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2006 JwJ MLK Jr. County ' Scrooge of the Year' Award
Scrooge of the Year’ candidates are nominated for their actions that lead to social and economic injustices, including stomping on our rights to organize or other wrongs that cause harm to our community.
The votes are in for your favorite 2006 Cuddly-As-A-Cactus Crooks and the winners in MLK Jr. County are:
 A dozen JwJ and community activists trekked to the corporate headquarters of MoneyTree Inc. on a thursday morning. After a helpful stranger let them into the locked corporate compound, JwJ activists went up to the front desk asking to see MoneyTree CEO Dennis "The Menace" Bassford so they could present him with his award. Many different levels of management came out threatening award deliverers with arrest, and forced everyone to turn off their cell phones and cameras to avoid further documentation of their loan shark hideaway near Southcenter.
Finally, The Menace arrived having just strolled into work at 11am (CEO hours). Bassford entered the room visibly scared and was twitching when presented with his award. JwJ MLK County Organizing Committee Co-Chair Bob Barnes read the award's text aloud for everyone to hear and The Menace responded, "I'm going to accept your award, but you people don't know what you're talking about." JwJ activists took some time to educate The Menace about his 391% interest rates, how his industry depends on making and repeatedly renewing loans that borrowers have no hope of paying off, and the effects this has on working people in Washington State.
Background: Dennis the Menace preys on working people by giving them the "opportunity" to borrow money at exorbitantly high interest rates. Over 3.5 million payday loans, with a typical annual interest rate of 391% were issued last year in Washington State totaling $1.4 billion. This practice sends people into a spiral of debt that tears apart families and hurts our entire community. When threatened with regulation of his Scroogey business practices, Bassford and his underlings responded by "Giving money to several House Democratic leaders, specifically to committee chairs who would control payday legislation". In 2004, Bassford and his buddies in the loan shark "industry" contributed nearly $200,000 to the Washington State Legislature. (Source: Tacoma News Tribune, 03/06/06)
Video of Award Delivery to Al Muskatel!
(click play to start the video, Shockwave plugin required)
Background: After purchasing 13 Coins earlier in the year, Muskatel was part of an ownership group that forced all workers to reapply for their old jobs. Many of these employees have worked there for 10, 20, or even over 30 years. These workers were left hanging for weeks, as one round of interviews was cancelled, then rescheduled. Some veteran workers were not rehired, for "lack of experience." Currently, 13 Coins is paying a fraction of what the old owners paid for workers' medical coverage. The number of workers who have insurance has plummeted from around 140 to about 7 workers. This is because the new ownership has demanded that workers pay the vast majority of insurance costs. An employee with a spouse and children will pay over 1000% more per month under the new ownership for inferior medical insurance, when compared to what they paid under the old ownership. The result is that many workers have gone out and found other insurance policies which are more affordable and are paying the full premium. Meanwhile, 13 Coins profits have increased dramatically with Muskatel and his scroogey gang running the show. 13 Coins seems destined to go down the drain in their race to become the Wal-Mart of the restaurant industry.
Background: Treadway continues to use Cascadian Building Maintenance (CBM) to clean the Seattle Design Center where janitors work with no affordable health care. Under Cascadian's health plan, low-wage janitors have a $1000 deductible and must pay FIFTY PERCENT of medical expenses after the deductible is paid. This is in addition to a $20 a month coverage fee and a $25 co-pay for each visit to a healthcare provider. In a recent Nob Hill Gazette article, which describes itself as a paper "home-delivered to the Bay Area's most affluent homes" (Treadway lives in ritzy Kentfield, CA where the median income is over 100k a year and most houses are worth over a million dollars), Treadway said, "I'd like to get off the grid and become as energy self-sufficient as technology allows. The real costs of oil and emissions to our health and global warming have not really been calculated." We hope that Treadway will find it in his heart to stop using a janitorial contractor that makes self sufficiency and healthy living impossible for its workers. By switching to a responsible janitorial contractor, Treadway can lower his janitors' health care costs to a $15 co-pay and 10% of any medical expenses, as well as other benefits and respect on the job, creating a more sustainable community for us all.
Previous Year's Scrooge Winners: 2004 2003 2002 2001 |
