Cutting Class

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In his essay “Race Over” Orlando Patterson spoke of a shift in the underclass that will include more whites or “European Americans” if one wants to use the politically correct vernacular. He wrote of the middle class exodus to gated communities or rebuilt inner cities and an intermingling of the races (Patterson). I believe this to be true not only in the northeast but all over the country due to shrinkage of the middle class. The decimation of the once prosperous backbone of American society cannot be blamed on any one element. I do believe that the contributing factors are: corporate America’s practice of union busting, a poorly educated younger generation and ensuing inadequately skilled workforce, and the real estate housing bubble and subsequent foreclosure scam that followed.

Ever have those Stella D’oro cookies or biscotti at your grandma’s house? Not bad for a store-bought cookie or pastry. That’s because since 1930 they were made by a family owned business that paid people a living wage. The workers at Stella were union members. They had benefits, paid vacations, sick days, all the great things you don’t have if you work at Wal-Mart or Sears, Kmart, most restaurants. These people knew other very well since some of them worked together for thirty years. Most of them were immigrant women from Latin America, with some from Italy, Greece, and Africa.

The family that owned the business sold the company to the Nabisco/Kraft corporation (yes Tom Brady’s boss) for 100 million who then sold it to Brynwood Corp. fourteen years later for 17.5 million. Brynwood is known for buying companies, gutting them to make them look profitable, and then reselling them for a markup. When it came time to renegotiate the workers’ union contr...

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...Arnold, Chris. “Freddie Mac Bets Against American Homeowners.”

http://www.propublica.org/article/freddy-mac-mortgage-eisinger-arnold

30th Jan. 2012. 7th April 2012.

Dwyer, Liz. “Detroit High Schools Teach How To Work at Walmart.” www.good.is.

http://www.good.is/post/detroit-high-schools-teach-how-to-work-at-walmart/

12th Feb. 2010. 7th April 2012.

Fulton, Edithe A. “The Wal-Martization of Education.” www.blackcommentator.com

http://www.blackcommentator.com/75/75_walmart_njea.html

29th Jan.2004. 7th April 2012.

NYC Educator. “The Wal-Martization of Education.” nyceducator.com

http://nyceducator.com/2007/12/walmartization-of-education.html

3rd Dec. 2007. 7th April 2012.

Toppo, Greg. “How Bush education law has changed our schools.” www.usatoday.com

http://www.usatoday.com/news/education/2007-01-07-no-child_x.htm

8th Jan. 2007. 7th April 2012.

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