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Highlands Today

Backlash To Corporate Greed Is Growing

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By BARBARA BAILEY Guest Column

The Tampa Tribune

Published: February 12, 2009

Throughout history, people have been oppressed to the point of desperation. Once the pain of enduring any longer becomes severe enough, a backlash begins to brew.

American people seem to have passed from the brewing stage of 2007 and 2008 to a full rolling boil for 2009. In other words we are in hot water.

A woman at a yard sale was alternating between thankfulness for the people buying and tears streaming as she watched her life's collection of goods being loaded into the trunk of strangers' cars. The money was a lifeline at a time of desperation, but her question still haunts us as she asked imploringly, "But what about next month, what can I do?"

In some places in Florida and around the nation, the stories of hardship and attempts at finding work are becoming as chilling as the tragic classic "The Grapes of Wrath." Definitely more disturbing than the comparison last year to Jimmy Stewart and Mr. Potter in "It's a wonderful Life."

Indeed the Potter's and Snidely Whiplash types are still partying like 1929 on our taxpayer's money, though in the midst of their fun explaining with irritation, the booze, jet rides and laughs were paid from "different accounts."

My pastor's retirement fund has shrunk in half. My mother will be leaving her grandchildren and living amongst strangers to be closer to VA care for her spouse. My brother scoured the state before telling his workers, "Sorry, I tried. If it's out there I couldn't find it," as to closing down his business. My friend, on closing her place on the Circle, said that the scariest part was the people streaming in asking her if she was hiring. At the same time she knew they were being forced out of business.

What if we were to suddenly experience a paradigm shift in our thinking? That rather than whistling our way through this dark and scary graveyard of dead opportunities and dreams, we felt more so that the sun began to shine again, that we were safe enough to stop and admire the beauty of a rose.

Those so called "whistle blowers" had been trying for years to get help in averting this national tragedy. Maybe the label itself was wrong. Evoking images of whiners; shrill, paranoid, troublemakers with grandiose illusions, they knew better than the nation's top leading analysts and accountants. Maybe the only hope for a shift in our confidence is the way we view those people who are clearly trying to make good things happen within their companies, and then dealt with most severely for having the courage to speak up.

My question to those leaders of industry and government is simple: do they dismantle smoke detectors as they travel to their parties? If not, why do they disable people who could have helped prevent the burning to the ground of their own industries? A generation of boomers was raised with the two bears. The bad one trashes business; the good one, "Smokey" always looked us straight in the eye and admonished us. "Only you can prevent forest fires."

So let's get on with it. Rebuild our lives and nation and push together this hot water vat onto the fires. It is horrid to send our youth overseas for freedom as we allow those smirking snakes to take it away from us here at home. Are they sorry they did it or sorry they were caught? Sounds like neither one; sounds like the backlash is beginning to irritate them. Oh well, our bad.

Barbara Bailey lives in Sebring.

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