Wal Mart increases starting wage

[Tiberius]

And? Isn't an increase to some better than an increase to none?

Sure. This wasn't just an increase though. A lot of people are losing their jobs.

Why do people here think an increase in the starting wage of the largest employer is meaningless, if not due to partisanship?

Because it came about at the same time as a massive layoff. You seem to be forgetting that WalMart have increased their wages three times since 2015, y'know, when a Democrat was President. I don't see this as a partisan issue. If this happened under Obama, we'd still be complaining about the layoffs. I don't think the President had anything to do with them.

Isn't a layoff in underperforming areas and a raise plus bonuses everywhere else better than a layoff in underperforming areas alone?

Sure, but just because their current employees got a wage increase doesn't negate the fact that some employees got laid off. Finding $100 on the street and then getting punched in the face is better than just getting punched in the face, but in both scenarios you still get punched in the face...