Wal-Mart heiress in cheat probe returns diploma

[Debau2005]

"Elizabeth Paige Laurie's name was on a sports arena when a former University of Southern California roommate alleged the Wal-Mart heiress paid her $20,000 to do her homework. Now it isn't even on a USC diploma."

http://www.cnn.com/2005/US/10/19/walmart.cheating.ap/in...

Are we surprised?

[Divernan]

1. She was too dumb to get a do-not-disclose contract w/ roommate!

Wonder what her SATs were.

[afdip]

4. no, you should wonder who took her sats

[superconnected]

29. hahahahahahaha

good one!

[cantstandbush]

22. Proof again that intelligence, experience are only required of those

who are underprivileged to get jobs, positions, and credit. "Born rich" or "carry their water" is the only criteria to make it in this country. Everyone else is left behind. Affirmative Action was and is a shame and only used by the right to garner conservative voting support for their programs of greed. AA has largely benefited women and Latinos and left behind those who started the actions. A few African-American Republicans have made it by "carring the water." If it were not for the entertainment and sports world most African-American wealth would be concentrated in the hands of the political few. The really great African American scientists and business men and women you seldom hear about and most do not become wealthy.

[JoFerret]

2. Saw this exposed on some TY program

a while back. Amazingly blatant and stupid.

[tabasco]

3. I suppose she thought "why do I need a real education?"

"I'm a Walmart heiress."

Good example of how the rich become slovenly and worthless.

[XOKCowboy]

6. Not according to Neil Boortz

It does give a new perspective on his "The Rich Are Better" theory. Asshat.

[rocktivity]

39. Janeane Garafalo was doing a phone interview on AAR

and she played the sound effect of a baby crying. The interviewee said, "Who's that? It sounds like Neal Boortz's voice."


rocknation

[hatrack]

27. Coals to coals . . .

Some things never change.

[lies and propaganda]

5. I wonder how much a sprawl mart degree goes for...

42.97?
wait rollback.... 39.24!

[PinkTiger]

7. Some rich people are sooooooo stupid.

What is really ironic here is, most of the Waltons would never stoop to this. I know Jim and Lynne really well (youngest son of Sam and his wife) and they have a strong work ethic and moral sense. This is Bud Walton's granddaughter, I think. They were not raised around Wal-Mart culture so much.
The money has corrupted them. It is really sad, because this many billions could be worth so much more than your name on a sports arena and paying someone to go to class for you. I'm sure a lot of people do this; it probably goes on more than we know. George Bush could even have paid someone to do his work, but if he did this, he didn't get a good deal -- his grades were below average.

[pop goes the weasel]

9. interesting

Do they ever tell you why Wal-Mart engages in union busting and hiring of illegals and stopped selling American-made goods, etc.? Is there any disagreement in the family over those things?

And, mostly, why are their stores designed so that there are big columns right in the middle of the aisles so that no one can get past with a cart or wheelchair or stroller or an extra 20 pounds?

Surely some evil force must be in possession of Walmart. Is it the big brother?

[PinkTiger]

10. Actually, Jim and Lynne have never had dealings with the stores, per se.

Jim is now on the board, recently named after his brother's untimely death. But the stores' layout and design, and the union busting are all done by corporate geeks.
I was actually just pointing out that the work ethic as I know it to be by some Waltons is not the same as that of Paige and her parents.

[pop goes the weasel]

11. I was thinking that maybe

maybe, just maybe, there was some good scuttlebutt to be had.

I hope that your friend Jim can use his position to make Walmart a better corporate citizen.

[PinkTiger]

12. I'm sure he will if he can.

But you must realize, he is only one voice, and the family has never had the ear of the new regime since Sam died. Because it is a publicly traded company, and because the managers have a tenacious hold on everything, Jim can't really do much there.
He is the chairman of the board of the Walton Foundation, a private family philanthropic arm funded by family fortunes. And he also runs Arvest Bank, his brainchild.
When I worked for him I was with the daily newspaper he used to own in Bentonville, Ark. I worked in advertising for several years, left and got my degree in journalism and came back as a news reporter.
The Arkansas Democrat Gazette purchased his newspaper and the weeklies in Benton County, Arkansas that he owned, effective Oct. 1.

[pop goes the weasel]

26. That's the problem with public corporations

Family-owned ones generally are run with the realization that everything that the company does will reflect on the family. Publicly traded ones don't give a rat's ass that they are ruining a family's name.

[JusticeForAll]

45. Change Course?

Wait...so Sam built this behemoth corporation to monopolize local industries and perfect anti-competitive behaviors by aligning all their supply and distribution chains, which had the effect of destroying communities and forcing them to accept work in substandard conditions and substandard pay (and subverted hiring laws while they were at it) and you think members of the family want to just throw it all to the wind and make the world a better place?

I hope so.

[brainshrub]

16. So he's on the board, his father was the founder but he can't do anything?

Yeah, riiiiiiiight.

[brainshrub]

15. If Jim & Lynne had such a strong moral sense, they'd stop hurting the poor

The Walton's family fortune is based on the backs of the poor. They could easily pay everyone in the Wal Mart system a living wage, and still be billionaires.

[PinkTiger]

37. I'm sorry you don't get it.

But they don't have a voice really, and because of their inheritance, people are even less likely to listen.
I can tell you this, though; people who work at the home office and people who work at one of the subsidiary companies are treated very well, and have excellent benefits.
It has a ripple effect; today I work in a city 60 miles north, but my insurance pays better in Bentonville than it does in Joplin, MO., where I work.
Same insurance; different payout.

Jim and Lynne are wonderful people. John was a great guy (the one who died recently) and Rob is a nice guy who does good things for the community. But none of these people are Sam. And even Sam, once he did the Hula on Wall Street, was limited in his power.

[Scout1071]

8. I'm sorry, but as a Jayhawk, this article simply makes me giggle.

I know it's wrong. I really do. I just can't help it.

[Blue_Tires]

18. another Jayhawk here

and yes, stories about that girl's party habits are well-documented...think Paris Hilton without the classy upbringing

[Scout1071]

36. Paris Hilton - Wal-Mart style. I laughed and even felt some pity

last year after they opened the arena. They had to spend millions to replace all the brand new arena signage, COURT (they had Page painted on the court), Athletic dept stationary, etc.

Serves them right for naming that damn arena after a 22 year old girl that didn't even go to Mizzou.

[1932]

13. The most important part of this story is this:

The person who did Paige's work (getting her As and Bs( was her freshman year roommate who couldn't afford to return to USC to complete her education. IIRC, she transferred to a state or junior college in the middle of nowhere, where she not only did all Paige's work earning her a degree, but she completed her own degree.

People should be outraged that a competent, smart student had to drop out of a more prestigious college where she was clearly academically qualified, and because of money had to go to a school that narrowed her opporutnities.

[bleedingheart]

14. Proof that the inheritance tax is a good thing...

I want one of those self-righteous "the rich deserve their wealth" people to tell me that it is okay that a WalMart heiress can buy a degree and yet the gal who did her homework has to drop out cuz she can't afford the tuition...

[Thor_MN]

46. Nail on the head, etc.

You are exactly right!! The purpose of the inheritance tax is to work against aristocracy. There is something to be said for not giving the power of too much money to people that have no knowledge of how to earn it. I'm not against passing on weath to your heirs, but beyond a certain point, you are putting loaded guns into the hands of naive children.

[baldguy]

17. The über-rich are parasites on society.

This just proves it.

[henslee]

19. I have a bigger problem with the doublecrosser snitch than Laurie.

[Canuckistanian]

20. Yeah, how dare she expose cheating by a rich person

This is unamerican.

[Bridget Burke]

21. Good for the "doublecrosser snitch"

She got the money--even though it was not enough to keep her in the better school.

And the rich bitch was embarrassed. You may weep for her if you wish.

[henslee]

28. Sorry, if I'm just not part of the DU "hate the rich" posse. I'm part of

the "your word is your bond" posse. And whether or not it was in writing, it was pretty obvious those two had a deal.

[superconnected]

30. But cheating doesn't bother you?

[henslee]

33. Sure it does but ratting out someone who payed you 20 grand

for that work probably bothers me more. Just me I guess. And lets face it people cheat all the time.

[progressivebydesign]

35. "people cheat all the time" Does NOT make it right!

That is one of the first things your parents try to teach you,and hopefully it sticks. Just because other people are cheating, does not make it right or okay. Cheating is NEVER okay. Never.

The woman who took the money to help her cheat was WRONG. The woman who paid her was WRONG. I see your point about her taking 20k for it, then suddenly coming out with the info because she was willing to take the money.. .perhaps she had a fit of guilt over it, or perhaps anger. But I can't fault her for coming clean. I can fault her for going in on the deal in the first place.

[geebensis]

23. Intellectual Dishonesty...

The woman who did the work for money showed as much intellectual dishonesty as the Walton heir who paid for it.

Then, to top it off, she ratted her room mate out on it.

The rich girl did what thousands of other rich kids do in colleges all over the country every single day. It's infuriating to know it's going on, and satisfying when they get caught.

But the other girl -- she's a whole different specie of sanke. To take $20k to help someone cheat is bad. To turn them in for it later -- I guess there's truth to the adage "There's no honor among thieves."

I pity anyone who ever trusts that woman with anything.

[bleedingheart]

24. hmmmm...let's see...you can't afford college....so you help a rich kid

pass....

but even doing so ...you still can't afford the college...so you are forced to leave ...


I see why she snitched...and I understand what made her help the girl cheat in the first place. Being poor sucks and sometimes you do things that you would not normally do.

However...if you are a stinking rich kid who has all the money in the world...and you still can't do your own homework...then you are a failure.

Meanwhile...I went to school on grants and scholarships and workstudy...I worked 40 hours a week while getting my degree...and yet a rich gal with no obligations but to study ...can't do it?

[geebensis]

31. That's why it's so satisfying...

I also worked 40 hours a week (sometimes more) while getting my degree. I was constantly amazed by the rich kids who didn't work, always were flush with cash when party time rolled around, and yet had to cheat their way through, change to an "easier" major, or just plain drop out.

It's satisfying when they get what's coming to them.

But I still can't understand why the girl ratted her out. What did she stand to gain? She exposed herself as a cheat and a backstabber. For what? To break the startling news that rich people can pretty much buy anything?



<edited to correct sub kollege level spelling>

[bleedingheart]

34. I bet she ratted on her to sell her story...and boy what

schadenfreude to watch that heiress turn in her degree....

so perhaps the poor gal can at least feel good that neither got the degree in the end....very petty but hey...sometimes a bit of pettiness makes one feel better for a few moments...

[geebensis]

43. Only problem...

...only problem is I doubt too many people would shell out the money for a book titled "I Did A Rich Girls Homework For Money, Then Publicly Humiliated Her So I Could Sell This Book".

I just can't see that one flying off the shelves.

[bleedingheart]

44. who knows but it is definitely Karmic Payback for a family that

holds 4 positions on the worlds wealthiest list....and pays its employees dirt.


on edit:...I was thinking about this and hell people are willing to pay to read a book that a crack head wrote about how she read a bit of "purpose driven life" to another crackhead who had just murdered a bunch of people...and that ordeal was a whole lot shorter than being the paid homework employee for the heir to an immense fortune...what if the WalMart gal told her how this was "common" and named names???? then it gets even better....

[superconnected]

32. It's possible she needed the money just to eat.

20k is not much. Especially over 3.5 years. I'm glad she ratted her out. Perhaps she didn't think it was right to cheat either and just came clean.

[gauguin57]

25. "Wal-Mart Heiress" sounds like the title of a country song.

Maybe by Gretchen Wilson.

[superconnected]

38. apparently this thread should read - Poor student extorts wallmart heiress

for 20k and then rats on her.

Dang she should have tried blackmail to not rat.

Actually, I feel sorry for the poor student and not the heiress.

[rocktivity]

40. I think the student's degree should be rescinded if she got one

Let her use her $20K to buy a degree from an online university. And seeing as tuition at USC was $5,548 last year, she barely broke even on the deal! She was working for two, after all!


rocknation

[geebensis]

42. "she should have tried blackmail to not rat"

I'd bet ten bucks that's exactly what she did.

[bballny]

41. * juat didn't get caught n/t