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Because it's the home state of Wal-Mart? I don't have a problem with Arkansas, but I am pretty sure I'd never live there.
Exactly. I wouldn't have a problem with Wal-Mart as long as they operated on a bit more of a level playing field in order to somewhat permit mom-and-pops to survive. Things might be different in Arkansas, but here in Pennsylvania Wal-Mart's arrival is essentially a DEATH SENTENCE for Main Street vitality. Wal-Mart buys cheap junk made in China (lead paint and all) and then utilizes the savings to undercut their competitors' prices---the very same competitors who sponsor your town's Little League teams, hold charity spaghetti dinners, give to public access television, etc. At some point I should photograph the retail corridors surrounding the Wal-Mart Supercenters here in the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre area and then contrast them with the tumbleweed flowing freely through our once vibrant central business districts. It will be a true eye-opener for sure.
...and whose fault is that? The lemmings in your towns, of course. I'm sure most of these small Arkansas towns used to have various mom-and-pop stores that catered to different specialties and where knowledgeable employees knew you on a first-name basis. People did not have to then shun them in favor of Wal-Mart when they pulled into the peripheries of these towns, but they did anyways being as short-sighted as they are. Wal-Mart relies on predatory pricing when entering new markets in smaller towns.
If they know that, per se, Eureka Springs has one small independent hardware store, then Wal-Mart will slash prices below cost in order to entice enough people to leave that small store to eventually put it out of business, after which point they can then raise their prices to what that mom-and-pop venture WAS charging. How can they do this? Well, those small specialty shops rely on those products as their main "bread and butter" and can NOT take a hit on them financially. However, Wal-Mart can more than absorb any losses incurred by pricing items near or below cost by having mark-ups on all other items. How can they do this, you may still be asking? It's called having dominance over your suppliers. Let's assume that Hank Hill's Tractor Showroom on the fringe of Downtown Eureka Springs purchases most of its products from MTD, a major lawn tractor manufacturer. Wal-Mart also purchases most of its products from that same supplier. Wal-Mart will order bulk quantities of MTD products and more or less say "We'll buy 10,000 of these tractors at $1,100 each and not a dime more. Make it happen or we'll take our business elsewhere." MTD complies, even though they may USUALLY sell their tractors for $1,300 each to retailers. Why? They want the exposure that having their products sold at Wal-Mart will afford them to have. Hank Hill would be LAUGHED AT if they made similar demands from MTD, so they instead have to pay the full $1,300. Wal-Mart might then mark up their prices from $1,100 to $1,299 while Hank Hill obviously can't sell them at the same price without breaking even or even losing money. Eventually enough short-sighted consumers (in this case Arkansans) say "Hey. Why should I buy this at Hank Hill's for $1,400 when I can buy it at Wally World for $1,299?" Before you know it Hank Hill is out of a job and has yet another blighted storefront lining Main Street.
This, my friends, is how Wal-Mart puts Main Street America under. Then again, most of you couldn't care less about keeping independent retailers in business as long as you can cut corners and save a few bucks here and there, right? I earn $15,000 annually, yet I still patronize mom-and-pops as much as I possibly can. What's all of your excuses?
I'll continue to hold a grudge against Arkansas until their residents apologize for cursing our nation with Wal-Mart and the advent of commercial urban sprawl as we know it.
Hmm, last time I check the people of Arkansas never asked for Wal Mart, we were just the unfortunate ones who got it. Why should the residence of Arkansas apologize for a major corporation that we have no control over nor did we form it? Most of the people of Arkansas could not afford to go up against the giant. I love the mom and pop stores however around here there are few left yes due to Wal Mart. When the mom and pop stores go out of business you have to buy food and supplies somewhere and if all that is left is Wal Mart what choice do you have? I happen to live outside of Fayetteville and there are two smaller stores that a still in business, thing are higher there than at Wal Mart but I shop there to one help support the smaller stores and two because I try to avoid Wal Mart at all cost.
Perhaps you should place your hostility with Wal Mart not the good, honest hard working, simply trying to make a living people of Arkansas. By the way there is a heck of a lot more to us than Wal Mart.
As for Mike Huckabee, most of the people in Arkansas thought he was horrible but he was probably the lesser of two evils.
What you are saying is about like me saying I hate Texas and people from Texas because that is were George W is from. I like Texas but that sure doesn't mean I like our dumb*** President.
For those of you who arent aware of all that Arkansas offers here are just a few facts
* #1 in rice and poultry production; #5 in sorghum, grain; #6 in cotton and #8 in soybeans and grapes.
* The community of Mountain View is called the Folk Capital of America. The little town preserves the pioneer way of life and puts it on display for visitors at the Ozark Folk Center State Park from March through October.
* Arkansas contains over 600,000 acres of lakes and 9,700 miles of streams and rivers.
* Mountain View is home to one of the largest producers of handmade dulcimers in the world.
* Located just outside of Murfreesboro, Crater of Diamonds State Park allows dedicated prospectors to search for precious gems including diamonds, amethyst, garnet, jasper, agate, and quartz.
*Ouachita National Forest reigns as the oldest national forest in the South
* The Buffalo River is one of the few remaining unpolluted, free-flowing rivers in the lower 48 states
a few Famous people from Arkansas: Floyd Cramer Jimmy Driftwood Ronnie Dunn of Brooks and Dunn Jerry Van Dyke Lefty Frizzell Joe Nichols country music singer Twila Paris gospel singer E. Fay Jones Edward Durell Stone William T. Dillard founder of Dillard's Lou Brock Mike Conley Jay Hanna "Dizzy" Dean Mark Martin Sidney Moncrief Scottie Pippin Maya Angelou John Grisham
Johnny Cash
Location: Originally Fayetteville, Arkansas/ now Seattle, Washington!
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Yes SWB, you say you want people to move to Scranton(I still have yet to find it on a map LOL) but then you set an example like this!?! Come on man, don't be ignorant! Its not the people of Arkansas fault, its just a company that is based there. You could also blame the thousand other towns supporting Wal-Mart in their own communities! For example, i typed in the zip code for your little town and their were 10 wal-marts within a 40 mile radius!!! Thats a lot for small town America! But it is nice to see you not spamming Scranton for once (), but come on man think before you type! I will NOT apalogize for something that is NOT my fault! Anyways, I'm from Fayetteville, grew up and moved out here to Seattle when i hit 18. I love NWA, Fayetteville is beautiful!(Mt Sequoyah is still one of my favorite places in the world, you know what i'm talking about right OP???) Although people can be kinda close minded(I'm a metal head, with Deicide shirt, leather pants, hair down to my belt, etc) and its not uncommon to run into judgemental people who base what they think about you on what you where,or what your religion is rather than your personality. But i've found people in general(at least in NWA) to be quite friendly, i had and still have tons of friends in Ark that i talk to!(Many every day!) I think many people just base their opinions on Arkansas without ever going, and also realizing that the different regions of Arkansas vary DRASTICALLY!
Yes SWB, you say you want people to move to Scranton(I still have yet to find it on a map LOL) but then you set an example like this!?! Come on man, don't be ignorant! Its not the people of Arkansas fault, its just a company that is based there. You could also blame the thousand other towns supporting Wal-Mart in their own communities! For example, i typed in the zip code for your little town and their were 10 wal-marts within a 40 mile radius!!! Thats a lot for small town America! But it is nice to see you not spamming Scranton for once (), but come on man think before you type! I will NOT apalogize for something that is NOT my fault! Anyways, I'm from Fayetteville, grew up and moved out here to Seattle when i hit 18. I love NWA, Fayetteville is beautiful!(Mt Sequoyah is still one of my favorite places in the world, you know what i'm talking about right OP???) Although people can be kinda close minded(I'm a metal head, with Deicide shirt, leather pants, hair down to my belt, etc) and its not uncommon to run into judgemental people who base what they think about you on what you where,or what your religion is rather than your personality. But i've found people in general(at least in NWA) to be quite friendly, i had and still have tons of friends in Ark that i talk to!(Many every day!) I think many people just base their opinions on Arkansas without ever going, and also realizing that the different regions of Arkansas vary DRASTICALLY!
Good post, and heck yeah I know what your talking about!
Location: Originally Fayetteville, Arkansas/ now Seattle, Washington!
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Thanks! And I wish i was there right now Even though i'm now spoiled from Western Washingon's AMAZING scenery(most stunning in the mainland U.S imo) I still am in love with the Ozarks, and they will always be my home!! Hello to a fellow Arkansan!
Following up on an earlier post. To me, as a Texan....Arkansas is kinfolk. Maybe we don't always see eye to eye with each other...but when it comes right down to it, we are on the same side of the creek! I'll stick up for 'em by golly...
Well before Wal-Mart, there was K-Mart, T G & Y, Woolworth, McCroy's, Hills (then Zayre then Ames)...all based somewhere else other than Arkansas. Wal-Mart is still a relatively young company and first opened in underserved markets in the South and lower Midwest because the national chains did not locate to those places. Also retail stores have always paid their employees low because the educational requirement for such jobs is pretty much a high school diploma. It's just now Wal-Mart is so big, and with the Internet and better access to news, you hear more about Wal-Mart and its problems.
But back to the original question, Arkansas is in the South so it get the stereotypes associated with the South. Although there are ignorant people all over the US, the media loves to depict the South is a negative light. I mean you never see shows about an ignorant Northern sheriff or shows about Chicago's or Boston's racist past. But many of the northern transplants I know confirm that there are rednecks and racists up there too.
We lived in OK for a few years. My husband is originally from Tulsa and is a graduate from the University of Arkansas. I never lived in AR but have visited numerous times. I personally think it is a beautiful state. I think that people have a preconceived idea of what Arkansas and it's people are like......but THAT is just being close minded. There are all types of people in AR just as there is in every other state.
And what's up with the whole Wal-Mart thing? You guys in AR don't need to be so defensive about that. It's absurd to brand a state because it's the headquarters of the "latest place to hate" of the moment. So trendy and quite boring. Wal-mart isn't the only entity destroying small town America.
And I seriously doubt that all people in AR don't like gays. I would live in AR and I am pro gay rights and I don't shop at Wal-mart just because I don't like their stuff. And I didn't vote for Clinton or Huckabee.
I always find it amazing that the people who say they are so progressive are the ones who end up being closed minded and judgmental. Judging a whole state because of an unfavorable company or certain politicians.....come on.
Thanks for your honest response. I really wish people would realize there is much more to Arkansas than Wal Mart, Bill Clinton, chicken and rice. I also wish people would stop stereotyping everyone in Arkansas as uneducated racist redneck hillbillies, most of the people that do so have never even set foot in the state. Come visit, see for yourselves we aren't as "backwards" as many people think.
Also as far as Wal Mart is concerned much of the native people of Arkansas also HATE Wal Mart, but we don't have many or sometimes any other options as far as shopping goes.
The majority of the nation fortunately does not think Arkansas is backwards, it is usually California and some Northeast people that try to portray Arkansas that way. Don't worry, I like Arkansas alot personally!
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), but come on man think before you type! I will NOT apalogize for something that is NOT my fault! Anyways, I'm from Fayetteville, grew up and moved out here to Seattle when i hit 18. I love NWA, Fayetteville is beautiful!(Mt Sequoyah is still one of my favorite places in the world, you know what i'm talking about right OP???) Although people can be kinda close minded(I'm a metal head, with Deicide shirt, leather pants, hair down to my belt, etc) and its not uncommon to run into judgemental people who base what they think about you on what you where,or what your religion is rather than your personality. But i've found people in general(at least in NWA) to be quite friendly, i had and still have tons of friends in Ark that i talk to!(Many every day!) I think many people just base their opinions on Arkansas without ever going, and also realizing that the different regions of Arkansas vary DRASTICALLY! 
Even though i'm now spoiled from Western Washingon's AMAZING scenery(most stunning in the mainland U.S imo) I still am in love with the Ozarks, and they will always be my home!! 
