in midland because of this got called back in to clean.:

I read in another article that the employees are being given 60 days of pay as well.

originally posted by: generik


i agree that remodeling is rather time consuming and costly. but when it comes to Wal-mart this plumbing problem really does not make sense at all. i worked for Wal-mart for many years. i have worked at locations and helped out at others that were being renovated, or majorly repaired and upgraded. they DO NOT CLOSE stores when they do things like this. they close off the section being worked on and move things around in the store to accommodate any work. in fact they even have special crews that travel around who's sole purpose in life is moving everything around and helping out during any remodeling or serious work being done.

That's exactly my experience with other stores. At one place I worked at they were called something like the star team.

And in EVERY Store I have worked at (all the main grocery stores basically) we never closed for any remodeling ever.. You just put up plastic sheets, and signs that say sorry this area closed. You walk passed that area.. It looks like doomsday, but the customers don't see this... Entire walls removed.. But it never takes longer than a few days..

IF those Wal-Marts wanted to stay open they could have.

Something else is going on.

a reply to: Vasa Croe

Great job on that clean up, take 60 days off with pay!

a reply to: and14263

Because April is not a quarter ending month.


(I do the Quarterly taxes for the business)

Well, the locations and timing seems to correspond to the JH15 exercise. Not a plumbing incident, no permits, does not take six months, etc.

Walmarts in CA, TX, OK, and FL closed for 6 months, April 15 to October 15.
Jade Helm runs from July 15 to Sept. 11 in CA, NV, UT, CO, AZ, NM, TX, MS, and FL.

Three months before it starts to prepare the locations, and one month after to restore them back. Google maps has already been updated with store closure information. This was planned, but not announced to local employees. These store will likely be used as a staging point for supplies used during the exercise.

Maybe ask Mia Kelly about this: www.linkedin.com...
(just search LinkedIn for cyber io planner)

JH15 Area of Operations:



Recently expanded JH15 AoO:



Store closures: