Heard a New Gripe About Obama Last Night

[chambero]

After the calves were fed and turned out, after football practice, and as we were finishing up dinner, I heard my 8th grader ask my wife if he could start taking his lunch to school.  She asks him why - has the food gotten bad?  Well, Conner began to outline his complaints.  Keep in mind this is a rapidly growing 13 year old boy who plays football, is about 5-8", 170 lbs and is eating us out of house and home.

1.  He has the last lunch period - some of the items are sold out.
2.  But most importantly - the school has had to get rid of some items from the menu.  The tipping point yesterday was that instead of french fries with his hamburger they gave him carrot sticks.  My son is the next thing to a carnivore - he doesn't do vegetables.  When he complained to the lunch ladies, they apparently told him the menus had changed because "Mrs. Obama changed the school lunch menus."  He came home infuriated and wanted to know "Why do schools have to do what Mrs. Obama says - we didn't elect her!"

I almost fell out of my chair laughing.  You can get by with a lot as a politician, but you are messing the fabric of America if you replace french fries with carrot sticks.

 

[iowabeef]

So true...I am a teacher for my "real" job.  The amount of waste due to the new regulations is unbelievable.  Students are required to take the fruits and veggies even though they don't want them.  The amount that ends up in the trash is embarrassing.  Forced waste...typical government controll

 

[oakview]

Last year, our local school had the "state review" of their school lunch program.  The school provides 5 different lunch items, the students were required to take at least three, but could decline 1 or 2 if they didn't want them.  Now, they are required to give everyone all 5 items whether they want them or not.  I don't know of an easier, more efficient way to promote waste.  In years past, the school lunch monitor promoted the idea to students that they should at least try one bite of the main entrees before eating their dessert.  The state report said they could no longer do that because, "it stifles the students' creativity."  Let me see.  If there was just some way we could get more government intervention.....

 

[OLD WORLD SHORTIE]

Lots of kids around here take their own lunch. I don't see how the athletes are getting by on just 800 calories a day. Two practices a day pretty much got these guys on the o-line starving, give those boys what they need to win and perform at a high level. Lots of these kids are on a free lunch now a days. Damn poors and their free lunches while checking their Facebook on their iPhone.  I wanna see what the first family is eating these days?

 

[noel73]

I am employed with the local school district in the Child Nutrition Office. My title is Student Accounts/Application Processor.  It is my  job to process the applications for free/reduced lunch for the HUNDREDS of people who claim to need free lunch, yet they are driving Cadillacs and their children are sporting shoes that cost more than everything I'm wearing at the moment.  When they call our office to complain about Obama's woman and her new regulations we tell them that they should think long and hard about who they are voting for next month. We really do tell them this, in a very nice way of course. OOOh it makes them sooo mad!  Our poor cafeteria ladies are receiving the brunt of the complaints.  We can only follow the government's regulations.  I go home some days so disgusted!  It is only going to get worse.  They (government) are working as we speak on ways to eliminate "competitive foods" from the schools.  They will be coming after what we send our children in their lunch boxes, next.  I have a 13 year old playing football and I must send him breakfast and lunch daily to make sure he gets enough to eat  because of the new regulations.  OMG I could write a book about this crud.  The trash cans are full to overflowing from the waste.  The state says the kids would be full if they ate everything that was offered.  That is baloney!  With little to no protein and fat the sticking power of those lunches that are full of veggies and fruit is zip!  The calorie count for 5-8 graders is approximately 700 calories, but that includes the milk.  If you are interested in learning more about this communist takeover of our American school lunches you may visit SQUAREMEALS.ORG  
I must go now and continue to approve the NOT SO LESS FORTUNATE for FREE/REDUCED MEALS.  Our local newspaper did an article regarding these new regulations and ended it with an example of what the white house children are eating at their private school. 

 

[oldwood]

It looks to me like the first lady should be eating those lunches!  JMO

 

[chambero]

I meant this post to be more comical than anything.  But.....

I have zero problem with free/reduced price lunches at school.  The vast majority of the kids that get those need them.  I know there are some bad examples, but that's not the kids fault.  At least we know they money we invest in that program is really going to to the kids.

Does the new school lunch program really have anything to do with the Obama's or is it just the screwball people that really run our state education agencies.  Those folks have been going off the deep end long before Obama-Bush-Clinton etc.  I don't know that the federal politicians have much control over their policies except from a big picture stand point.  Regardless, there needs to be a lot more local control given to schools - especially on issues like food, etc.  Kids aren't fat because of what they eat/don't eat at school.

It seems so insignificant till you have to deal with it, but our ag kids that go to school, play sports, take care of their animal projects, and then do homework don't slow down till 10:00 every night if they are lucky.  It takes a lot more food to keep those engines running than the stereotypical urban dweller that goes home to an empty house right after school.  I drive 100 miles each way to my office so my kids can grow up what I consider to be the right way.

 

[J2F]

I put this on another post but I will put it here too.
This was done when he had to worry about re-election. What do you think he will do when he doesn't have to worry about that the next four years!! (dog)

 

[knabe]

by default, the government expands.

i predict pain.

clubber lang.

 

[J2F]

I meant this post to be more comical than anything.  But.....

I have zero problem with free/reduced price lunches at school.  The vast majority of the kids that get those need them.  I know there are some bad examples, but that's not the kids fault.  At least we know they money we invest in that program is really going to to the kids.

Does the new school lunch program really have anything to do with the Obama's or is it just the screwball people that really run our state education agencies.  Those folks have been going off the deep end long before Obama-Bush-Clinton etc.  I don't know that the federal politicians have much control over their policies except from a big picture stand point.  Regardless, there needs to be a lot more local control given to schools - especially on issues like food, etc.  Kids aren't fat because of what they eat/don't eat at school.

It seems so insignificant till you have to deal with it, but our ag kids that go to school, play sports, take care of their animal projects, and then do homework don't slow down till 10:00 every night if they are lucky.  It takes a lot more food to keep those engines running than the stereotypical urban dweller that goes home to an empty house right after school.  I drive 100 miles each way to my office so my kids can grow up what I consider to be the right way.

Yes, This has come from the Obama administration. This is a problem all over the country.

 

[iowabeef]

Yes, this is a mandate from the Obama Administration.  I will try to find the actual mandate and post it here.  This is beyond local control-it came from Washington. 

 

[iowabeef]

Here is an explanation

http://www.foodservicedirector.com/trends/health-and-wellness/articles/school-lunch-makeover

don't get me wrong....I am all for healthy eating, however, to mandate it to the extent of such massive waste is silly.  Our food service director is finding it difficult to find suppliers that offer foods that fit the grains mandate.  Pizza is basically non existent along with chocolate milk.

 

[oakview]

Did you have breakfast at home before school?  My grandkids have to get on the bus 20 minutes earlier this year so the bus can get to school to give the kids who eat breakfast there more time.  They are on the bus 15-20 minutes more than allowed by law.  The school gets around this rule by getting the kids off one bus and loading them onto another.  See!  They're not on a bus for a continuous 1 hour and 20 minutes!  They get off for 50 seconds while they walk to the other bus.  A family I know very well has several kids in elementary school.  Both parents work, but don't earn a lot of money.  The grandparents help out this family a lot, and are happy to do so I might add.  The parents were approached three years ago by SCHOOL OFFICIALS and told they needed to apply for free/reduced lunches.  They declined saying they thought they could make it okay.  They were approached again the following year by SCHOOL OFFICIALS and told they needed to apply for free/reduced lunches.  They declined again.  This time, though, the SCHOOL OFFICIALS said, "You don't understand.  You need to apply for free/reduced lunches because that way the school gets more government funding."

 

[nkotb]

In our small community, the school calls most of the parents that haven't applied for reduced/free lunches, as well as though that haven't sent in any special needs paperwork just to make sure they would not qualify.  The government is willing to give them X number of dollars for these programs, and if the school does not use them they lose them for not only the current year, but for the future also.  So if this year there are no kids that qualify for special needs, and next year there are 5, the school has to come up with the extra funding somewhere else.  That's the government way. 

 

[obie105]

I work at a very low income school district.  Over 60% is on free or reduce lunch. Most of these kids need it. School lunch and breakfast isthe only food some of these kids get. IMO school lunch is not the problem of childhood obesity its lack of physical activity and laziness. Video games and computers are the root cause. My parents never let me have a video game and when my kids are old enough I really don't think I will let them have one either. There are plenty of games outside to play and imagination to use. All of the athletes also need the calories. This has to be addressed.

 

[knabe]

i remember being really poor when i was a kid.  peanut butter and jelly with an apple seemed enough and cheaper overall than to have layers and layers of govt people to administer this all the way up to the federal level.  seems silly that feds need to do this.

we seem to do a better job of creating dependency, than creating independence.  i remember thinking anyone that had a tv that was bigger than a 12" black and white were rich.  even today, i can't bring myself to purchase a tv that is priced over $300, which i haven't.  we still have a console tv that is over 30 years old in the family room and recently purchased a 250$ for the bedroom and feel like we are living high on the hog.  it scares me that my employees have two big screen tv's, a new car and don't seem phased to live paycheck to paycheck.

 

[ZNT]

I work at a very low income school district.  Over 60% is on free or reduce lunch. Most of these kids need it. School lunch and breakfast isthe only food some of these kids get. IMO school lunch is not the problem of childhood obesity its lack of physical activity and laziness. Video games and computers are the root cause. My parents never let me have a video game and when my kids are old enough I really don't think I will let them have one either. There are plenty of games outside to play and imagination to use. All of the athletes also need the calories. This has to be addressed.

I agree with a lot of what you said.  There are so many layers to this topic.  We live near a Title 9 school, where over 50% of the children are economically disadvantaged.  Some situtations are so bad that organizations donate brown bags of food to give some of the kids on Friday's to make sure they get some kind of food over the weekend.  I can assure you these kids are not throwing away food at school because they don't like it.

Secondly, there are some parenting issues taking place.  Kids don't always need options.  They can eat food, even if they do not prefer it.  The menu in our house is not solely based around what our daughter likes.  Some days, dinner is just what you get.  When I was in elementary school, we had no options except for white or chocolate milk.  The food quality ranged from horrible to edible, and you were required to try everything and drink your milk.  Being hungry after lunch was the student's choice they made

Thirdly, kids are fat these days.  They have horrilble eating habits, and spend absolutely way too much time playing video games and such.  They need to get outside and be active.  These kids did not get fat eating school lunches, but in a lot of cases, school is the only place they can get healthy food that doesnt come from a drive-thru or a box out of the freezer.  I understand that many of the active kids, both on the farms and athletics, need more food, and they should be allowed to get it at school, but the parents need to understand that they also need to pay extra for it.  The average student (90% of them) gets the amount of food that they need, and if they need more, then they should not throw food away.  Again, back to my first point.

For those that don't know us, and our daughter, we are hardcore parents.  We try to give our daughter as many opportunities as we can, but we don't put up with any crap.  But that is just us.

 

[obie105]

They also do the brown bags on Friday at my school. Eating habits need to be taught I totally agree with that. My Mom did the same thing with me, she made supper and you ate or you didn't. Being hardcore is alright though. My parents were with me and I didn't realize what they had did for me until I had my son.

 

[KSanburg]

Did you have breakfast at home before school?  My grandkids have to get on the bus 20 minutes earlier this year so the bus can get to school to give the kids who eat breakfast there more time.  They are on the bus 15-20 minutes more than allowed by law.  The school gets around this rule by getting the kids off one bus and loading them onto another.  See!  They're not on a bus for a continuous 1 hour and 20 minutes!  They get off for 50 seconds while they walk to the other bus.  A family I know very well has several kids in elementary school.  Both parents work, but don't earn a lot of money.  The grandparents help out this family a lot, and are happy to do so I might add.  The parents were approached three years ago by SCHOOL OFFICIALS and told they needed to apply for free/reduced lunches.  They declined saying they thought they could make it okay.  They were approached again the following year by SCHOOL OFFICIALS and told they needed to apply for free/reduced lunches.  They declined again.  This time, though, the SCHOOL OFFICIALS said, "You don't understand.  You need to apply for free/reduced lunches because that way the school gets more government funding."

Yeah, having some morals is almost unheard of these days, and those that do just don't understand their making it so someone isn't getting there welfare. I know school meals really aren't welfare but then neither is CRP subsidize or any other government funding that effects our agricultural business. The list of things the farm bill covers is amazing and if they don't pass one soon then free school meals won't be an issue at all and Mrs Obama won't have to worry about it.

 

[dfm]

On behalf the school officials; they are attempting to get as many students who qualify for free/reduced identified as they can because in most cases the federal reimbursement for those meals is much more than what the district charges for full price. This allows the district to hold down cost on full price students/families. (New changes coming from the government is going to force full price to be raised to a closer percentage of what the federal reimbursement is) The amount of monies which come to the district in many/most of the federal Title programs is tied to the number of students receiving free/reduced meals. The amount of money coming to the district thought the federal e-Rate program (phone & technology service; infrastructure, money is derived from the universal services fee on your phone bill) is tied to the percentage of students who receive free/reduced lunches. I could go on and on...once again on behalf of the school officials, I try to get as many identified as I can also. You have to with the budget cuts.