ACHTUNG: This is not a “fair and balanced” story. It is an editorial by the editor.
“I tell you the truth, when you
did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!” — Jesus, quoted in Matthew 25:40
“Whoever oppresses the poor shows contempt for their Maker, but whoever is kind to the needy honors God.” — Proverbs 14:31
The income gap in the United States increasingly is being reported in the media as a huge problem that just might bring down the richest, most powerful nation ever on this planet. A theory often advanced is that when the rich get richer and the poor get poorer, most folks eventually won’t have enough money to buy anything any more. And our economy will tank.
This drama is being played out in front of the Wayland Board of Education once again. The board and school administrators in recent years have gone along with the prevailing trends of privatizing, beating up on the working poor in order to save money. They did it not long ago when they eliminated 23 custodians who were paid modest wages and went instead with a private company that paid wages damn close to the minimum allowed by law.
They’re doing it again now with their best imitation of Wal-Mart in being really stingy with the classroom and playground aides, perhaps the lowest paid and most downtrodden class of workers in the school district. Administrators, just like telling you “Your call is important to us,” are paying lip service to the notion that aides are an important part of the education team. At the same time, they’re making certain some of these aides don’t work enough hours in a week to qualify for health care benefits.
It’s bad enough when we hear these horror stories about Wal-Mart “associates.” It’s even worse when it’s our local public school system.
Administrators probably will blame the Affordable Care Act, better known as Obamacare, which insists employers offer health care benefits to employees who work at least 30 hours per week. The way school officials get around this is to reduce workers’ hours.
Wal-Mart made this same scheme famous, and went one step further by offering advice to “associates” on how to receive government assistance. Though many of us over the years have been manipulated into believing the poor are poor because they are lazy and won’t work, these days there are far too many who will work, but still are paid so poorly they need extra assistance.
I am sick and tired of beating up on the poor. For example, many of us want to drug test all those on welfare, but we don’t insist on the same for business executives who get tax breaks.
GOP gubernatorial candidate Dick DeVos told citizens in 2006 that it’s simple, “If you want health care, get a job.” That’s just not true any more.
It is particularly alarming that the Wayland School District pays four administrators more than $100,000 per year while no other school system in Allegan County is quite so generous. Meanwhile, Wayland school teachers are the second lowest paid in the county, second only to Martin.
Even worse, at least two of those making more than $100,000 annually are pinching pennies so that lowly aides can’t get health care. Those who do not get health care are just one medical crisis away from being destitute.
We’ve seen a parade of classroom and playground aides go before the school board in recent months and beg for health care benefits. All they’re getting in response is a polite, “Thank you. Now run along.”
So Wayland school officials are playing a role in the race to the bottom, building an unsustainable society of haves and have nots. They did it to the custodians years ago. They’re doing it now to the aides, the foot soldiers in the trenches.
One aide recently suggested that eventually teachers may have to fill in for aides in monitoring playground bullying and activities outside the classroom and disciplinary matters inside. There are consequences for constantly beating up the working poor.
I’d like administrators to make an earnest effort to treat “the least of our brothers and sisters” with respect and dignity and do the right thing by them economically. But it probably will not happen.
