Food and Schools

There were two items in the newspaper the last week that clearly show why the federal government is too big, that it has its nose in areas it doesn't belong.  OK, I will admit that the goals may be noble, that the intentions are good, but......

Both articles dealt with the foods that schools serve to students.  I forget what federal agency/department (likely the Dept of Edu?) is involved.  First, schools are now required to sell only healthy foods--at least according to several local school district administrators who were interviewed for the article.  More typical kid foods--OK, junk food--are not permitted.  More fruits and vegies are required.  Now, who can be against that?  Some bureaucrat has great intentions, but has no idea about kids--none!  The Metro area administrators claimed that, due to the federal regulations on what types of foods must be served, the cost for the school districts has gone up an average of 13 cents a lunch.  (I must assume these guys aren't lying?)  So, out of budgets that are already very lean--even in deficit?--here's yet another expenditure.  The real kicker is that the kids don't eat the healthy food.  Gee, now there's a surprise!  And I was thinking about opening a new fast food franchise--McBroccoli.  I guess it won't work, huh?  I also got a personal anecdote from an employee at one of these districts (?) who claimed he and other workers count about 50 or more oranges on the floor of the school cafeteria each lunch--and there are three lunches per day and one breakfast.  Do the math.  Oh, I wonder how many oranges made it to the trash cans.  If oranges are pitched, think of what the odds are that the carrot sticks make it to the kids' stomachs, esp with no ranch dressing allowed??????  Good intentions from some guy 700 miles away who doesn't have a clue.

Then I read that federal regulations from the Obama administration have banned "junk food" ads at school athletic facilities.  That is, Pepsi or Coke can't buy a banner for several thousand bucks to say "Go, Tractors" if it promotes the sugary drinks.  Ah, there's more money the schools won't be getting.  Of course, they may well make up the lost revenue if they can sell ads to, say, V-8 or some tomato juice company.

Maybe the bureaucrats (or even whatever czar is in charge) should be made to make up the difference in lost revenues.  Now, there's an idea which might cause some of these people, well-intentioned though they may be, to actually think before handing down their diktats.

Nanny State.  Nanny State.  Nanny State.  Let me eat what we want to eat, drink what we want to drink.  You try to do a far better job at the other things you're fouling up.