When I read The Jungle by Upton Sinclair almost 50 years ago I never dreamed we would be reliving it in 2025. Big Meat should not exist. Break them up or tax them to death. Anything but the current situation.
Thanks Art. I have been reading more about corporate consolidation. JD Schoulten has a substack on monopolies, that may be of interest to your Iowa readers.
I have written our federal delegation about corporate consolidation in the food industry. I have cited: rising consumer prices from reduced market competition; job losses from corporate mergers; and decreased innovation when few corporations dominate industries. I emphasize consolidation directly hurts working and middle-class economic opportunities.
I may borrow from Art's column today to add how local communities have to bear portions of the costs of doing business, like water treatment.
I have yet to change minds, but will continue to write.
All of this is only going to get worse, much much worse. It will be a story that will be found only in the Storm Lake Times Pilot, any other small town newspaper that still operates, and the columnists who will continue to tell the story on Substack. It’s going to be a damn long 4 years.
When I read The Jungle by Upton Sinclair almost 50 years ago I never dreamed we would be reliving it in 2025. Big Meat should not exist. Break them up or tax them to death. Anything but the current situation.
What are the big meat prime time players going to do when Trump runs the majority of the packing plant employees out of the country?
Good question.
Thanks Art. I have been reading more about corporate consolidation. JD Schoulten has a substack on monopolies, that may be of interest to your Iowa readers.
I have written our federal delegation about corporate consolidation in the food industry. I have cited: rising consumer prices from reduced market competition; job losses from corporate mergers; and decreased innovation when few corporations dominate industries. I emphasize consolidation directly hurts working and middle-class economic opportunities.
I may borrow from Art's column today to add how local communities have to bear portions of the costs of doing business, like water treatment.
I have yet to change minds, but will continue to write.
Cullen has taken the baton from Upton Sinclair who not surprisingly was also a Pulitzer winner. Thank you Art!
All of this is only going to get worse, much much worse. It will be a story that will be found only in the Storm Lake Times Pilot, any other small town newspaper that still operates, and the columnists who will continue to tell the story on Substack. It’s going to be a damn long 4 years.