So as I watch the extravagant Macy's parade I ask

[malaise]

myself how does that square with this:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7106726.stm
<snip>
New York hunger levels 'rising'
Over 1.3 million people, one in six New Yorkers, cannot afford enough food, with queues at soup kitchens getting longer, anti-poverty groups say.

The New York City Coalition Against Hunger says the number of people who use food pantries and soup kitchens in the city increased by 20% in 2007.

Some of the food distribution points are struggling to meet demand.

The coalition blames the situation mainly on increased poverty as well as government cutbacks in food aid.

Some food outlets said they would not be able to distribute turkey rations for Thanksgiving on Thursday, because their federal supplies of food had been cut by as much as three-quarters.

Things that make you scream.

[Red Zelda]

1. shop. buy. .shop. buy. shop.

and play awful music. now shop.

[malaise]

5. And awful music is sure on display

this morning.

[Benhurst]

2. Shh! This is a Christian nation. We don't talk about such things.

BushAmerica

:patriot:

Bombs Away!

[malaise]

3. Bwaaaaaaaaaah

up is down and down is up!! The inversion of reality is complete :rofl:

Seriously that money may have been sent to a Fundie church to buy some votes or Xtianize the military for the Rapture war. Contemplate the irony.

Add.

[cgrindley]

37. The Poor You Shall Have With You Always--Jesus Christ

Jesus himself appreciated the fact that people need to let loose and ignore the poor once in a while. As astonishing as it may initially seem, it is apparently a Christian tradition to face reality at least once in a while.

[Benhurst]

39. If ignoring the poor is a virtue, then BushAmerica must be well upon its way to sainthood.

[lonestarnot]

4. Guess Macy's balloons aren't edible hegh?

[malaise]

8. and they certainly are not

biodegradable.

[noamnety]

18. From an old article (my bolding)

Kathleen Caronna, a 34-year-old woman from Manhattan, was struck by the shattered lamppost and remained in a coma for nearly a month. Mrs. Caronna has sued the city, Macy's and the manufacturer of the lamppost. Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani demanded major changes in the parade, openly wondering whether balloons should be banned.

Not only would this have ended a venerable civic tradition, it would have cost Macy's handsomely. The department store profits an undisclosed amount from its exclusive television deal with NBC and with sponsors of particular balloons and floats. It also gets a burst of pre-Christmas publicity.

Today, the Mayor plans to meet with his aides to finalize the plans, which also include banning balloons in winds exceeding 23 miles per hour and balloons more than 70 feet high or 78 feet long.

From the parade's beginning at 77th Street to Columbus Circle, new street lights have been bought that will parallel the curb along Central Park West, rather than jut into the street. From Columbus Circle down Broadway almost to the end at Herald Square, the arms of the lights will be removed for this parade, with replacements coming by next year. Macy's is paying half the $1 million cost of the lamppost changes.

http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9904EFD9103FF930A35752C1A96E958260&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=print

I don't know if they are still removing the lamppost arms for the parade, or who is picking up the other $500,000 so that Macy's can collect their corporate profits for stock holders. Share the cost, privatize the profits seems to be the standard, though. When feeding the hungry makes rich people richer, we'll probably share the cost of that as well.

[malaise]

20. Great post

Thanks.

[Lex]

6. same as it ever was

same as it ever was

[malaise]

7. But but but

the number of hungry New Yorkers increased by 20% in 2007.

This is fucking madness.

[sandnsea]

9. commerce creates the wealth

that puts money in those food banks and shelters in the first place.

[Basileus Basileon]

11. Absolutely agreed. However, I do agree with the OP that

the structure of our economy does carry with it many fundamental inequities, and that government is not adequately reallocating that wealth. Commerce and caretaking are not exclusive.

[sandnsea]

13. A parade to bring joy to millions

is hardly on the list of things that I consider a problem with commerce.

[malaise]

15. Nothing wrong with bringing joy

and Macy's is a traditional parade, but there are 1.3 million New Yorkers who wouldn't mind the joy of a meal today. Can't the New York government, the Feds and business do both.

[sandnsea]

21. Today of all days, people are eating

I seriously doubt anybody in the country will go hungry today unless they just don't know where to go to get a meal or are too proud to go get it. We do a lot of things right and I think this day, of all days, is a day to look around and realize how fortunate we all our.

And I've been hungry and homeless so it's not like I don't know what I'm talking about. I just hate that people are letting the joy pass them by, life is too short.

[malaise]

22. Then I suggest you write and tell

The New York City Coalition Against Hunger that they are liars.

[sandnsea]

33. They will be in the soup kitchen queue

That is getting longer, per the article. We feed people in this country and it is something we should be proud of. Like it or not, there are those who will always be on the streets for one reason or another, as long as there's free will. I wish we had more housing for everybody, but at least we feed people. There really isn't any reason for anybody to go truly hungry in this country, there's always a soup kitchen or a food bank. That's a good thing and we should be proud of it.

[malaise]

12. Clearly we read different economics text books

The one I read states somewhere that the less you pay, the more hours you get on the cheap, the less benefits you provide, the more the profits rise.

[sandnsea]

14. Then bitch about worker's justice

not a stupid parade.

What do you think people are going to do with the extra money? Oh yeah, go to Macy's and spend it.

[malaise]

17. I'm not bitching

I made an observation about extravagance and hunger in the same place on the same day.

[Basileus Basileon]

10. Because the economy is going great. They've obviously made poor choices.

Clearly they should have invested in hedge funds.

See? Just look at the stock market. Well, no, not this month. Don't look at the stock market now. Look at...at...the productivity figures! Businesses are getting more work out of fewer people! Look, wages are stagnant, hours are declining, and profits are up. Obviously it's their fault they decided to join the bottom 98 instead of the top 2.

[malaise]

16. You sure have a point n/t

Sp.

[tridim]

19. Well, that Xanadu performance just about made me puke up my breakfast.

What the hell was that? That was just about the worst single thing I've ever seen on TV.

[ProdigalJunkMail]

23. i am sick of the whole thing

well...a lot of it anyway. no time for the floats...just the loser musicians on them...no time for the balloons...just time to talk about something inane...and the marching bands, well they are getting decent time...but so far this has been more about mediocre musical nobodies or one hit wonders than the parade...

sP

[Dakini23]

24. Macy's Charade

The Macy's parade is just one long commercial.
It only brings joy to those who can't see through it's charade.
I am so glad that I don't have a television.

http://www.thehungersite.com/clickToGive/home.faces?siteId=1

[hfojvt]

25. and that is only being reported by the BBC

Why is that? Where are the Democrats? Where is New York's junior senator?

[malaise]

30. I too found that interesting n/t

[TahitiNut]

31. Why do they hate America?

:evilgrin:

[IndyOp]

26. America's Second Harvest distributes 2 billion pounds of food & grocery products..

to hungry and needy Americans in communities across the country.

This distribution process is made possible by companies in the food and grocery industry who regularly donate surplus, distressed, and damaged food and grocery items to those Americans who need it most.

We make sure your donation gets to the millions of Americans in need that our network serves each year.

http://www.secondharvest.org/how_to_help/donate_funds/

[malaise]

29. Good post

Timely but Macy's and her sponsors could also have donated meals for New York's hungry and scaled back of some of those 'loser' performers.

[IndyOp]

35. Agree completely. I can't do much about Macy's and her sponsors -

although maybe we could make calls and send letters next year - I can do something today about donating to Second Harvest.

:hi:

[malaise]

36. Atlanta's volunteers also say their money was cut

and their costs to feed the homeless were up significantly this year - highest in 37 years.

[tblue37]

27. I have NEVER understood the attraction of parades.

Why do people stand in one place for log periods of times to watch stupid looking floats (with people in costume waving goofily) pass by? Even as a child I found pardes a deadly bore. People must really ahve almost nothing really fun to do if they think that is a good way to pass the time.

[Telly Savalas]

28. I agree.

Sitting at a computer complaining about how other people spend their recreation time is way more gratifying and enjoyable than going to a parade.

[TahitiNut]

32. I thought the only people who watch parades were the family and friends of people marching in them.

... except, of course, the Tournament of Roses Parade. :dunce:

[sandnsea]

34. Like bitching on a message board???

I can't understand people who don't appreciate the simple pleasure of music and local splashes of color and creativity. It isn't the Louvre for chrissake, it's a parade.

[MLFerrell]

38. Gimbel's is gone, Marge, long gone.

You're Gimbel's.