First Lady Michelle Obama greeted the official White House Christmas Tree, which arrived via horse-drawn carriage. Daughters Sasha and Malia and First Dog Bo also helped welcome the tree.The official White House Christmas tree, a 19-foot Fraser Fir, arrives in a horse-drawn carriage at the North Portico of the White House, Nov. 23. The tree was selected in early October and harvested this month at Peak Farms in Jefferson, N.C.  It will be displayed throughout the holiday season in the Blue Room. Members of the National Christmas Tree Association have presented the official White House Christmas Tree for display in the Blue Room each year since 1966. PHOTO: Chuck Kennedy/The White House

By Julianne Malveaux

(TriceEdneyWire.com) - When I think of Thanksgiving Day, I think of family, gathered around a table that groans with turkey and dressing, green beans and candied yams, mac and cheese or whipped potatoes, and lots of other goodies.  I look forward to seeing folks I haven’t seen in awhile, savor the food and fellowship, bring in the late evening over coffee and pie.  Nobody is rushing out to go shopping – most people save that for the Friday after Thanksgiving, often called: Black Friday, because many stores find themselves in the black after the profligate shopping that day.

There have been tragedies associated with Black Friday shopping.  A few years back a Walmart employee was trampled to death by a crowd way too eager to get to the consumer goods.  There have also been fights, altercations, bruises, and cuts as customers have vied for some of the scarce goods available or for crazy deals (often only for the first 200 people).  Lines often snake around stores as people wait for a chance for a bargain.

Now Walmart has upped the ante.  Last year they opened at 10 p.m. and this year they will open at 8 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day.  Just when folks settle down from their meal and start swapping lies, someone is going to have to get up and rush to work so they can serve those consumers who want to shop on Thanksgiving Day.

Many of those who will work do so out of desperation.  Many Walmart employees don’t have a full forty-hour shift; some find their hours adjusted each week.  Thanksgiving work will augment scarce incomes.  Just this week, I talked with a couple whose joint income at Walmart is $26,000 a year, partly because neither has a full week’s schedule.

There are those who say, “well, why do they work there than”, suggesting that there are easy alternatives.  But Walmart is one of our nation’s largest employers, and they often set the tone for similar stores like Best Buy, Sears and others.  With Walmart opening at 8 p.m. on Thanksgiving, their competitors will follow because they don’t want to lose momentum to Walmart.

This is why some Walmart employees are protesting the way that Walmart treats its employees.  They want to inform the public of illegal actions that Walmart has taken against its employees, and have initiated a series of protests, including strikes, rallies, an online campaign, and other actions.  Their organization, Making Change at Walmart says that Walmart can help revive our economy if they will simply offer workers full-week schedules and fair pay.

Barbara Ehrenreich captured the ways that people are forced to work at a store very much like Walmart in her book, Nickeled and Dimed.  She wrote about the workers who were forced to work “off the clock”, after they had punched out, or before they punched in.  She wrote about the low pay.  And she wrote about those supervisors who had made a deal with the devil – implementing unfair policies for their own survival.

When Walmart employees speak out there is retaliation.  They are fired, or their hours are cut back.  They very swiftly get the message that speaking out will be punished.  Too many silently seethe at unfair policies; too dependent on the little pay they get to raise their voices.

This is why the Making Change at Walmart campaign is so important.  It challenges the notion that economic growth is dependent on the exploitation of workers, and suggests, instead, that paying people a living wage is a way to grow a stable and secure workforce.

Walmart is not the only company that prefers to pay its workers on a part-time basis.  Many fast-food operations do the same thing, varying hours each week so that workers have no way of knowing when they will work.  This means they have difficulty arranging for childcare with these variable hours.  Of course, that this does not concern their employers.  They are more interested in their bottom line, profits.

Many who are aware of the labor exploitation at Walmart say that their prices and deals are unbeatable, and with their money tight they have no choice but to seek the best bargains they can find.  Yet the price of the great deals is exploitation of another worker.

The action to inform Walmart customers about Walmart’s unfair pay and illegal actions allows people who shop on Thanksgiving Day and on other days to make informed decisions about their shopping.  One of the ways consumers can make a statement is to stay home on Thanksgiving Day, enjoying family, giving thanks, and postponing shopping.

By Hazel Trice Edney

(TriceEdneyWire.com) – U. S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr., upon resigning from the U. S. Congress last week, received accolades from his colleagues in the Congressional Black Caucus, who cited the “rich legacy” of service that he provided to his constituents.

”For close to two decades, Rep. Jackson Jr. has served and fought for the people of Illinois’s Second Congressional District. He has diligently worked to be their voice in Congress, to improve their quality of life and the communities in which they live,” said CBC Chairman Emmanuel Cleaver (D-Mo.) in a statement. “Time and time again, his constituents supported him because he proved his unwavering commitment. No one can deny that Rep. Jackson Jr. has been one of the greatest advocates for the people he served… Rep. Jackson Jr. has been an esteemed Member of Congress and of the Congressional Black Caucus and will depart with a rich legacy in place. His presence and contributions to this body will be missed.”

Jackson has been absent from Capital Hill since May. Still, his Nov. 21 resignation hit hard coming from a member of Congress once considered as a rising star within the Democratic Party. Jackson, the son of civil rights leader the Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr., was an avid advocate for the poor and served on the Appropriations Committee.

He resigned to continue treatment for a diagnosed bi-polar disorder. His resignation also comes amidst a federal investigation into his handling of campaign finances among other financial questions. However Jackson has not been charged with a crime.

A successor has not yet been named for the seat. Illinois Gov. Patt Quinn, a Democrat must now schedule a primary and general election. Meanwhile, the jockeying has begun. The Associate Press reports that a dozen or more names are already circulating. Among the interested are Chicago aldermen, a former NFL linebacker, and a defense attorney who represented R&B singer R. Kelly and former Gov. Rob Blagjevich, AP reports.

The line up of candidates so concerned Jackson family friend Rep. Congressman Bobby Rush (D-Ill.) that, during a press conference, he reportedly appealed to prospective candidates, "Cool your jets." Rush reportedly said he feared a conservative or Tea Party candidate could win with so many candidates in a race.

The following is Jackson’s letter to House Speaker John Boehner, as printed by the Chicago Defender Newspaper:

“In 1995 when I was first elected to the House of Representatives I came to Washington with a singular purpose - to serve the constituents of the Second District of Illinois. During that time for seventeen years I have traveled on a journey with the citizens of the Second District of Illinois, and with their unwavering support we have worked together to transform what was once an underdeveloped and nearly forgotten South Side of Chicago.

Along this journey we have accomplished much. We have built new train stations, water towers, and emergency rooms. We have brought affordable housing, community centers and healthcare clinics to those who needed it most. In all, nearly a billion dollars worth of infrastructure and community improvement has been made on the South Side of Chicago and thousands of new jobs have been created.

We began this journey by promising fresh water for the people of Ford Heights and a new airport that would employ upon completion 300,000 people. Today the people of Ford Heights have fresh water and sitting on the Governor's desk is 400,000,000 dollar proposal for an airport that will cost the taxpayers nothing and only awaits the Governor's commitment to build it. And while our journey to strengthen our communities and provide a better future for our children will continue, I know that together we have made the Second District of Illinois a better place.

For seventeen years I have given 100 percent of my time, energy, and life to public service. However, over the past several months, as my health has deteriorated, my ability to serve the constituents of my district has continued to diminish. Against the recommendations of my doctors, I had hoped and tried to return to Washington and continue working on the issues that matter most to the people of the Second District. I know now that will not be possible.

The constituents of the Second District deserve a full-time legislator in Washington, something I cannot be for the foreseeable future. My health issues and treatment regimen have become incompatible with service in the House of Representatives. Therefore, it is with great regret that I hereby resign as a member of the United States House of Representatives, effective today, in order to focus on restoring my health.

During this journey I have made my share of mistakes. I am aware of the ongoing federal investigation into my activities and I am doing my best to address the situation responsibly, cooperate with the investigators, and accept responsibility for my mistakes, for they are my mistakes and mine alone. None of us is immune from our share of shortcomings or human frailties and I pray that I will be remembered for what I did right. It has been a profound honor to serve the constituents of Illinois's Second Congressional District and I thank them for their patience, words of support and prayers during what has been, and what will continue to be a very trying time for me and my family.

I also thank my colleagues and staff for supporting me and the citizens of my district over the past several months. I am proud to have worked alongside each of them over these many years. I know that our work and accomplishments will have a lasting positive impact on our community and our nation.

With optimism and hope I look forward to the day when my treatment is complete and my health improves. I will truly miss serving as a Member of Congress and I will never be able to fully express my gratitude to the people of Chicago, and her Southland for granting me the opportunity to serve them for 17 wonderful years. Sincerely, Jesse Jackson, Jr. Member of Congress.”

Blackonomics
By James Clingman

(TriceEdneyWire.com) ...Or will we be jumping from the cliff?  Congress along with the President will determine whether we fall, jump, or back away from the cliff.  While I trust they will get together and make the right decision, I think we should be prepared for the worst case scenario.  How do we prepare?  First of all, learn what the fiscal cliff and its implications are for your personal economy.  Too often we put ourselves in a position of having to react to things that have taken place while we were sleep, literally and figuratively.  We had better stay awake on this one, folks.

In general, the fiscal cliff refers to $7 trillion in tax increases and spending cuts that will take place on January 1, 2013.  For most of us, on a personal level, it means that we can say, Adios, Sayonara, Cheerio, Ciao, and Goodbye to that increase in take home pay, called the Obama payroll-tax holiday that we have been enjoying for the past year or so.  Most workers would see a 2 percent tax increase instead because the “holiday” was at the expense of the Social Security tax.

The broader impact on the economy would be dire as well.  The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimates it would cut gross domestic product (GDP) by four percentage points in 2013, sending the economy into a recession.  It also predicts unemployment would rise to 9 percent with a loss of 2 million jobs.  Neither individual workers nor the economy as a whole can absorb that kind of hit.

With a little less than two months to prepare, you probably should be doing what the big corporations have been doing for a while now: Holding on to your cash.  They have also been converting their financial instruments to cash.  Have you checked out the stock market for the past few days?  If the big boys and girls are scared of falling off the fiscal cliff, what should our position be?

We have heard for the past three years or so that big companies have trillions in cash sitting on the sidelines waiting to see what will happen with the economy. They want to be fairly certain of the long term strategies being put forth by the government.  They are refusing to spend or invest or lend that money until they feel comfortable.  We are complaining about it but that will not get them to release their money back into the marketplace. We complain; they retain.

Our position should mimic theirs, however.  We should not plan to sleep out all night and get up at 3:00 AM to stand in line on the Friday after Thanksgiving ( and this year starting at 9:00 P.M. on Thanksgiving Day!) to spend money we don’t have, to buy something we really don’t need, to impress someone who really doesn’t care.  We should not use the upcoming “holiday” season to be an excuse for frivolous purchases, and a way to satisfy our instant gratification mindset.  We should put off buying all the stuff we usually buy during this time of the year, until we are in better position to do so.

Offers of credit cards, layaway plans, rent-a-couch or a Big Screen TV, and other schemes to get money out of your pocket will intensify over the next few days.  Watch out!  You may get into that debt now and regret it later, especially if Congress and the President do not solve the fiscal cliff issue.  On January 31, 2013, you will find yourself with more month than money if you are not careful.

While I sincerely do not believe the boys and girls in Washington will allow us to fall, jump, or be pushed off the fiscal cliff, I do believe that whatever they decide and agree upon will hurt those at the bottom tier of the economy.  Whether it’s a regressive gasoline tax, the elimination of tax deductions such as home mortgage, medical, and contributions, or whether they choose to put an end to cost of living increases for social security recipients, folks at the bottom will be negatively impacted the most.

No, it’s not fair.  No, it’s not the right thing to do.  No, it’s not moral.  But, after all, it is always about the money, and you know who wins that fight.  So until Black people learn how to refrain from being the best consumers in the entire world, and produce goods and services  to a much greater degree than we do now, we had better learn how to respond appropriately to national and international fiscal issues.   Keep your money in your pocket, the same way big corps are keeping their cash on the sideline, and hold it until you see what direction this nation will be taken by those in charge of it.

You can get that big screen TV, that new car, and that entertainment system later.  Believe me, the manufacturers will be waiting for your dollars next year, and as Jay Leno used to say in his Doritos commercial, “[They’ll] make more.”