Yosemite's link to the prison system and dirty money
People have been saying for a while now that the NPS rule over the parks is out of hand and is more akin to a totalitarian government placing and enforcing unjust regulations at the whim of big corporations. Well here is an interesting observation that I noticed that may just move Yosemite closer to something run like a prison system.
Aramark was just given a huge concession deal for Yosemite. Under the 15-year, 2 billion dollar deal scheduled to begin on March 1, 2016, Aramark will manage Yosemite's hospitality programs encompassing lodging, food and beverage, retail, recreational and transportation services.
http://www.sfgate.com/...Yosemite-6333876.php
If you don't know who Aramark are, they are the largest provider of meals and services to prisons, among other things. http://www.aramark.com/...rectional-facilities
They are also known for their low quality food and services they provide as well as their commitment to scam as much money from their customers as possible. Here is a great article on the food it provides to prisoners.
http://www.truthdig.com/...or_your_dog_20131222
A few quotes from the article...
In reply to:
More than 270 prisoners were sickened in April 2008 at Florida’s Santa Rosa Correctional Institution after eating Aramark chili. Some 50 prisoners at Colorado’s Larimer County Detention Center became ill in February 2008 after eating Aramark chili. Prisoners in Clayton County, Ga., were not served hot food from October 2009 to the following Jan. 22 because the pressure cookers in the jail kitchen were inoperable. In February 2009 a Camden County, N.J., health report found that the Aramark-run kitchen in the county jail had “mice throughout kitchen and storage area.” Mouse droppings were discovered in butter. Several food items, including grits, chicken, rice and beef, were not stored at temperatures low enough to protect against contamination. Prisoners at the county jail in Santa Barbara, Calif., went on a hunger strike last summer to protest the Aramark food, and inmates at Bayside State Prison in New Jersey went on a hunger strike in October for the same reason. Prisoners in Macomb County, Mich., are currently eating only cold food because of a mold problem in the jail kitchen. And auditors at Florida’s Department of Corrections have charged that Aramark billed the state for $5 million worth of “phantom” meals.
That's ok if you don't want to eat the food that's provided by Aramark, you can just go buy something at the commissary... also owned by Aramark.
In reply to:
Aramark, whose website says it provides 1 million meals a day to prisoners, does what corporations are doing throughout the society: It lavishes campaign donations on pliable politicians, who in turn hand out state and federal contracts to political contributors, as well as write laws and regulations to benefit their corporate sponsors at the expense of the poor. Aramark fires unionized workers inside prisons and jails and replaces them with underpaid, nonunionized employees. And it makes sure the food is low enough in both quality and portion to produce huge profits.
All you have to do is follow the money trail to see how a company with such appalling quality control regulations, and utter disregard for human health could be given such a large governmental contract.
From Aramark's website it say that they gave $400,000 to the Nation Park Foundation Centennial Celebration campaign which marks the National Park Service 100 year anniversary in 2016. http://www.aramark.com/...onal-park-foundation
You can then go to the National Park Foundation website and look at their partner page where Aramark are prominetly displayed at the top of the list with a donation over 1 million dollars. http://www.nationalparks.org/about-us/our-partners
So there you go another example of how corporate greed and corrupt politicians are controlling our country and our parks. It seems the food concession will be something to behold and I can't wait to see what Aramark will do with the recreational services and other parts of the contract...
