ShopRite President and COO David Figurelli's opinion piece on May 6th tried to paint his company's ongoing lawsuit to keep Walmart from opening a new store in Napanoch as an altruistic effort that will benefit area residents.Having been to the area many times over the last two years to meet with community groups and to help with the public approval process, I can assure you the residents there aren't buying it.

They understand that Walmart will bring a number of benefits to the area, including new jobs for those seeking employment; increased property tax revenue for schools and other vital services; and, most importantly, they know that a new Walmart will bring to the area the range of merchandise and affordable prices that are desperately needed.I can't tell you how many times area residents came up to me during the public approval process simply to relate to me that they believed Walmart would bring competitive prices to the area.

Walmart will provide the Ellenville area with 200-250 new, good jobs that offer competitive pay, benefits and opportunities for advancement. Walmart's average wage for regular full-time hourly associates in New York is $12.03 per hour, and both full-time and part-time associates are eligible for benefits including medical, 401(k), profit sharing, stock purchases, and performance-based bonuses.

At Walmart, associates can advance as far as their hard work and talent will take them. Nearly three-quarters of our store management started as hourly associates.

In fact, an independently certified study by Global Insight ­ a leader in economic and financial analysis ­ found that Walmart saves the average American household $3,100 per year no matter where they shop. These studies are available on our website, walmartstores.com.

Walmart looks forward to the day when we can serve the Ellenville area, providing much needed jobs as well as other benefits. For now, like you all we can do is wait.

It is very difficult to understand where and how David Figurelli got the idea that residents of Wawarsing may question the appeal of the trial court's decision to allow Wal-Mart project to proceed. But I would presume he got this idea from his superiors and I also would speculate that the article was not written by him at all. If the article would be written by Mr. Figurelli, he probably would be more honest and he would explain to the residents of Wawarsing the high prices on the shelves of local Shoprite.

If Mr. Figurelli would be an honest representative for an honest company, he would explain that for 180 jobs provided by Shoprite, most are part time positions, and that a part time employee must be with the company for four years in order to receive health insurance — single coverage, not insurance that would cover a whole family. If he would be completely honest, he would go into explanation why their frozen fish all come from foreign countries, especially China, and why the packages with the name "organic" on them are not necessary true organics. He would explain that Shoprite is one of many chains that throw away nearly two million tons of fresh food every year as people around the world starve. The foods that are dumped every year are enough to feed 6.3 million people. He also would explain high bonuses to union bosses and Shoprite's expansion to countries such as Nigeria and Zimbabwe.

There is not one person who read the article that believes Mr. Figurelli claim that the company stays in the area without making any profits. This statement is in direct disagreement with any corporate mentality, unless Shoprite bosses thinks we live in the communistic society.

If the local Shoprite fails to make a profit, they should leave and stop breaking the capitalistic formula of any successful business — making money. Do we really want their sacrifice, folks?

Mr. Figurelli, we understand your position, as you represent the company you are working for. But try to understand there no fools around Wawarsing. People know exactly what your company doing and why. Your company is a road block for Wawarsing to get economic movement the township deserves.

And another thing: it is not for Shoprite to decide the future of Wawarsing. It is up to the residents to choose and decide their future without any interference of a strange company with a clearly greedy corporate mentality who does not accept any competition.