The Divide: American Injustice in the Age of the Wealth Gap Highlight

Years after the collapse of Lehman Brothers, many of the company’s creditors were still feeling the sting. The city of Long Beach, for instance, has been enacting sweeping budget cuts ever since the crash. In the first year after Lehman’s collapse, the Long Beach school system cut summer school classes and bus routes for one thousand students. The city announced plans to lay off thirty-four policemen and close at least one fire station. The mayor asked the city council to cut all funding for the Long Beach Museum of Art. And the city continues to be way behind the financial eight ball. In fact, its projected deficit for 2013 almost exactly matches the Lehman shortfall—$20.3 million.