The Buncombe County School Board will consider partaking in the federal universal breakfast program that provides breakfasts to participating schools for free, free, free, free, free. The free money comes from loans from China, working-class Americans, and a magic printing press that doesn’t devalue dollars as more are put in circulation. If you don’t understand this, you need to shut up and listen to your government.
The article in the Citizen-Times quotes a couple experts who say that nutrition is related to health. It laments that only half of the kids in North Carolina who qualify for free breakfast from the schools seize it. Over half of the total school-age population qualifies, and some who don’t qualify could lead a cushier lifestyle by partaking as well. (Pay not attention to the man behind the curtain.)
If the half of the student body participating in the free breakfast program is comprised of poor children, that lot shall be stigmatized. To attract choice eaters, the schools are considering giving all kids grab-and-go breakfast bags, or serving the meal during class. What is not mentioned is consideration of offering college credit for eating breakfast in order to reduce the dropout rate. (I made that up.)
If all kids are served a free and nutritious breakfast, parents can stay out later, because they won’t have to get up early to fix breakfast for the little “mistakes.” Funds formerly budgeted toward cereal and milk can now go toward more bling and electronics. Free, free, free, free breakfasts can trickle-down the system into vibrant synergies like wage depression, tax increases and greater appreciation for Uncle Sam as Father Christmas. I can think of nothing I’d like better than a government with the power to starve me should I ever challenge it.