A local reason to avoid shopping at Wal-Mart.

From the Portland Phoenix:

The count is in, and Wal-Mart tops the list of Maine employers with workers qualifying for public assistance. According to a one-time tally covering the month of May 2005, the Wal-Mart Corporation had 751 employees who qualified for taxpayer-funded programs such as MaineCare, food stamps, and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) to make ends meet. Hannaford, the state’s largest retailer, had the second-highest number of qualifying workers, and trailed Wal-Mart by nearly 18 percent, with 527 employees eligible for public assistance.

Come on.  There is absolutely no excuse for that.  Gross.

I also especially liked this:

According to a 2004 report by the Democratic staff of the Committee on Education and the Workforce in the US House of Representatives, a hypothetical 200-employee Wal-Mart would cost taxpayers $420,750 a year for use of public programs such as healthcare, housing, school lunches, and energy assistance for Wal-Mart employees and their dependents. In some states, Wal-Mart even distributes instructions to workers on how to apply for public assistance.

Groooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooss.