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From: orb@whuxl.UUCP (SEVENER)
Newsgroups: net.politics,net.politics.theory
Subject: Re: Children, Hunger and School Lunches
Message-ID: <1029@whuxl.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 10-Mar-86 17:32:53 EST
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Posted: Mon Mar 10 17:32:53 1986
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> From Guy: 
> Now for my meaningless personal report.  I know a person who is totally
> dependent on government aid for her support, no children, and who
> runs out of food stamps early sometimes.  I'm not sympathetic.
> Why? Am I just a cruel Reaganite?  No, I'm a compassionate Reaganite,
> like most of us, but I know what she does with her money.  Largely
> it is wasted on consumer goods.  She exhibits no frugality and as
> such I think that her problems are mostly her fault.  
> 
> If there were kids, I'd try to help them, kids aren't responsible for
> the idiocy of their parents.  Unfortunately, to do that it would
> be necessary to get the kids out of her control. (in the hypothetical
> case, since as I've said, she doesn't have any).
> 
> Well, I guess that proves that all social spending is wasted, right Tim?
> 
> Guy

Nope, it doesn't prove that whatsoever.  It demonstrates how utterly
foolish it was for the Reagan administration to cutback on the
school lunch program.  That program may have wasted some money by
providing subsidies to some children who didn't really need them.
But for many poor children (who are incidentally the majority of
the children in this country at this time) it provided a guaranteed
good meal at least once a day.  It also provided a material incentive
for poor kids to attend school if for no other reason than to
feed their growling stomachs.   The Reagan Administration has *not*
been totally successful in eliminating the school lunch program -
but it has hardly been for lack of trying. Such a policy will haunt
us in the future when these kids grow up with brain deficiencies
for the rest of their lives because of inadequate nutrition when
they were young.

    tim sevener  whuxn!orb