Race To The Bottom: The Department Of Walmart Education | Crooks and Liars
"Do you recall the 2014 study that found the largest private employer in the country was actually costing Americans over $6.2 billion in taxpayer subsidies? According to the report, Walmart also received $1 billion in tax breaks annually and $70 million in state and local subsidies. Employees were prevented from working full time so that the company could save on health care and other employee benefits packages. Many were on food stamps as well as other assistance. All the while, The Walton family was raking in billions upon billions upon billions. Yet, the Walmart devotees never strayed. Yes it was all very sad, but who could say no to the low, low prices of Doritos, rifles and cold medicine? The Walton family now owns only 50% of Walmart stores. Sadly, that means they only make billions upon billions having lost the last chunk of billions. But never fear, for they have invested wisely. So much so that they have been able to give over $1.3 billion, by their own estimates, to K-12 education during the last two decades through their Walton Family Fund. But it's not just any education that the Waltons love, it's for-profit education. The Waltons love charters so much, they even sit on many pro-charter, pro-school choice organizations' boards. John Walton, Walmart's founder, co-founded the Children's Scholarship Fund and the Alliance for School Choice. His granddaughter, Carrie Walton Penner, is on the board of the KIPP Foundation, the Alliance for School Choice and the California Charter School Association. Carrie's husband, Greg Penner, is a member of the National Teach for America board and the director of the Charter Growth Fund. Christy Walton co-chairs the Children's Scholarship Fund, and Annie Walton Proietti works with KIPP in Denver, Colorado. Through their foundation, the Waltons have given to one in four start-ups nationally."
