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SPREADING THE WEALTH

MAN NAMED JOE WURZELBACHER NOT LONG AGO asked president-elect Barack Obama if his new business would be subject to increased taxes. Obama was quoted as responding, “I think that when you spread the wealth around, it’s good for everybody.”

Since that day, the Democratic senator from Illinois has received weeks of backlash for a platform that is said to echo the works of Karl Marx and so many socialist principals. McCain supporters don’t believe the statement was an innocent slip of the tongue.

Sen. Mel Martinez (R-FL) compared Obama’s policies to those of Cuba, saying, “Where I come from, where I was raised, they tried wealth redistribution. We don’t need that here, that’s called socialism, communism, not Americanism.”

You can sit around all you like and blame the poor for their own plight, but there are children that go to bed every night cold and hungry. According the charity organization Bread.org, 16,000 children die every day from hunger-related causes. In the U.S., 11.7 million children have to skip meals or eat less to make ends meet.

Around the world, famine and diseases ravish thousands. Out of a population of 12 million in Zimbabwe, there were 2.7 million cases of malaria, according to the World Health Organization’s most recent estimates. A little over 1.2 billion in the world live below the poverty line of $1 per day and 6 million children under five die each year from malnutrition.

Here in the U.S., the National Coalition on Health Care reported in 2005 that nearly 47 million Americans were without health care. That number rose by 2.2 million in 2006, an increase of 9 million since 2000.

The United Nations Development Program estimates that the basic health and nutrition needs of the world’s poorest people could be met for an additional $13 billion a year. That should be easy for a country that spends at least $200 billion and 120 billion hours on legal forms of entertainment every year according to author and financial analyst Harold L. Vogel.

That should be easy for a country that, according to the Department of Agriculture, can afford to waste 100 billion pounds of food each year and whose citizens consume 162 gallons of water over the sufficient limit every day. That’s incredible when stood up against countries like Switzerland at 28.9 gallons per person per day and Botswana at 19.3 gallons.

In a statement before the United Nations in 1982, President Ronald Reagan began by saying, “I speak today as both a citizen of the United States, and of the world.” That statement still resonates today, I dare say, in people like Barack Obama. It’s not that I endorse him, but I do endorse a society that extends compassion to ailing nations and values the preservation of life over voracious capitalism.

In Plato’s “Apology” and also in “The Republic,” his distaste for democracy comes through strong. He did not believe that ordinary citizens were fully capable of making wise choices because everyone has natural biases, myself included. Instead, Plato believed that the wisest and most publicly aware among us should guide and govern.

I doubt a strategy like this would ever work in the U.S because the spirit of cooperation is so hard to foster in a capitalist society. While it has its virtues, Karl Marx might have been on to something when he said capitalism was a market that catered more to profit than to social need. Hence, about 5 percent of the population controls 95 percent of the wealth in the U.S.

Right now, I am giving $24 a month to a child named Beatrice Musonda living in poverty-stricken Zambia. I know it’s not much, but can you imagine if every working person in America gave that much to curb poverty and hunger in the world? According to my calculations of the eligible working-age index, that should ideally generate $3.75 billion a year in humanitarian aid for destitute nations.

I guess the question is, how much are we willing to give up to battle hunger, to make sure our 1.6 million square miles of arable land is cultivated efficiently, to put an end to the 6 million tons of carbon being released into the atmosphere every year and the 230 millions tons of trash generated every day, less than a quarter of it recycled.

It’s all matter of prerogative. If Maslow’s physiological needs, including adequate food and water, take a back seat to profit and self-sufficiency, then we’re in the perfect country.

But it should really be the other way around. Individual success should wait on clean air, clean water and enough food for everybody. It should wait on life.

Campus dining cuts back on open hours

In response to decreasing sales and business rates, The Bucket on campus has been given new hours. Taco Bell has also been given new hours as well. The Bucket’s new hours are from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m while Taco Bell is now open from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m.

“From a student standpoint, we do realize this will alter their routine, but we’re doing everything we can to better help serve our students in this time,” said Brent Hansen, University Courtyard Housing staff member.

“The situation is us taking a step back and surveying when and where our students are going and altering the hours based on these demands,” Hansen said in reference to The Bucket’s lack of business between 3-5 p.m., which helped prompt for the change in hours. “There’s no point in keeping a place open that no one’s going to.”

Debbie Astone, Associate Vice President for Auxiliary Operations, elaborated on The Bucket’s situation. “We do keep the seating area open for students until 5 p.m.,” she said.

“With the closure of the library for construction, we had many students using the seating area to study, group meetings, etc. without ordering food or beverages,” Astone said. “We wanted to make this area available for the students during this time.”

According to Astone, the Taco Bell has seen more business and improvements in customer service. Pizza is no longer sold there, however, it is being sold in The Bucket to decrease the wait time for Taco Bell customers. Sitting room for studying can also be found here, just as it is in The Bucket.

“We plan to continue to operate the current operating hours for the USU Food Court operations,” Astone said.

Hansen backed up this promise.

“We will continue to keep those operations open because we continue to see a demand during breakfast, lunch and dinner,” Hansen said.

Hansen also mentioned how the USU Food Court gets extra business due to students who use the area for studying and socializing. Therefore, the demand is high for these businesses stay open. He also noted the snack bar near the USU’s bowling alley and how its location is key to its steady business due to those who come to play games and want a snack while they’re at it.

Astone discussed future plans regarding campus dining.

“With the planned demolition of the University Center building next summer, Dining Services in consultation with the Food Services Advisory Committee is challenged with identifying additional locations for food and beverage sales without any new facilities being brought on line except for the new Starbucks Coffee location that will be operated by Dining Services in the new Henry Madden Library,” Astone said.

The announcement regarding a Starbucks location might just make the wait worthwhile for regular coffee drinkers on campus.

Astone followed up her first statement saying, “We continue to evaluate the mix of dining options offered and value student input that we get from ASI, USU, and our Web site as well as our Advisory Committee.”

“It has been a challenge with the growing population to find the right locations and food options for our campus community, but we are making improvements,” Astone said. “We also plan to start offering some of our farm market products and snacks in some of our grab ‘n’ go locations.”

The change in hours might require a change in schedule for some students, especially if their classes are in the evening.

Loss of options

The campus ‘Master Plan’ doesn’t make room for food

Soon, students will have to look elsewhere to get their Taco Bell fix.

Starting in Spring 2009, demolition of the University Center, which houses Taco Bell, will begin. This is part of the university’s Master Plan, a 10-year strategy that details changes to the university’s buildings and infrastructure, such as Campus Pointe and the expanded Henry Madden Library.

Taco Bell, The Bucket and The Vintage Room will have to be transferred to another location or, if there is no location available, those services will be removed from campus. The Food Services Committee is currently discussing its options.

“We’re in talks about where to move them, but it’s been difficult finding a new location. There is really no room left in the Master Plan,” Brent Hansen, marketing coordinator for Auxiliary Corporations, said.

From food to Free Speech

The University Center is being demolished so that the size of the Free Speech Area can be increased, said Tom Gaffery, Administrative Project Coordinator for the Office of the Vice President for Administration.

“It’s being demolished to make way for the Free Speech Plaza, which will link the library, Peace Garden, Free Speech Area and Rose Garden and make it into one cohesive outdoor space,” Gaffery said.

If Taco Bell and the others are removed, there will only be Panda Express, Subway and Chick-fil-A left on a campus with over 22,000 students, giving them scarce food options. The lines and demand are already high for these restaurants and they may increase if Taco Bell is gone, according to Hansen.

“We are looking at logistics in how lines will operate. We will probably see an influx in business at our other venues,” Hansen said.

“No space”

The committee is well aware of how this will affect students.

“They will probably be disappointed and upset. We are disappointed as well, but we’re trying to counteract that. We are looking at grab-and-go ideas to try and balance things out,” Hansen said.

Freshman Kashoua Thao thinks that the lines are already too crowded.

“The lines, especially for Subway, are always long and sometimes there is only one person cashiering,” Thao said.

Hansen said that there is no plan to bring any more fast-food restaurants to campus anytime soon. It’s not part of the Master Plan and it can be a long process. It usually takes a year and it requires identifying potential vendors, talking with them, having them visit the campus and eventually creating contracts.

“It’s really a logistics issue, not a financial issue,” Hansen said. “We would like to give more food options to students. There’s just no space for it.”

Favorite fair foods

The Collegian asks students what their favorite food at the Fresno Fair is.

Cinnamon roll craze

Few know what ingredients are in those cinnamon rolls, but people at the Fresno Fair just seem to love them. They are just — too good.

The Fresno Fair features a variety of food items that can cause a stir. There are deep-fried Twinkies, massive corn dogs and barbecued tri-tip sandwiches. But one item served at the fair always draws a crowd of loyal customers: the Country Fair cinnamon rolls.

What makes them unique? The cream cheese topping.

While cream cheese may not seem like the kind of topping people would request for a cinnamon roll, it is very much in demand.

“We call it our ‘adult frosting,’” Country Fair cinnamon roll cashier Janis Dale said. “As sweet as our cinnamon rolls taste, the flavor of the cheese only makes it better.”

While Dale could explain some ingredients of the cinnamon rolls, she said she couldn’t reveal every ingredient because the recipe is a family secret.

Fair fare a favorite

Some fairgoers only attend the fair for the cinnamon rolls.

“I worked the fair last year and I would buy [a cinnamon roll] every day I was here,” said Jason Newell of Fresno. “My friend who I worked with would always tell me I’m crazy, but I had to have them.”

Maggie Simms, a Fresno State sociology major, said the cinnamon rolls are the best tasting food at the fair.

“It’s a tradition. When my family goes to the fair, we go for the cinnamon rolls,” Simms said. When asked about how she enjoys a cinnamon roll, she said, “Oh, I totally ate the whole thing.”

One customer walked into the fair for a six pack of fresh cinnamon rolls, and immediately left.

“They are so bomb,” Fresno City College student Anthony Price said. “I haven’t tried the cream cheese topping. [It] sounds like a bad idea.”

“Oh, they’re so good,” said Fresno State kinesiology major Brian Murphy. “Now I have to buy some to take home for my girlfriend because if she finds out I came down here and didn’t get her one, I’ll be in trouble.”

Cinnamon rolls turn into college

So besides the popular taste and tradition of cinnamon rolls, what is it that makes these rolls so special?

“It’s comfort food. It’s like the kind of food Grandma would put on the kitchen table for you,” said Dale.

“It’s a family business. We’ve been in business for 30 years,” Dale said. Dale explained that her family has been able to put her son and daughters through college with money they raised through the cinnamon rolls.

After years of serving cinnamon rolls, one might think venders like Dale may no longer enjoy the taste. But in her case, the cinnamon rolls are part of the daily routine.

“We can’t smell the cinnamon when we work anymore,” Dale said. “But we all still have one cinnamon roll per day.”

Look behind the counter

Campus dining required to show health reports

Whether you “eat fresh” or are trying to “think outside the bun,” there are many restaurant options at Fresno State. What you may not know is that you have the right to walk into any restaurant and look at its health inspection report.

Health inspectors look for many things during routine inspections.

“We take food temperatures, refrigeration temperatures, look at the employees and make sure they’re in good health,” said Damean Jackson of the Fresno County Health Department. “We also make sure the building is clean with no rats.”

How well do campus eateries meet regulations?

To find out just how clean the Fresno State restaurants are, The Collegian conducted an investigation of its own.

Juice it Up! needed a boost for its paper towels, as the restaurant was docked for placing its paper towels on the table instead of in a dispenser. The establishment was also docked for not storing its boxes of food, napkins and lids in their proper place.

Subway, Panda Express and Chick-Fil-A were in the clear with no violations reported. However, it was noted on Chick-Fil-A’s inspection report that the restaurant had fixed its violations from the previous inspection.

The Union Snack Bar had two violations. There were boxes of utensils stored in the electrical closet, and the dipper well at the ice cream station, which is used to rinse the ice cream scooper, was turned off.

“Restaurant inspections are important because they protect the public from food-borne illnesses. While inspections don’t eliminate them entirely, they act as a preventive to minimize outbreaks of illness due to contaminated food,” health science expert Jessica Gocke said.

One Fresno State student had a complaint about cleanliness, but it wasn’t about a restaurant. It was about the underground dining area.

“Sometimes the tables aren’t clean; they’re greasy and have crumbs,” Hnoua Moua, a senior health development major, said.

However, Moua said she doesn’t pay much attention to what’s behind the counter.

Jackson said inspectors are supposed to check the whole restaurant completely, including dining areas.

Health horrors

Inspections usually occur twice a year, depending on the county. In addition, restaurants are always inspected if a citizen files a complaint with the Environmental Health Department, Gocke, who used to be a health inspector herself, said.

She remembers one shocking inspection that she calls the worst.

“The establishment had insect issues, mice and really unsanitary practices,” Gocke said. “I ended up closing the establishment and worked with the owners to get things clean and the insects and mice eradicated as well as a daily plan to maintain cleanliness and sanitation.”

Two campus restaurants lacking reports

The Vintage Room and The Bucket did not have a copy of their inspection report available at the time. The Fresno County Health Department was notified and emphasized that all restaurants are required to have a copy on hand and show it to anyone who wishes to see it.

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