Walmart is closing four of its remaining eight stores in the imploding, Democrat-run city of Chicago.
“The simplest explanation is that collectively our Chicago stores have not been profitable since we opened the first one nearly 17 years ago,” a Tuesday Walmart statement said. “These stores lose tens of millions of dollars a year, and their annual losses nearly doubled in just the last five years.”
Gee, I wonder what’s changed over the last five years?
Bloomberg points out that Target has 23 Chicago locations, which is technically true… But a look at this and this, and you will see the stark difference between where those specific locations are located.
Competition is not killing Walmart, especially not from Target. Target and Walmart have survived side-by-side for decades and attract a different clientele. If that sounds snobbish, I’m a Walmart person.
Chicago has one problem… Insane voters. We assumed after current Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot lost the Democrat primary that the city was coming to its senses. Well, we were wrong. Turns out Lightfoot wasn’t radical enough for Chicago voters, so they booted her and brought in an even more dangerous left-wing radical, Brandon Johnson. He came into office on the promise to raise about a billion dollars in taxes on corporations and to ensure even more violent criminals run free.
It’s unlikely Walmart is worried about taxes or even violent criminals. The problem is that shoplifting has been all but decriminalized, and these retailers are losing, as you read above, tens of millions of dollars.
Lawlessness is running amok in the Democrat-run cities, and no one can stay in business under those conditions.
Certainly, violent crime is a terrible thing, but that is still random and very rare if you live your life the right way. Violence is primarily between bad guys. It’s these lifestyle crimes that annihilate people’s standard of living and the pleasure of everyday urban life. Panhandlers, shoplifters, drug addicts, homeless encampments… These things drive away customers, rob these stores blind, and make life unbearable. When you add to that the very real threat of having your car stolen or jacked, that’s the kiss of death for any neighborhood or city.
You see, Democrats can empty the prisons, but they can’t make us pretend that they haven’t emptied the prisons by risking our life in certain parts of town. Democrats can decriminalize shoplifting, but they can’t make businesses pretend shoplifting wasn’t decriminalized by remaining open until they file bankruptcy.
Again, though, this is all on the voters.
Chicago voters are obviously happy to live this way and want even more crime, violence, blight, taxes, filth, dangers, failing schools, murder, robbery, gangs, and failure.
Whatever.
It’s not my problem.
I don’t live there.
RELATED — WATCH: Newsom’s California: Shoplifting Gangs Paralyze Los Angeles Retailers
Los Angeles Police Department
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