FREE MEALS all year!!!

[Detector]

My point. Do just a small bit of research to verify the kids eating for free are doing it out of necessity and not convenience.

If a kid applies for the program it can't be that hard to pay a visit by a social worker to see if its really needed. Are these kids being dropped off for that free meal by parents driving an Escalade and wearing [enter overpriced cloths of today]? I understand kids need fed but not just because their parents are too lazy to do it themselves. Thats not looking out for the best interests of the kids or Americans paying the bill.

People are always complaining about excessive or unnecessary government spending but do they expect the government to oversee its use? My guess is the government is counting on the entities that receive this funding to be RESPONSIBLE and make sure its being used properly. I'm sure handing out free food to anyone that asks wasn't part of the plan.

Think of it this way. For every kid they're unnecessarily fattening off of this program there's some kid going hungry that really needs it. Without someone taking the responsibility to ensure the program is not being abused it is destine to fail. And when it fails of course its the government that will be blamed when their only mistake was expecting the school system police itself.

[JohnWayne]

Somehow I seem to be missing something in seeing where the 70-75% need for free or reduced price lunches is coming from. I know that there are families that are struggling to put food on the table. The picture that comes to mind is a single mom, raising several kids and working at near minimum wage. So if she is working 2,080 hours a year at $6/hr, that is $12,480/yr, which is definitely poverty level. There are families like this in Dodge, but what percent? I certainly don't think it is anywhere near 70-75%.

One thing I see quite frequently in Dodge are households where both parents are working at one of the packing plants. In addition, there may be a sibling or two living with them and working at one of the packing plants. In these cases the actual wage income coming into this house is probably $60,000 to $120,000 a year. Probably enough income to put food on the table for the kids.

I guess what really bugs me is, "why can't I see the 70-75% poverty in this community"? I guess someone will have to enlighten me on this, because I just can't seem to figure it out.

JohnWayne

[Detector]

I guess what really bugs me is, "why can't I see the 70-75% poverty in this community"? I guess someone will have to enlighten me on this, because I just can't seem to figure it out.

Exactly where I'm confused also. I'm all for giving free food where needed but I just ain't buying the 70-75% poverty. Something tells me the system is being abused and their happy enough about it to put it on the front page?

[Outofdodge]

Originally Posted by Detector

If a kid applies for the program it can't be that hard to pay a visit by a social worker to see if its really needed. Are these kids being dropped off for that free meal by parents driving an Escalade [snip]Think of it this way. For every kid they're unnecessarily fattening off of this program there's some kid going hungry that really needs it. Without someone taking the responsibility to ensure the program is not being abused it is destine to fail.

Change the ethnic background from Latin to African and this sounds a lot like the deep south in the 60's.

Anyone bother to look up the facts?

When I lived and worked there, the market consulting folks I hired had census data which indicated three specific areas in Dodge City accounted for the majority of the area's total household incomes. Meaning those three areas were more likely to have 100K + earnings (In fact one area did have median income > 100K). Those were the areas just off 14th n of Commanche over to 6th street. The area north and west of 14th near the high school and the area around the country club over to summerlon and the subdivision just south of there. If I recall correctly there was a almost a 50K difference in those subs vs the rest of dodge.

Take that into account with the meidian income for Dodge City being a little over 39K per year while the federal guidelines for free or reduced lunches in the 48 contiguous states says a family of four can earn just a little under $42K per year. And just how many of the upper income families do you suppose have to send their kids to summer school? As bad as 70% sounds, it is not unrealistic to have that number reached and not have significant abuse to the program.

[Detector]

Change the ethnic background from Latin to African and this sounds a lot like the deep south in the 60's.

I believe the comparison has already been referenced to the treatment of blacks. All it did was to give us a group of peoples dependent on government handouts to survive. Either that or crime. Ethnic background has nothing to do with it its just human nature. Back in the 60-70's Americans felt so bad about the way blacks were treated they gave them special funding that backfired. Now look at the results and learn.

We're not doing these people, be them black, white or brown, any favor by handing them life on a golden platter. It may make you feel better about yourself but you're only condemning them to the same future as our government babies of today. Give them the tools they need to survive beyond the government handout.

As was mentioned feed them but make them work for it. If they are really in need they won't mind and it will also make them feel better about themselves, and more importantly make society feel better about them. If their parents are unable to at the very least feed their kids then someone really needs to look into placing them in a better home.

I'd be interested in seeing some "facts" myself. Just what does it take to qualify for free meals and what steps, if any, are taken to ensure our money is being spent as intended?

[Bubba]

Originally Posted by Detector

....We're not doing these people, be them black, white or brown, any favor by handing them life on a golden platter. It may make you feel better about yourself but you're only condemning them to the same future as our government babies of today....

Not only that, but it puts them in the mindset of more babies = more government money!

[Outofdodge]

Originally Posted by Detector

As was mentioned feed them but make them work for it. If they are really in need they won't mind and it will also make them feel better about themselves, [snip]I'd be interested in seeing some "facts" myself. Just what does it take to qualify for free meals and what steps, if any, are taken to ensure our money is being spent as intended?

30 years ago I was one of *them* in an era where being one of *them* was a stigma. And my mother had a job, I had an after school job, and we lived in a *home*. I didn't work for my free school lunch either. I also got my clothes from the salvation army. We got food stamps and at one point when my military father completely shuttered his responsibilities I even ended up on Medicaid when I should have had military dependent's health care. Man o' man, I really got great care then as I was recovering from Hodgkin's disease. If the doctors who initially treated me had not heard about it and arranged for alternative charity care I would not have seen my 18th birthday.

I don't know if it is some disdain for people who are *poor*, or something to do with this immigrant thing where some seem to think every undocumented immigrant is ripping off them off, or some other *people need to help themselves* salvant out there but it is not some thing you can turn a button on and off. It takes years of education, persistence, and sometimes lots of luck and it will seem like the tables are stacked against you. ARe there lowlifes and cheats? sure nuff. But you don't throw out the kid with the bath water. It took me 5-6 years after I was 18 to become a "productive member of society" but I think the goverment has got it's investment in me back and then some over the past 10 years.

And by God, if the true small group of taxpayers of Dodge City need to help feed 75% of the school population then it is money darn well spent which might just help one bright kid pay better attention and become his generation's Bill Gates. It's called preventive maintenance and investments in other areas.

As to what qualifies, google federal free lunch guidelines? I referenced it in my first reply. Most folks have their eyes opened when they see tables showing what some thought were middle class incomes show up on poverty tables.

As to what guidelines are in place to ensure compliance? Frankly I don't know but it wouldn't surprise me to see the same controls in place on this program that FEMA used.

[Detector]

I think one of the key differences here is I'd be very surprised to find that 70-75% of these students are wearing cloths from the Salvation Army. Don't get me wrong I fully realize there are people that need this program I'm just not buying the 70-75%.

My family was not well off and my mom worked very hard to support 6 kids as a single parent. I don't know if my cloths ever came from the Salvation Army but they were used. I always thought they were hand-me-downs :Shrugs: I'm sure we would have qualified for a free lunch program but I do remember buying my lunch ticket all the time. Point is no matter how bad off we were we NEVER EVER went hungry. My mom made sure we had food to eat.

Some people may take my remarks as racist, but the fact is I'm comfortable saying what I say because I know its not from prejudice, but just calling it like I see it and not ashamed to do so. Throwing money at the problem isn't going to fix anything. All its going to do is create another generation of handout dependent Americans and require more money as it goes along.

I realize there are families that need assistance I also realize there are far more getting it than need it. This is where I have a problem. My money is being used to create more government dependent families. We seem to have a surplus, or so the schools/government believe, in funding for this food program. Why not use that surplus to ween these families off the government tit?

What I'm interested in seeing is 1. What income qualifies a child for the program? 2. Who's responsibility is it to verify they qualify and do schools simply police themselves?

As far as immigrants go I have no problems at all. What I do have is a real problem with illegal immigrants. I think they're scum of the earth freeloaders with no pride in themselves at all. I don't care what their excuse is for ILLEGALLY entering America they ALL need to hoof their scrawny butts back to where they came from and get in line.

[Outofdodge]

Originally Posted by Detector

1. What income qualifies a child for the program? 2. Who's responsibility is it to verify they qualify and do schools simply police themselves?

I will turn my rant mode off for now. This is a sore subject for me; not that those that disagree with me do not have valid points.

I don't know if the Dodge City School System has other funds to augment the program but these are the basic federal rules:

Children of Families receiving food stamps as well as children in foster care automatically qualify. Additionally children from households where the family income is 130% or less of the federal poverty guidelines are eligible for the free meal program. The guidelines are based on family size and are adjusted annually.

Children of Families with a household income between greater than 130% but less than or equal to the 185% of the poverty guidelines are eligible for reduced cost meals.

The sponsoring organization (ie Dodge City's School system) is supposed to verify the submitted data and earnings of at least 3% of those receiving the free or reduced cost meals. To my knowledge that is the only verification required. Most systems I know of will not process an app without a social security number but most systems that I know of have no realistic way of routinely verifying the social security number submitted is valid. But basically yes, the schools police themselves.

[357 mag]

Not to get off subject or anything because the free lunch thing makes me mad also since I know for a fact that my children will never be able to get in when they're in school, but it just angers me when I drive by any low income housing area and see nothing but Escalades, Tahoes, Subarbans or any other car newer than a 1998. If they (and it doesn't matter what color they are) can afford to drive that then they should be able to afford a house or apartment. Quit milking the government of the money that could be used elsewhere and take care of yourself.