Yes, racism (bigotry in general) does exist and will continue, as long as "pocket societies" exist. Classism will be the growing form of bigotry, as the gap between the "haves" and the "have nots" will continue to widen. I guess that this is what Obama is addressing in his "Spread the Wealth" program.

Lower income and financial challenges are not exclusive to minorities. I have seen many white Americans lose their home and jobs. But here are a few observations that frustrate me.

> I have been an IT professional for over 25 years. During my career I was often responsible for hiring employees. To conform to EOE requirements, companies must attempt to hire minorities. I'd say that less than 5% of candidates I reviewed were minorities. You many think that this is because of minorities not having access to education. However, even with intern positions, where only high school education was the requirement, the number of minority candidates was just as low.

> As part of my job, I travel to different facilities. To save time, I drive through low-income areas, where most of the housing is subsidized. I often see high-end vehicles (Escalades, Hummers, Expeditions) all decked out, parked at these housing complexes. The total cost of my last three vehicles is less than a single one of those. Also, I will drive at different times of the day. I see able-bodied adults hanging around, polishing their vehicles and chatting with fellow non-working adults.

> My company operates it's own warehousing and distribution functions. The warehouse employs non-skilled workers; many are minorities. I work with warehouse supervisors regularly. On occasion a warehouse supervisor will express to me his frustration with the workforce, especially among minorities. What happens is he will hire a person, the person will perform at an acceptable level for about 6-9 months, then start to show up late, go home sick, etc. The supervisor has his hands tied because he is subjected to much scrutiny (NAACP) if he takes action to terminate the employee. So, he will lay off the employee with "job eliminated" or "business downturn" as the reason. As the employee was not fired for performance, he/she is entitled to unemployment compensation.

In talking with others, such as my stepson who is an electrician, I learned that this phenomenon is not uncommon. People will work the system by maintaining employment for the minimum required for unemployment compensation, run out the compensation period, obtain another job, work the minimum, get laid off, and so on.

Now, on top of this, Obama wants to "spread the wealth."