And then there's this:

Walmart is abruptly closing 63 Sam's Club stores and laying off thousands of workers

(Updated link to one with more details. So far there's one in Memphis and one in Nashville on the list.)

Walmart historically pays between $7 and $8 billion in taxes each year, such that when the effective rate comes down, there is less money paid to the government. Currently Walmart shareholders collect a tick over $2 a share in dividends each year and that is a necessary commitment for any publicly held entity. Assuming the business continues to be run profitably and in the best interest of the shareholders, less money to the government means more money to the officers, directors, and employees of the company.

The locations where the Sams Clubs are closing are probably better aligned to communities where Costco has recently opened a pioneer outpost.

"Although Walmart linked the moves to the tax cuts, it faces increased competition for the most qualified workers as the labor market tightens."

The increased competition is probably a big issue. There are "we're hiring" signs all over the place for these entry level types of jobs.

doesn't mean it's wrong, doesn't mean its bad, and doesn't mean it doesn't consistently treat its employees fairly (or it would have collapsed years ago)

Cities and counties, including Knoxville, have thrown money at the construction and operation of Walmarts for years, yearning to suck up some of that sales tax revenue a giant brick and mortar retailer spins up along the way.

Walmart, Food City, Kroger, McDonalds, and Cracker Barrell are the largest non government/not non profit employers in Knoxville, unfortunately, the vast majority of the positions for these companies don't require advanced professional degrees, many don't really require college degrees, a lot of the full time positions will require a high school degree and so we complain about the wages/benefits/compensation associated with those positions that don't require a tremendous amount of experience, skills, and training, particularly in an economically regressive business community like Knoxville? There aren't an abundance of great paying jobs for workers with a high school education, few marketable skills, and little to no training components for their efforts.

The most recent ballyhooed announcement that Discover Communications will move the balance of its operational environment to Knoxville was based primarily on the LOW COST OF DOING BUSINESS (that means employee wages/perks/benefits/low taxes)in Knoxville, Tennessee. Do we now need to be throwing rocks at another business that puts the back end of their business in Knoxville while the front end goes to midtown Manhattan and certain technical components stay in the D.C. suburbs?

The labor intensive workforces at Denso, Clayton, MasterCraft and the other ark makers on the lakes aren't even in Knoxville, let alone in Knox County.

Regal Entertainment still hasn't moved into the multi million dollar palace orchestrated by the City of Knoxville to keep the South Knoxville Riverfront Development from sliding into the river. Now that Regal has been sold to a British concern based in London, the operations may actually move to Los Angeles or to Denver anyway, where the business was headed before the City threw a $9 million life preserver into the river.

Throw rocks at Walmart, nah, I'm glad they are putting some of the citizens of Knoxville to work, to give them purpose and a role in a community where roles for the lightly educated, the untrained, and limited skill sets are very hard to come by.

Why does Knox County (and surrounding counties) have so many people who are "lightly educated,... untrained, and (with)limited skill sets?"

The Walton family owns an estate near S. Deerfield, MA as various scions attend Deerfield Academy. DA is one of those schools that either you pay full freight for your stupid kid or you pay nothing because you are smart, poor, and can pass the entrance process. Anyhow, they use this house one week a year: Parents' Weekend. They paid $5.5 million for a house they occupy for 72 hours a year.

Eat the rich.