Way to go Wal Mart. The AP just reported the company's third quarter profits grew 3.8 percent, a modest number that contributes to a colossal $76.35 billion in revenue. And it accomplished this in the face of significant adversity.

Like Wal Mart Chief Executive Lee Scott pointed out, Wal Mart, like many of us, managed to survive higher energy costs and skyrocketing gas prices this fall.

However, unlike the rest of us, it also coped with an image bruising and record-shattering class action lawsuit, brought by over a million female employees who said they did not receive wages equal to their male counterparts.

Wal Mart also prospered in the face of criticism that its employer-sponsored health insurance offerings are insufficient, forcing employees to seek out government assistance programs, like Badgercare, for their medical needs. In fact, here in Wisconsin, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel said 809 Wal Mart employees and their 1,252 dependants will depend on the state to cover $2.7 million in health care costs this year.

All this and Wal Mart still managed to take in over $75 billion in sales.

Mr. Scott called the quarter a "pretty good performance in a difficult environment." I'd call it ridiculous — not just because Wal Mart pulled it off, but also because Wisconsin taxpayers helped them along the way.

I'm not going to criticize Wal Mart patrons, because there is something unstoppable about the market force of low prices. Despite any questions of morality, it is tough to chastise families who choose to shop at Wal Mart because it offers an inexpensive alternative to higher small business prices. Those savings can add up. Just ask any Wal Mart employee whose monthly budget is dictated by wages of $7 an hour.

Wal Mart supporters get frustrated when the company is criticized, arguing that it is just another successful American business that should be treated fairly and without bias. If that is the case, there is one immediate change that should be enacted by the Wisconsin state Legislature — a glaringly outdated tax policy leftover from the 1970s.

Under the policy, businesses of all sizes are given a small cut of sales tax revenue, one half of one percent, when they file their taxes. Before the technology and big box store boom, filing took businesses significant time and was a notable part of operating costs. Now, however, technological advancements have made it far easier and cheaper for huge companies like Wal Mart to complete the task. But the policy still treats business huge and small the exact same. The resulting savings are staggeringly different.

For Wal Mart the one half of one percent of sales tax revenues adds up to over $800,000 annually. Compare that to the figure for small businesses which is usually around $120, according to a press release from State Rep. Mark Pocan.

Pocan introduced legislation to correct this outdated policy Wednesday. His bill is similar to a measure that was yanked from the state budget this year, but deserves a second chance and public attention. The bill would cap the amount of sales tax collected that a business can retain at a maximum of $1,000 per filing. This change from unlimited retention of one half of one percent per filing could save taxpayers over $5 million each year.

"Wal Mart is a mega retailer with two percent of the gross domestic product in sales in the United States annually," Pocan said. "We do not need to be subsidizing the wealthiest corporations to profit from consumers in Wisconsin."

In the spirit of Wal Mart week, Rep. Pocan has also proposed a bill that would prevent cities from using tax money to build infrastructures like sewers and waterways in attempts to lure Wal Mart into their economies. It is absurd that a company with such astronomical profits should receive taxpayer dollars to cover construction costs it can surely afford. This must be stopped.

Clearly, Wal Mart's low prices and high profits make for an unequal playing field. But Wisconsin taxpayers should not contribute to the slanting of the market by subsidizing huge corporations with outdated tax policies. Sitting at the top of the Fortune 500, Wal Mart should not expect to receive $800,000 for filing costs that are barely a blink on their global cost sheet.

Wal Mart has faced a lot this year, but it's hard to imagine that this small change in tax policy will mean much to this billionaire corporation. Yet it could mean a lot for Wisconsin residents and small businesses that then could choose whether or not their dollars contributed to Wal Mart's enormous profits.

Sarah Howard ([email protected]) is a junior majoring in political science and journalism.