Wage War
The District has become expert at approaching public issues with an ambivalence approaching schizophrenia. We want and don't want development, fear and don't fear gentrification, and embrace and disdain our suburbs. Perhaps nothing encapsulates our status as capital of the love-hate relationship more than our approach toward big-box retail.
Many of us looked on with approval at Annapolis' decision to require more health care spending from Wal-Mart, and residents of Northeast D.C. waged an all-out campaign to prevent the bouncing smiley from putting down roots in the District. At the same time, D.C. officials are proud to note how they were able to bring Target to Columbia Heights, and Vincent Orange never hesitates to trumpet his role in attracting the Brentwood Home Depot, which remains a bustling success despite its near mythic status as an urban planning abomination, a metro-side behemoth presiding over a massive parking lot. And hardly a coffeeshop conversation goes by in the city when retail wishlists fail to appear. Costco? Wegman's? We anxiously await new options.
The tensions that come along with these stores — between smart urban planning and convenience, between new tax revenue and damage to existing businesses and workers — make life extremely difficult for politicians seeking to chart a sensible course, but local interest groups won't let them ignore the issues. After trying and failing to derail big-box plans in the District last year, labor advocates are now pushing the D.C. Council to enact legislation requiring a living wage of $11 an hour and health benefits equal to $3 an hour, according to the Washington Business Journal. The bill, which was introduced last year by Phil Mendelson (D-At Large), has languished in the Council but is now receiving a hearing in committee, and a number of Council Members are expressing mixed feelings on the matter. With fall elections looming, the Council would like to appear sympathetic to workers but cannot afford to alienate the business community.
There is also concern that a number of current recruitment efforts will be damaged by the potential legislation, meaning that the weekend parade of District drivers to Tyson's and Potomac Yards and the College Park Ikea will continue, taking with it lost tax dollars. One might hope for an ultimate regional agreement, to prevent competitive policies between D.C. and the suburbs; if the retailers don't have the easy option of moving across the border to avoid pressure for better employment policies, then they'll have to improve their workplaces to enjoy the benefits of the metropolitan market. It would also be nice to see Council commitment to neighborhood-oriented retail over big-box and a parking lot, but it's not easy to rally voter support for such investments, when convenience is so clearly a concern.
Most likely a compromise will result, with new rules that don't apply to grandfathered companies currently in the pipeline. While other outcomes could certainly be worse, this site continues to hope for a display of vision from this fall's candidates. We'd love to see a potential mayor blaze a trail rather than minimize damage.
Picture taken by dabdiputs.