Walmart doesn’t need our tax dollars. But unless we speak up now, Pennsylvania may hand them $7.5 million — money that should be going to schools, small businesses, and public services across our state.

In Monroeville, Walmart quietly applied for a $7.5 million grant through the state’s Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program (RACP) to demolish and rebuild the Monroeville Mall — a property they chose to buy earlier this year. This application was filed through a shell company, buried in a long list of submissions, and only came to light after the public comment period had already begun.

This isn’t what RACP funds were meant for. These grants are supposed to support projects that benefit the broader public — infrastructure, civic spaces, and local development that communities can’t fund on their own. Walmart is the largest private employer in the U.S., valued at over $800 billion. The Walton family — who controls the company — holds more than $250 billion in wealth. They don’t need a handout. But Pennsylvania communities do.

This is part of a larger pattern: corporations leveraging their political influence to extract public money while public schools are underfunded, local businesses struggle, and basic services face cuts. It’s legal — but that doesn’t make it right. Every dollar given to Walmart is a dollar that won’t go toward rebuilding roads, improving public transit, or investing in small businesses that actually need the help.

Governor Josh Shapiro and the Pennsylvania Office of the Budget must reject this request. Let’s send a clear message: taxpayer money should serve the public good — not pad the profits of billionaires.

Sign this petition and demand that Pennsylvania say NO to corporate welfare for Walmart. Let’s invest in our communities — not in the richest corporation on the planet.