Should Walmart be A "Better Citizen"

I keep hearing over and over about how Walmart should be a better corporate citizen because the Walmart employees need to go on welfare to survive. This morning on the Sytman and Boze show on KTTH, they talked about certain politicians going after Walmart. Dan Sytman has a recap at his show prep blog. Well I have a few questions... first, if Walmart is so horrible to its employees, why do people line up to apply for work there?

But there is a bigger question here. Is it Walmart's responsibility to pay salaries and benefits above what the law requires and above what the market will bear? The obvious answer is no. Wal Marts job is to make money for the shareholders and based on the January 2006 numbers, profits of 11 billion on sales of 315 billion, they seem to be doing a good job at that. Also looking at the share price over the years, they appear to know what they are doing.

Now could they pay more than they need to? Yes they could but I need to ask those who complain about Walmart, when you shop there, and you know you do, do you tip the stock boy or the cashier? Do you pay an extra 10 or 20 percent? Because if the answer is no, then how are you any different than Walmart, simply paying market rate for a good or service?

For the record, I have never owned Walmart stock, I have never purchased anything from Walmart, because there is not one close to my house. I was in a Walmart once, in Bismarck N.D. My cousin picked me up at the airport and he stopped off to get something on the way to his house.