Wal-Mart gives the Shanks the shaft

You’ve probably heard the story — Wal-Mart is suing a former employee that is brain damaged and living in a nursing home. Wal-Mart has won their case on a couple of levels — the health plan that paid nearly a half million dollars of her medical expenses had a clause which allowed the company to recoup expenses if the employee gets a settlement.

Debbie Shank received a million dollars from the trucking company that caused the accident that left her incapacitated — about $477K after legal expenses. The intent of the settlement was to pay for her on-going care. Wal-Mart is limited to only the amount that remains in the trust — just under $300K. The Shank family wonders why Wal-Mart can’t just let it go — who needs the money more? CNN has the full story.

This is a good example of the big corporate chain vs. the local retailer  the local merchant that is part of the same community would not take such a step.

Wal-Mart could take this amount of money from their foundation to recoup the health plan. The Walton family could dig through their sofas for this much. But the world’s biggest retailer is hiding behind corporate policy. So besides driving manufacturers to send jobs overseas and a long list of other strong-arm tactics, this is yet another reason not to shop at Wal-Mart & Sam’s.

For more on this story, links to help contribute to her care and a petition you can sign visit walmartwatch.com Please think about the costs to society for that “low price.”  It just is not worth it.

Bill introduced in MO house related to universal design in affordable housing

From M.a.d.e.n. (Missouri Advocates with Disabilities Empowerment Network):

Rep. Rachel Storch introduced the universal design bill this week. The bill, HB 2459, is still unnamed. HB 2459 creates laws related to the design of affordable, accessible housing units. Click here to learn more about the bill.

Universal Design differs from ADA in that it tries to create spaces usable by all — eliminating steps and other obstacles. When you find yourself suddenly disabled your housing choices, especially those that are affordable, become very limited in number. My loft will require a few modifications for my return but the open design with limited doors is a good start. Having more universal choices in the affordable category could only be a good thing.

A Changed Man

Nearly dying and now going through intensive physical therapy causes one to stop and think about what is important. In the last few years here I’ve focused often on details. On one hand these details don’t seem as important too me and on the other they seem even more important. I’m alive — I should be happy right? But life is short and it is the little details that impact our quality of life. Simply breathing everyday just isn’t enough. I am going to be far more demanding of a quality environment than before. Every year in our region we spend hundreds of millions if not billions on new infrastructure and buildings — are we getting our money’s worth? Does this money add to improved public space or simply so much square footage of new retail? I see no reason to settle for anything less than high quality public spaces. Life is too short to be spent in strip centers, boring subdivisions and stuck in traffic.

Finishing Ballpark Village…

Centene is out, no real surprise. What is the future of BPV?
Yes the economy is rocky but we are talking about prime real estate. This is an example of where good development standards for the larger area would guide future construction. Create a physical vision — mandate that through a zoning overlay – get streets in place to create parcels and then sell the parcels to others. Today’s mega projects make financing and such so complicated it takes forever to finish a project — if at all.  Costs get so high only big chains can afford the rents.  The entertainment district first described seemed geared to tourists — not really connected to the rest of the city.

We need to rethink the wisdom of the mega all or nothing project.

The Next Slums

A reader sent me an excellent article that I want to share.  The basic premise is that due to a number of factors the subdivisions with single family home may well become the next slums:

For 60 years, Americans have pushed steadily into the suburbs, transforming the landscape and (until recently) leaving cities behind. But today the pendulum is swinging back toward urban living, and there are many reasons to believe this swing will continue. As it does, many low-density suburbs and McMansion subdivisions, including some that are lovely and affluent today, may become what inner cities became in the 1960s and ’70s—slums characterized by poverty, crime, and decay. 

Read the full article