Bloomberg defends Walmart's donation to teen jobs program

Defending Walmart as “a good corporate citizen,” Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced a deal Tuesday with the world’s largest retailer to provide up to $5 million for the city’s summer jobs program.

The donation will allow 3,400 more children to participate in the program, which launched for the season Tuesday and helps find work for 28,000 local teens, the city said.

The mayor made the announcement at a rec center in Brownsville, Brooklyn, not far from where the retailer could open its first Big Apple store in East New York. He deflected criticism that the donation appeared to be a publicity stunt to win over New Yorkers against the chain coming to the city.

"Let me tell you what, it won't with me,” the mayor said. “This city is open to everybody. Period. End of story.”