Turning Down Food Aid for Millions of Children Reflects Shocking Political Callousness
Turning Down Food Aid for Millions of Children Reflects Shocking Political Callousness
Some governors are putting political philosophy over badly needed aid.
Fifteen states — all but one run by Republican governors — skipped the deadline to apply for a new federally-funded program that will provide $120 per child for groceries during the summer months to families of children who already qualify for free or reduced-price lunch at school.
When I was a child I was a part of one of these free and reduced lunch programs. I probably would have gone hungry if it weren't for those programs. I find it incredibly difficult to comprehend how you can look in the mirror every morning after making decisions like this.
When I was in 5th grade I was on that. Because of that, I wasn’t able to have the upgraded items, which was basically chocolate milk vs regular milk. Since pretty much everyone wanted chocolate milk, I had to say I didn’t like chocolate to avoid the shame of being poor… which turned into a huge thing (to kids) about me being the only one who didn’t like chocolate, and because I had to stick to the lie, I was always given “alternate” treats in class—which always sucked.
That really stinks, I remember the feeling of not wanting the thrifted Hollister or other big name branded clothes my mom would try to get because I knew the other kids would think I had money and treat me differently (poor rural town). It was kind of surreal to be poor, but my parents were fighting the image of poor, only making it harder for us to blend in with the poor community around us. She insisted that they were nice clothes and her children would go to school in nice clothes. To be fair, those clothes were uncomfortable and had print/designs that made it too warm for sweaty pig me. I also had a stutter and an accent from another part of the country, so it wasn't doing me any favors.
I'm glad your parents were able to take advantage of a program that helped them, but man does poverty leave such weird marks on every age involved.
These people stopped looking in the mirror a long time ago.
Nah it’s easy, it’s pretty much the same people trying to bring trump back, so they look in the mirror and smile while pissing on a brown person!
Wait, there was a Democrat that rejected it?
When Louisiana rejected the lunch program, a Democrat was still the governor; on Jan. 8, a Republican took over.
Oh, Louisiana, right, that adds up
They reject the plans saying it doesn’t address quality nutrition or do anything to combat childhood obesity etc…gee I guess fuck those kids and let them starve is a better plan (/s). It’s absolutely out-of-touch and disgusting rhetoric. Of all the groups of people we should care for collectively, kids should be top priority (parent or not, doesn’t matter).
For them it’s just about saying No to a democrat, then making up some bullshit excuse. The don’t know, or understand, and they certainly don’t care.
Imagine withholding funding for food that would keep children healthy, while denying people medical care when they get sick.
This is sickening. How does this not bother them? (Rhetorical, it’s because they try not to think about it. Then they try even harder to find a way to blame others)
It doesn't bother them because it doesn't affect them personally.
So pro-life, they let your children starve.
Well what are we teaching them by giving them food? They'll never have the incentive to work for it if they just get it for free!
🥴
One of the oddballs for the rejection is perhaps South Dakota who indicated that they both lacked the ability to actually administer the program without running afoul of the regulations and lacked the fund to even get it started in the first place.
Or as I took it. We're too incompetent and poor to do this.
Evil, NY Times. The word you're looking for is 'evil.'
if it is a federally-funded program why is it allowed to be state's rights issue?
we need a president that supports federal over state's rights
What would a federal school meal program that operates without the support of the state/local government look like? If schools were federally run then that would be one thing, but they are not.
(I’m really sick of people making absolutely horrible things done by the GOP into a criticism of Biden/Democrats for not doing something extraordinary or impossible to keep it from happening. Especially when the GOP deliberately and cynically does the horrible thing to harm the Democrats’ election chances.)
Could you imagine the uproar if the federal government forced these states to participate in programs like this? Having them volunteer seems better in the long run. I mean, if a place like Ohio feels that strongly about not taking money from the government, why stop them? Speaking as someone who lives there, it's on us to vote out the people too stupid/stubborn to take free money.
How else could this play out when the people making those decisions are so far removed from the people they're hurting? They think it's a game to be played for points in the polls, never mind the collateral damage.
In a better world we'd have some kind of test for empathy for those running for office.
"Thanks for coming in, we have your test results back and it turns out you're an irredemable cunt and therefore you can't run, try being less Republican. All the best."
Psych evals need to be required to hold political office.
This is the best summary I could come up with:
Last week I read something that shocked me, even if it really shouldn’t have: Fifteen states — all but one run by Republican governors — skipped the deadline to apply for a new federally-funded program that will provide $120 per child for groceries during the summer months to families of children who already qualify for free or reduced-price lunch at school.
According to KFF, a nonprofit organization focused on health policy, seven of those states — Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas and Wyoming — are among those that have not fully extended Medicaid to the poor under the Affordable Care Act.
Imagine withholding funding for food that would keep children healthy, while denying people medical care when they get sick.
The cruelty of it is almost incomprehensible, but I’m convinced that this is all part of the punitive posture of so many of today’s Republicans — which in this case is meant to punish poverty, to intensify hardships: their version of an economic “scared straight” program.
Constantly trying to better our lives and hers, she took evening and summer classes to earn certifications and an advanced degree — and that was when she wasn’t teaching night G.E.D.
But now that it has been cut back, one 2023 report found, four in 10 families who had received that extra benefit are skipping meals.
The original article contains 896 words, the summary contains 224 words. Saved 75%. I'm a bot and I'm open source!
Good! I would MUCH rather my taxpayer dollars be used to buy a rich person a new mansion then to FEED STARVING KIDS!
Which of these States is run by a Democrat governor?
Shocking?
From another article:
They include: Alabama, Alaska, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Iowa, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nebraska, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Vermont, and Wyoming.
lol. Standard republican behavior.