Letter of the Day

I read the review of “The 10 Rules of Sam Walton: Success Secrets for Remarkable Results,” by Michael Bergdahl (“From Iowa to Wal-Mart, Sam Walton Lived by Rules,” June 26 book review) with great sardonic feeling.

Bergdahl wants us to admire Walton for his 10 rules, but Walton and his heirs basically fail in following his rule to “share success with those who have helped you.”

Walton’s legacy is to shift the burden of supporting society to middle-class taxpayers by paying millions of his employees and suppliers as little as possible and forcing tens of thousands of small businesses out of competition.

He coerced local governments to give him economic incentives and tax breaks. At the same time, he got taxpayers to relieve him of his obligation to pay a living wage so that so many of his employees wouldn’t have to go on welfare or public health care.

Compare Walton’s legacy of giving the great bulk of his $80 billion estate to only his small family, with Bill Gates and Warren Buffett, who have pledged nearly $40 billion each (with more to come) for the health-care and education needs of the disadvantaged — the group Walton exploited.

Hurray for Bill Gates and Warren Buffett in setting an example of philanthropy totally different from the example set by the Walton family.
— George Thrailkill, Adel.

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