As someone who is working on this Ordinance. I can tell you that both sides know the facts relating to what a living wage should be and how it will affect profit and loss for the "BigBox Reatilers" The discussions i have read here regarding said facts unfortunately have nothing to do with the point of "BigBox Ordinance" Not truly. If they did then Target the second largest consumer product retailer would not be in the City of Chicago paying wages comparable to Walmart. Target Execs have made it clear to the Illinois Retailers Commission that they will Leave the city limits of Chicago and close all stores if this ordinance is not overturned. Lets talk about the ramifications of that taking place. Target and Walmart serve a particular socioeconomic group- i.e working class and below and they market to middle class. I don't know of anyone listed in any Aldermaic list that purchases clothing from either Target or Walmart. Food products in the City of Chicago are also needed in the lower socioeconomic wards. THe Alderpersons who voted against this ordinance are all from wards that are not currently serviced by multiple Jewel-Osco and Dominics. So that means food products are more expensive to get to i.e paying for gas to get to the suburbs to shop. Overinflated gas not withstanding Public transportation is difficult to manage for grocery shopping.
So as someone who lives in a ward where the Alderperson recognized that the "moral" thing to do had nothing to do with "BigBusiness" facts and more to do with my ability to get the things i need for my children and myself and voted with conviction to SAY NO to the BigBox ordinance. I want Walmart and Target to stay in my community so my teenagers can get jobs there and i can purchase food and clothing for considerably less than i would to pay in "overinflated gas prices" to get to the Target and or Walmart in the Suburbs.