AEN would be so proud.

I love WalMart. I know I shouldn't - but I do. There was a point in my life where the greeter, Mr. Louis, knew me by name. (Yes, seriously).

So today, reading the paper, I see that Chicago is taking a great stride in alleviating my guilt for shopping at the Big Box. The City Council is mandating an ordinance for a living wage for employees of companies with at least $1 billion in annual sales and have at least 75,000 square feet of space.

We should all be able to agree that the minimum wage isn't enough money to support a family. It just isn't. I'm not sure it's enough money to support one single person.

AEN used to tell me I shouldn't shop at WalMart; I disagreed. Almost every retailer treats their employees without consideration. If I stopped shopping at WalMart - what would happen to their bottom line? I won't lie though, I felt guilty picking up my Gatorade, stockings and Tide. I knew that the employees who were ringing up my random purchases didn't have a chance at the good benefits I enjoyed.

And, we know how I feel about the importance of benefits.

So, I think Chicago has a good idea -- we need to hold corporate giants accountable. It's about time.