WHACKING LIBRARIES
In the depths of the Great Depression, not a single public library in America closed its doors. Banks went under, farmers went bankrupt, millions of people were out of work and out of luck – but the American public clung to its libraries, not only because of their inherent value to our society, but also because they are symbols of community strength and hope.
How lame, then, to see public officials today – from George W. Bush to city councils – reaching for the budget axe to whack library funding, forcing branches to close, valuable services to be eliminated, and hours to be cut. In a time of unprecedented wealth in America, in a time when governments dump billions of taxpayer dollars into corporate subsidies and boondoggles, our so-called leaders are failing the people by going after these true public treasures.
Check out Salinas, Calif., a hard-hit, working-class city which is now the largest population in America without a public library. Ironically, this is the hometown of John Steinbeck, author of The Grapes of Wrath and other powerful works that chronicled the human spirit during the Depression years. Steinbeck knew that literature has the power to elevate the spirit and help people rise above difficult times, and it is said that he got some of his early exposure to the power of literature at the Salinas library.
Since Steinbeck’s day, Salinas expanded to three branch libraries, one named after him. But now, all three have been closed by the city council due to large budget deficits. This move shuts out 1,900 people a day who count on the library for books, literacy courses, Internet access, afterschool programs, and other services. Also, nearly three dozen employees have been shown the door.
This is not a Salinas story, but a failure of all public leadership. Why are they dumping billions into Bush’s Star Wars boondoggle, for example, while public libraries, which provide essential services that keep America informed and enlightened, are forced to go begging?
FOOD MARKETING TRICKS
It’s time for another trip into the Far, Far, Far, Far-Out World of Free Enterprise.
Today, Spaceship Hightower takes you into the tangled, often confusing world of food marketing, with Consumer Reports magazine serving as our guide. Let’s first probe a new product being promoted under a brand name spelled G-r-a-p-p-l-e. You would naturally pronounce that “grapple,” as in to wrestle with. But the label instructs us to say, “grape-l.”
By whatever name, what is it? An apple. A tortured apple that’s been given an artificial grape flavor. The company says, “The apple is bathed through a patented process and in a few days the entire apple takes on the essence and mouthwatering taste of Concord grapes.” Excuse me. If you want the flavor of grapes, why not buy some? Speaking of buying, the price of four Grapples is three dollars more than four unadulterated apples. Go figure.
On to an old favorite, the Hershey’s chocolate bar. This sweet treat has long been 7 oz. in weight, but Hershey has now quietly reduced it to 6 oz. You wouldn’t notice getting shorted, for Hershey packagers cleverly kept the 6-oz. wrapper the exact same size as the old 7-ouncer. They also kept the price the same.
But when it comes to raw chutzpah in the category of product dilution, Hershey is a piker compared to Tropicana and Minute Maid, the two top purveyors of processed orange juice. Both are marketing “light” versions of their juices, with Tropicana boasting on its carton that “Light ‘n Healthy Original” has one-half less sugar and fewer calories than regular orange juice.
What’s the trick? Both companies are simply giving you less orange juice, replacing it with water and artificial sweeteners. Yes, they charge you the same for the watered-down version as for 100% juice.
To learn more about the fast-moving world of commercial gotchas, check out www.consumerreports.org.
This article appears in February 4 • 2005.