Wal-Mart's public enemy no. 1

Posted by Deanna Zandt at 7:13 AM on May 2, 2006.

There's a new website loaded with tools and information for anyone looking to take down the Big Blue Evil in their towns: Battlemart. Rather than hoping that individual groups across the country can learn the ropes and strategies on their own, Wal-Mart Watch and Sprawl-Busters have teamed up to provide a repository of information, uniting groups across the country with a one-stop site chock full of tidbits like fundraising strategies, how to find a lawyer, updates on local "site fights," and an archive of issue information.

Al Norman, the founder of Sprawl-Busters and author of "Slam-Dunking Wal-Mart" will be blogging strategy advice, answers to questions submitted to the site, and more. It's a much-needed collection of tools for the hundreds of thousands of people out there fighting to save their hometowns -- folks need to know that they're not alone, and that there are tactics that are working (it was a surprise to see how much of the blog was filled with success stories!). It's also a great reference and starting point for anyone working on various community struggles, not just against Wal-Mart and other big box stores; the information found here will go a long way towards retaining and sustaining the America we'd like to live in.

Deanna Zandt is a contributing editor at AlterNet.