Jim Hightower's Radio Lowdown

How Do You Spell “BOSS”


Listen Later

What is it about billionaires and multimillionaires that make them both self-entitled and clueless about the impacts of their greed?
Even when they occasionally make a stab at doing something right, they tend to get it all wrong. For example, while major corporations rushed out PR campaigns at the start of today’s devastating pandemic, loudly proclaiming all-in-this-together solidarity with their workers – shhhhh – most have quietly and quickly resumed their pre-pandemic policy of widely separating their rich fortunes from the well-being of their workforce.
Take supermarket giant, Kroger. Last March, as the pandemic spread across America, Kroger honchos publicly hailed grocery workers for staying on the job, despite the health hazard. They ran national TV ads announcing a $2 pay hike for employees, calling it a “heroes bonus.” Nice!
But only six weeks later – shhhhh – the honchos killed the bonus pay, even as the virus spread. Not nice.
Well, you might think, the economy was collapsing, so maybe the bosses had to skrimp. Hardly. Grocery sales and profits have boomed in the pandemic, and – as the investigative newsletter Popular Information now reports – Kroger’s profits have zoomed up by $1.2 billion since the disease surged last year.
Where did that bonanza go? To fat-cat executives and shareholders. Last September, Kroger spent a billion dollars on a stock buyback program – a corporate manipulation scheme that artificially jacks-up stock prices, thus enriching the already-rich handful of investors and executives who own most of the stock. How rich are they? One example: Kroger CEO Rodney McMullen’s latest annual paycheck was $21,129,648.
One man, one year. And, unlike the typical Kroger workers who draw only $27,000 a year, McMullen is not on the frontline putting his life at risk.
And yet, those on top of America’s financial heap wonder why working families spell “boss” backwards – Double-SOB.
...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

Jim Hightower's Radio LowdownBy Jim Hightower

  • 4.8
  • 4.8
  • 4.8
  • 4.8
  • 4.8

4.8

338 ratings


More shows like Jim Hightower's Radio Lowdown

View all
The Rachel Maddow Show by Rachel Maddow, MS NOW

The Rachel Maddow Show

37,094 Listeners

Best of the Left - Leftist Perspectives on Progressive Politics, News, Culture, Economics and Democracy by Best of the Left: Perspectives on Politics, Culture, and Economics

Best of the Left - Leftist Perspectives on Progressive Politics, News, Culture, Economics and Democracy

3,373 Listeners

The Nation Podcasts by The Nation Magazine

The Nation Podcasts

437 Listeners

Ralph Nader Radio Hour by Ralph Nader

Ralph Nader Radio Hour

1,206 Listeners

The Intercept Briefing by The Intercept

The Intercept Briefing

6,111 Listeners

The DSR Network by The DSR Network

The DSR Network

1,796 Listeners

Stay Tuned with Preet by Preet Bharara

Stay Tuned with Preet

32,338 Listeners

The Hartmann Report by Thom Hartmann

The Hartmann Report

1,379 Listeners

Why Is This Happening? The Chris Hayes Podcast by MS NOW, Chris Hayes

Why Is This Happening? The Chris Hayes Podcast

9,452 Listeners

The Al Franken Podcast by The Al Franken Podcast

The Al Franken Podcast

8,554 Listeners

Justice Matters with Glenn Kirschner by Crossover Media Group

Justice Matters with Glenn Kirschner

2,949 Listeners

Unf*cking The Republic by UNFTR Media

Unf*cking The Republic

706 Listeners

#SistersInLaw by Politicon

#SistersInLaw

10,506 Listeners

Countdown with Keith Olbermann by iHeartPodcasts

Countdown with Keith Olbermann

5,549 Listeners

Main Justice by MS NOW, Andrew Weissmann, Mary McCord

Main Justice

7,091 Listeners