Congratulations! You won! The Maryland state legislature made history by becoming the first state in the nation to adopt Fair Share Health Care. Now, momentum is building in over 30 states to ensure large, profitable corporations pay their fair share for health care.

The Maryland vote is a huge victory in the campaign to change Wal-Mart. The public and their lawmakers sent Wal-Mart a strong message - either you choose to do the right thing and provide affordable health care to your workers, or we will make you pay your fair share for health care.

With our recent victory comes the next battle in the campaign to change Wal-Mart. And, this time, it is over whether or not Wal-Mart should be allowed to get into banking. If Wal-Mart wins, small businesses, community banks and consumers lose.

Just like in Maryland, you can make a huge difference in this fight. The Governor of Utah, where Wal-Mart has applied to become a bank, is accepting public comment on this issue. Please take action today and let the Utah Governor know you oppose the “Bank of Wal-Mart.”

www.wakeupwalmart.com/feature/bank/

This past June, Wal-Mart applied for an industrial loan charter (ILC) in the state of Utah. ILC’s are essentially banks with limited federal regulations and oversight. At the same time, Wal-Mart filed an application with the FDIC. The normal FDIC application gets about 6 comments, with your help, the FDIC has received over 1,500 comments, almost all opposing the “Bank of Wal-Mart.”

The “Bank of Wal-Mart” will lead to a dangerous concentration of capital in the hands on one corporation. In fact, when the “Bank of Wal-Mart” puts the local, community banks out of business, it would means small businesses, who are trying to compete with Wal-Mart, would have to ask Wal-Mart for help. You can imagine what Wal-Mart’s response will be.

We need your help now. Most Wal-Mart stores already offer some financial services, such as check cashing, wire services and ATMs. But, to make real profits from credit cards, mortgages and loans, Wal-Mart needs to get in the ILC game.

Let the Governor of Utah know that you object to the “Bank of Wal-Mart.”

www.wakeupwalmart.com/feature/bank/

We are now over 170,000 supporters. In the coming months, we plan to reach 200,000 Americans and use our new political power to intensify the campaign to change Wal-Mart, bring Fair Share Health Care to every state in the nation, and stop the “Bank of Wal-Mart.”

Thank you for all of your efforts. Our momentum and success are growing! Please reach out to your friends, family, neighbors and co-workers to grow WakeUpWalMart.com into the biggest grassroots campaign to change a corporation in history.

Sincerely,

Paul Blank
WakeUpWalMart.com

P.S. For more information on the “Bank of Wal-Mart” check out this article:

www.wakeupwalmart.com/news/20060117-cnn.html