First lady's school lunch plan will cost $4.5 billion

fortwane.com ^ | 11/15/10 | editor

[Nachum]

The question is — be honest — where will the money come from?

Government is chock-full of programs many people view as worthwhile — until the cost is added up. Then, many taxpayers decide priorities need to be set.

That is why liberals in government have become adept at concealing the cost of social programs. One example is currently in the news.

First lady Michelle Obama insists that healthier foods should be served in public school lunches. That will require a new $4.5 billion program, say the program's proponents. The federally funded school-lunch program feeds 31 million low-income American children a year and provides many with the bulk of the calories they consume each day.

[Question Liberal Authority]

The federally funded school-lunch program feeds 31 million low-income American children a year and provides many with the bulk of the calories they consume each day.

This is the maddening thing about the "obesity epidemic". When you're trying to actually feed people who are actually starving, the measure of your success is the number of calories per person fed. When you're trying to determine if a group is undernourished, the measure is calories per person.

However, when you're trying to feed American children, suddenly calories are the enemy. Growing bodies need food. You shouldn't put your kids on a diet just because you can't fit into your jeans.

Kids who are very active tend not to be overweight. Kids who are sedentary can be overweight. Activity is a much greater predictor of weight than diet for kids. Also, most kids eat what they want to eat when they want to eat, and most kids stop eating when they are full. Just because you stick something on the plate, it doesn't mean a kid is going to eat it.

[Misplaced Texan]

School lunch. An interesting topic.

1. We have to feed the students so they have enough energy to learn throughout the day.
2. We have to feed them only nutritious foods. To h**l with the energy aspect from fat and carbs.
3. We have to serve them breakfast because that is the most important meal of the day.
4. We carry a box of dry cereal and a 4oz carton of 1% milk to their classroom to give them that start they need.
5. Too many kids are not getting dinner at home so now we will start feeding an early dinner afer school.
6. Kids are getting too fat, but we feed them 3 times a day at school!

I do not want to see any child go hungry. I also don’t like parents gaming the system.

Where does the responsibility lie for feeding a child. The child’s parents, or the state?

I have to issue a disclaimer. I did eat lunch at school and my parents paid for it, as I did for my children. I don’t know what the cost/profit aspect of a lunch was at that time because it was a long, long time ago. We did have fish sticks every Friday and I have not eaten a fish stick since.

Food Service departments in poor districts generally have more money in the bank than do more affluent districts. This is because they maximize income by receiving 100% reimbursement from the governement,know virtually to the penny how much money they will receive annually and budget it well.

[dalereed]

Quit feeding them at all!!!!

[dalereed]

“All we got (50’s) was milk when I was a kid.”

Only when you paid for it!!

[EternalVigilance]

Whoever feeds you controls you.

In any case, all of this is so far outside the Enumerated Powers granted by the people to the national government through the means of our Constitution that the framers of that document wouldn’t recognize the anti-liberty monster we have created.

[sueuprising]

First of all, in a discussion, ad hominem attacks are disreputable. There is so much wrong in Mrs. Obama’s plan that one does not have to resort to name calling, as that always degrades the argument. In addition, Mrs. Obama is hardly overweight nor is Mrs. Clinton.To say so is just plain childish. That being said, it is the sickening dependence on the Federal government to direct lives that needs to be addressed here. If Mrs. Obama wants to do some good for the overweight children in schools then she should provide nutritional ideas, in print,for parents to emulate at home. She should stop spending the tax payer money for things that individuals can do for themselves.

[Michael.SF.]

The federally funded school-lunch program feeds 31 million low-income American children a year

Bull. My wife works at a school and sees these kids dropped off for their "free" meals by their mothers in SUV's, cell phones in hand.

[Lonely Bull]

The question is — be honest — where will the money come from?

Michelle planted a money tree in the garden.

[riri]

This is an issue that really chafes my butt. My kid's school offers lunch for $2.50. You get the main item (burger, sandwich, etc) and milk. Then if they get anything extra such as fruit snacks, ice cream, cookies, etc. They charge for each of those items.

Reduced lunch is 40 cents for the whole shebang. I just find that aggravating. So, if I buy lunch for my two kids everyday, I am expected to spend $180 to $220 a month while the dead beats get it virtually for free.

[laweeks]

“First of all, in a discussion, ad hominem attacks are disreputable”

There was nothing ad hominem in my “attack.” Clearly, every photo that shows her from the side or rear makes it quite obvious that she has a weight problem. And to say that Hiltery is not overweight too, it rather silly. They’re both overweight. I don’t care if they’re overweight. Just leave US ALONE AND STOP TELLING US WHAT TO EAT AND WHAT OUR KIDS SHOULD BE EATING. It’s a typical case of total liberal hypocrisy.

[LurkedLongEnough]

Death panels ==> soylent green school lunches!

[VOA]

“
My wife works at a school and sees these kids dropped off for their “free”
meals by their mothers in SUV’s, cell phones in hand.
“

My brother fumes about this, justifiably so.
His daughter attends a good public school here in mid-Missouri.
But he gets steamed because a child whose parent is a
well-compensated “public servant”, has a free lunch carried to him
at noon by the cafeteria personnel every day.

My brother says “he’s a little prince” based only on his melanin content.

Apparently “means-testing” for such a program would be “racist”.

[goodwithagun]

An organic money tree, no less.

[familyof5]

I work with the school lunch program and see many of the same things. That’s because the free lunch application is not means tested like food stamps. Also, it used to be that if you qualified for free lunches and your income changed by $50 or more during the year the school needed to be notified. Many people dropped off the program as their situation improved. Now, once you are on the program you’re good for the whole year. Michelle’s program is a huge expansion of benefits, that’s why the price tag.

In my district only 30% of the qualified students eat breakfast. I’ve actually closed down breakfast programs for lack of participation. Drives the bureaucrats nuts!

[sniper63]

Hillary is not overweight, she is undertall.....:-)

[ridesthemiles]

All we got (50’s) was milk when I was a kid.”

WE didn’t GET milk-—WE paid a nickle for it. Carried our lunches- most peanut butter & jelly.

[albie]

By who’s standards is “healthier”? The “food pyrimid” that urges 11 servings of starch a day? Atkins, who urges all protein? Low fat? More fish? Fruit roll ups? Margarine vs butter? Wheat vs. white? Canned fruit with heavy syrup?

[Nachum]

Woody Allen’s 1973 film “Sleeper” ...healthy eating in the future

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1yCeFmn_e2c

[basil]

Back in the 50’s and early 60’s my mother (who was a great cook) cooked the meals in a grade school near us. In those days, they used “government commodities”—is there such a thing today?

Anyway, she cooked everything from scratch. They had a lot of meatloaf or fishsticks meals, but they also had fresh vegetables and fruits. She even baked their bread. For dessert, they usually had some sort of cookies.

To this day, I still have my mother’s folder of all the recipes she used in the school cafeteria. The one that cracks me up is a recipe that makes 300 peanut butter cookies........

[STYRO]

Take a field trip to your local school. Check out how many school employees show up early to prepare and serve food. See how long they stay in the evening. Are these employees with full pay and benefits, paid time off, vacations, health insurance, retirement, etc? How many people standing in line to get these jobs?