Take Your Twinkie and Shove It!

Article first published as Take Your Twinkie and Shove It! on Blogcritics.

Ten years ago, my English professor talked on the “dumbing down of America.” He addressed the fallen educational standards allowed in our primary and secondary education system. I think it has gone further than research papers and grammar. It isn’t about the teachers and the education system, it’s about our society. We have dumbed down on levels that are driving us into poverty. We have become a lazy, blame laying, cumbersome society.

Now, it isn’t a secret that I have said Romney was the example of what happens when a billionaire is told no. I don’t understand why the true, tea partying, republican base, didn’t see the corruption in the beginning when their party was using voter fraud against one of their own, Ron Paul. They didn’t even see it. Their hate for President Obama far outweighed the corruption. They couldn’t see it. They hopped on the anti labor force band wagon and they bashed unions, when the destruction to our economy is a blatant continuance of billionaires that are told no.

We have Papa John’s Pizzaria whining that the costs of national health care will boast their costs by a whopping fourteen cents per pizza. Now, simple economics will prove that $.14 cent per pizza will be passed on to the consumer by at least a $.25 cent per pizza increase in price. Instead of admitting that truth, they whine, they say they can’t afford it. “Oh, we are going to have to close our doors and cost American’s jobs, all because of Obamacare.” Horsepucky. If they close their doors it will be because the owner in making a point, he is going to starve his previous employees, the same ones that helped him acquire his wealth, to rebel and whine.

Now, here comes Hostess. They are closing their doors. People are in a tizzy, because they may not get their King Dongs. Are you serious? Is this really the America that stood tall? We look like a country full of idiots, not innocents, because the truth is apparent. The global world can’t even feel sympathy for our position, because it’s based on chosen ignorance.

The truth about Hostess goes far beyond the bakers union. These workers have conceded to the hilt.

Hostess receiving clerk, Mike Hummell, said he was making $48.000 a year in 2005. This was before the first Hostess bankruptcy. The union members voted in concessions due to reorganization last year, dropping Hummell’s income to $34,000, or $16.12 per hour. The latest Hostess demands would have dropped Hummell’s income to about $25,000 per year, with significant higher insurance costs. How is he supposed to live? Hasn’t this employee conceded enough? Should he simply be thankful for a job in this economy?

Here is the bigger problem: While Hostess is demanding their employees take another concession, costing over half of their previous wage and benefit package, twelve of the CEO’s have increased their income by 300 percent shortly before filing bankruptcy. Tell me, Tea Partiers’, how does that work to help America?

How can the poor continue to lose and become poorer, while CEO’s are using their labor force to secure their own insurance, income, and retirement? What you don’t give, they will take, and if you try to stand up for yourself, you will be jobless; you will pay for saying no. Republican’s, let me ask you this: is this what your party considers “legitimate rape?”

How can companies continue to ask employees to take huge hits when they are already struggling to pay their bills, while CEO’s reap millions, securing their personal wealth?

Gregory F. Rayburn, CEO of Hostess says that the problem has always been the cost of structure, the union rules, the pension legacy, the pension cost and cost structure.

Right before bankruptcy, Rayburn’s salary soared from $750.000 to a whopping $2,550.000 million. This is a CEO that is asking his employees to work for $25,000 a year with less health coverage, higher health costs, and pension slashes.

Hostess wanted to cut pension costs from $100,000,000 a year to $25,000.000, while the CEO is securing his own retirement package, wealth. Only in today’s America.

All the while, America is up in arms, paying high prices for a Twinkie. Are the people so dumbed down that they are clueless to the fact that Hostess will not die, they will pretend to sell, open under another name, and push Twinkies, once again? Your King Dongs are safe. The King Dongs aren’t going to let it die, be realistic.

Mexican billionaire, Daniel Servifie Montull, owner of El Groupo Bimbo, the largest bread baker in the world, showed interest in purchasing the 82 year old Hostess. Rayburn quashed that idea, quickly, saying that tariffs wouldn’t allow for the purchase.  Rayburn did say he had many potential buyers, though he wouldn’t disclose the name of the proposed bidders or private equity investor’s, but he did say the company was “more attractive to buyers without the unions.” Of course.

It’s another union busting move. Yes, Hostess will liquefy, reopen, pay minimum wage, no benefits, and you will all still get your Twinkies. Obviously, that is what is important in America, the comfort principle. Then people will complain that the food stamp rolls have grown again, blame the president, say liberals are out for entitlements, and make up whatever else their short sighted minds can come up with.

This is the new way of America. The billionaires are angry. They tried their best to buy this election, and again, just like before, they lost. We are going to hit a new low of poverty, the wage will get lower, the cost of living higher, and job’s bills will become mute in a Congress that presses on for recession to get their way. No, it’s not the president. It’s the stronghold the billionaires have on the nation. Food stamps, low wages, and poverty will be the new way of the land. Get used to it. It is the new American principle.

Till the next time America, Wake Up!!!

Peace,

Pam