Saturday, November 01, 2003

Positive Publicity So I've been flipping through Fast Food Nation by Eric Schlosser, right?  Absolutely enjoying the hell out of reading how McDonald's and the like have been exploiting teens, raping the agriculural industry, and basically turning our whole lives into one long drive-thru experience.  Great book, by the way, and well-worth reading. But that great book got even better when I got to page 163 in the section called "The New Industrial Migrants."  It reads: In September of 1994, GFI America, Inc. -- a leading supplier of frozen hamburger patties to Dairy Queen, Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, and the federal school lunch program -- needed workers for a plant in Minneapolis, Minnesota.  It sent recruiters to Eagle Pass, Texas, near the Mexican border, promising steady work and housing.  The recruiters hired thirty-nine people, rented a bus, drove the new workers from Texas to Minnesota, and then dropped them off across the street from People Serving People, a homeless shelter in downtown Minneapolis.  Because the people had no money, the shelter agreed to house them.  GFI America offered to pay the facility $17 for each worker and to donate some free hamburgers, but the offer was declined.  It goes on to say how most of the workers refused to stay in the shelter and complained about being lied to.  They'd been promised apartments instead of a homeless shelter.  Apparently some were cool with the idea of sleeping on a cot with some winos. Damn.  That is pretty harsh of GFI.  Makes me wonder why the Dairy Queen in Eagle Pass still does bang-up business. But once again Eagle Pass is given the type of publicity the Chamber of Commerce dreams about -- assuming they subscribe to the theory that any publicity is good publicity.  Personally, just once I'd love to see the words "Eagle Pass" in print with something positive attached to it.  For instance: Alex Mauldin, former resident of Eagle Pass, recently won 100 million euros in the German lottery.  He plans on using his winnings to open the first Dairy Queen in Berlin. Yep, that would work. Related links: Fast Food Nation USA Today's review of Fast Food Nation Eagle Pass Chamber of Commerce 3:24:02 PM     |

© Copyright 2005 Alex L. Mauldin.