Like cowbird chicks, Wal-Marts often leave the nest once they have depleted its resources. Wal-Mart is the largest producer of empty retail stores in America. As of February 1999 it had left 333 empty buildings spread across 31 states. Wal-Marts do not bring a substantial net increase of jobs. Their success comes at the expense of failed local businesses.
Jobs disappear when local businesses have to close.
Wal-Mart jobs, with low pay and poor benefits, are not a desirable substitute. Building a Wal-Mart superbox would probably raise Bangor property taxes. Surprising as it may seem, examination of tax records from municipalities in several states, including Maine, demonstrates that municipalities with more commercial real estate have higher property taxes. All real estate requires town services of some kind fire protection, police, water and sewer, road and road maintenance, and the like. True, commercial real estate usually pays more in taxes than it uses in services.