Hold off praise for Wal-Mart

Re: David Lazarus’ consumer column “Wal-Mart taking a good-guy stance,” July 5:

Before crowning Wal-Mart as corporate patron of the healthcare reform effort being championed by President Obama, serious journalists like David Lazarus need to check the fine print. As always, the devil’s in the details.

One look at Wal-Mart’s website and you’ll see that what Wal-Mart would really like to do is to see legislation passed that wouldn’t take effect until some date in the distant future, when employees might somehow prove that the current no-mandates system has clearly and convincingly failed. Only then would that employer mandate be triggered and employer-provided health coverage be instituted.

Marcy Rothenberg

Porter Ranch