It's official. Yesterday, President Obama signed off on the The Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010. This $4.5 billion measure provides more money to subsidize free meals for more students and will allow the federal government more control over what schools can sell on school grounds (i.e. vending machines and fundraisers). To help offset the higher cost of more fruits and vegetables, the law also increases the reimbursement rate for school lunches.
Opponents of the law largely opposed it because it would take away money from the federal food stamp program. Over the summer, Congress also took money from the food stamp program to help fund legislation that would give more money to cash strapped states in order to avoid more teacher layoffs.
The first lady, Michelle Obama, has made it a primary goal as part of her "Let's Move" initiative to get this bill passed, stating "...in the end, nothing is more important than the health and well-being of our children. Nothing." Before signing the bill, Mr. Obama joked "Had I not been able to get this bill passed, I would be sleeping on the couch." To which Michelle Obama said "We won't go into. Let's just say it got done. Don't have to go down that road."
Do you think the Obamas made the right choice in signing the bill in? And ultimately, will it be worth cutting so much from our food stamp program?
7 comments:
I think the Hunger-Free Kids Act is a great idea, i even think something like this should have been implemented sooner. Even though it does take away from the food stamp program, i believe that because children are the future, they need to be adequately fed in order to help the young underprivaleged geniuses out there.
The Food Stamp Program may begin to suffer in the long run because of increased cuts to the program but if the money goes to causes such as the HHFA then i approve. And obviously Obama was joking...dont take it out of context.
I think the passage of this law is great in that it will help curb childhood obesity, and will help fight nationwide obesity at a younger age. I agree with Bryce that the money taken out of the food stamp program that is put into this new law is worth it. I think most people will agree that money put into this new program will have a greater effect than it would in the food stamp program. One aspect of the new act that could prove interesting is the provision of the law that allows "federal government more control over what schools can sell on school grounds." Do you think this could disgruntle some students or anyone else?
I disagree with the passage of this law, and here's why: I think it does not make sense to put obesity as a problem ahead of poverty. Childhood obesity is caused by failure of a parent to adequately regulate what their child does or does not eat. I do not believe that it is the right of the school to dictate what we chose as our diet. And I would not have as much of a problem with this bill if the money that funds this program did not come from the Food Stamp program. Families need to eat. Duh. And with the cutbacks, we're going to see a huge economic spike from direct and indirect costs. Some direct costs include families having to allocate more funds to their groceries and cutting back on what they're spending on consumer products that makes our economy move. An indirect cost: poorer people who cannot afford good food tend to buy really really unhealthy food, not only causing more obesity in lower-income households, but increasing heath costs associated with increasing heart disease cases. Not to mention the fact that if they are poor, chances are, they cannot afford adequate health care coverage and then we, the taxpayers end up covering them. See my point? Economics aside, I think it is cruel to take away money that OUGHT to be allocated to food, and then turn it around to make sure other kids don't get fat. It's a very charming irony.
That being said, it is good that it supplements the reduced lunch program. That is definitely one good thing, though I would have liked for funding to come from an alternate source. Like defense.
I agree with Jason.
With this bill, it seems that the national government is taking money from food stamps (food currency) away from families, and is using that money to give to kids.
The government is disregarding the other citizens of the family and only concentrating on the youth. Now, I may just be a kid, BUT I do value my elders. My elders should not suffer just to make my generation healthier. Although obesity is a pressing problem and children are the future, I'm not willing to sacrifice older people's welfare for me.
Unless kids are hoarding tons of free meals to supply their family with, I don't think this Child Nutrition Bill is effective.
Familial Hunger (which includes children) > Child Hunger/Obesity.
I completely support the Hunger-Free Kids Act. Yes, it takes money out of the food stamp program, but the money is going towards another serious problem our nation faces, and that's childhood hunger. I agree with some of the comments saying that the money should continue going towards the feeding the poor, but we can't ignore the problems plaguing the youth. Yes, it might have been better if the money was taken out of another fund, but its only a start.
I believe Obama made the right choice signing the bill. We have to remember that the epidemic of obesity in this country leads to extreme amounts of money being spent on obesity-related health problems. The overall cost of health care rose from $3,600,000,000 in 1987 to $36,500,000,000 in 2002, and the percentage of that money spent on obesity-related health problems rose from 2% to 11.6%.
I know it is difficult to like a bill that takes money away from people, including children, who are starving and instead gives it to help children loose weight. But we have to keep in mind that for the first time EVER in history, we are expected to live less longer than our parents because of the foods we eat. I think President Obama took the necessary measures to help America's war with junk food, and it is vital that we begin with the roots of our country, our children.
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