Monday, September 07, 2009

Why Washington, DC?

The newspaper reports on a group which wants some changes.

As part of a campaign organized by Slow Food USA, six potluck picnics are scheduled in area parks and other venues Monday in support of improving the lunches served in schools.

Let's not quibble about the details of their requests. They may be good or not-so-good.

Let's ask instead: "Why Washington, DC?"

Among the changes supported by the campaign are a $1-per-day increase in the federal reimbursement rate for school lunches, increasing the nutrition standards for food sold in school vending machines, providing funds for farm-to-school or school garden programs, and offering incentives for schools to buy from local growers.

You mean to tell me that local School Boards cannot write adequate standards for nutrition? What about the local Health departments, both city and county? What about the CESA districts? Or (ummmnnhhhh....) the State's Department of Education?

We PAY for all these entities, after all. And then we pay for Washington on top of all that?

Repeat after me: "Why Washington, DC?"

2 comments:

M.E. said...

Seen on a bumper sticker yesterday in Greenfield:

"If ignorance is bliss, then Washington DC must be paradise."

Not exactly relevant to your point here but I loved it.

Anonymous said...

I wonder how much money we could save taxpayer's every year if we got rid of the entire Department of Education and the State DPI's and turned the whole thing over to the local school districts?