So Walmart is blaming "crime" on its reasons for closing the Hayden Meadows and S.E. 82nd Ave. stores. Really? Wonder why none of the other Walmart locations in Gresham, Wood Village, Happy Valley, Tigard and Beaverton aren't closing? Here's the real deal why the Portland stores are closing: Oregon passed legislation in 2016 that ties the state minimum wage to the inflation rate starting July 1, 2023. It's a measure to keep the minimum wage from stagnating like it did from 2009-2015. That means if Oregon uses the June 1, 2021-June 1, 2022 inflation rate of 9.1%, Walmart would have to bump up a Portland employee's pay by $1.34 per hour instead of the paltry $0.50 under the previous system. That would be an hourly wage of $16.09 per hour because Portland has an enhanced minimum wage. All those other stores are outside of Portland and under the $13.50 per wage rate. Yep, Walmart is willing to lay off people instead of pay something closer to a living wage. BTW, if crime was the real problem then the Wood Village store is the one to close. They have the highest rate of shop lifting of all their stores in the tri-county area.