Saturday, May 31, 2014

Despite Walker, Ryan Warnings, Government Continues To Feed Dependency

Wisconsin Congressman and 2012 GOP Vice-Presidential candidate Paul Ryan has been warning against citizen dependency on government.

It's a Scott Walker refrain, too, as he and fellow taxpayer-paid careerist Ryan define and defend The American Dream which provides them privilege and paychecks. Said Walker:

While some measure compassion by how many programs the government can provide to those in need, we measure it by helping people no longer require the assistance of the government.
Yet officials in Indianapolis, the biggest city in GOP-run, red state Indiana, are ignoring the facts about irresponsible or lazy Americans by providing more free meals to school children.
It's something they picked up from Communist-run cities, like Dallas, and others.
How can kids grab hold of their bootstraps if they're busy sucking down a free carton of milk?
There is some stupid 'data' which I will cite below from the story about the food handouts - - numbers no doubt faked by the same kind of 'scientists' who hate free markets and sugary foods - - but people who know in their gut that it's all a bunch of hooey will dismiss the 'facts' as fast as you can say "childhood obesity."
The free meal program cuts down child hunger in low-income areas. A study of schools in Illinois, Kentucky, and Michigan that have guaranteed free lunches and breakfasts to all students shows that when meals became free, lunch participation rates increased dramatically, growing by 13 percent over two years.
The change in the number of students eating breakfast was even more striking: Breakfast participation in 2012 was nearly three times higher in schools that opted for the program than schools that did not. This is especially significant because studies show having breakfast is linked to motivation in school and academic success. Nationally, just half of students in the free and reduced lunch program eat breakfast at school, and three-quarters of the nation’s teachers say they have students who often come to school hungry.
By eliminating the application process for free or reduced lunches, the free lunch program also lifts the hurdle of paperwork for low-income families, especially for parents whose native language is not English.
And despite some concerns about the cost of making school lunches free for all students, making meals free can actually cut down on other costs. The bureaucracy associated with determining whether a child qualifies for free or reduced-price lunches can be complex and therefore expensive. And many reduced-price eligible students who use the meal program but still find it hard to pay for meals run up cafeteria debts that never get paid.
Walker is right. This is the nightmare that is killing The American Dream.

Cross-posted at Purple Wisconsin.

3 comments:

Gareth said...

It's amazing to me that people on the right expend so much psychic energy worrying that not enough children are going hungry. Their minds are possessed by a strange social determinism which holds that hunger builds character in children, while simultaneously preaching that greed and gluttony are the ultimate social virtues. Jesus wept.

TSE said...

The irony is that government is entirely dependent. These people are part of the problem that created the situation, now they want to punish those they created.

Dealing with today's reality:

1. There needs to be a guaranteed minimum income for all people - with monthly payments that must be used during that month - or lost. No accumulation of these benefits will be allowed. They are to be spent into the economy.

2. These benefits must be tied to the use of birth control, with incentives for being sterilized. Birth control and abortion services are to be provided free of charge.

3. Breeding must be licensed with requirements to prove financial responsibility and the ability to provide adequate nurturing at every level.

That is a compassionate and reasonable plan to restore a balance in the Land.

NOTE: For those who "object" to any perceived cost - The Federal Reserve issues a pure fiat currency whose only value is based upon a belief and the Petro-Dollar backed by the force of the US Military. Issuing the FIAT for this purpose can be done by simple agreement and kept off the books. It will mitigate the problems caused by the failure of "The Great Society" in a humane way.

Anonymous said...

Its really the likes of walker and ryan -- essentially their entire lives of the public dole -- and multinational corporate interests and billionaires like the koch brothers that are suckling on the public teat.

The wealthy and life-long politicians that attack the poor are the ones that are raiding the public coffers.