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From: radford@calgary.UUCP (Radford Neal)
Newsgroups: net.politics.theory,net.politics
Subject: Re: Extent of hunger in America
Message-ID: <454@calgary.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 15-Oct-85 22:54:06 EDT
Article-I.D.: calgary.454
Posted: Tue Oct 15 22:54:06 1985
Date-Received: Wed, 16-Oct-85 16:03:14 EDT
References: <203@gargoyle.UUCP> <3913@topaz.RUTGERS.EDU> <215@gargoyle.UUCP>
Organization: University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta
Lines: 43

> *Hunger in America* makes a number of recommendations which are
> summarized as follows:
> 
> --We call upon Republicans and Democrats in the US Congress to take
> immediate action to feed the hungry.  The House and Senate leadership
> should prepare an emergency legislative package to respond to the
> hunger crisis.  The components of the plan should include:
> 
> 	---Strengthening the food stamp program.
> 	---Strengthening school and other meals programs for children.
> 	---Utilizing the WIC and Medicaid programs more fully to
> 	   protect high-risk children.
> 	---Expanding elderly meals programs to be certain that all
> 	   low-income elderly have access to congregate meals or the
> 	   Meals-on-Wheels program.
> 	---Protecting families by strengthening income support
> 	   programs.

Conspicuously absent from this list are the following:

	--- Eliminate all programs designed to reduce the amount of
            land under cultivation and hence keep up food prices.

	--- Do away with legislation granting monopolies to certain 
            food producers (e.g. milk producers) which also keep up
            food prices.

        --- Eliminate all tarifs and import quotas on food, designed
            to keep food prices high.

all of which libertarians favour, of course. Adopting somewhat statist 
methods, I don't see any proposals like the following:

	--- Establish government-run food stores in affected areas which
            offer low prices by concentrating on "no-frills" staple foods
            and offer nutritional advice. (run on a non-profit, non-loss 
            basis)

I would guess that food prices (at the retail level) might be cut in half
by measures like this. Could it be that the government is not interested
in anything which doesn't require a beaurocracy?

     Radford Neal