What’s up Wednesday ~
Wow – I am finding that I really like this opportunity to spout off about some things that just drive me crazy…. I am keeping a running list and believe me, I have lots of controversial topics that I have a strong opinion on and since I am the “moderator” here, I can say what ever I want – LOL
Seriously though… “FREE” SCHOOL LUNCH PROGRAM…. I have a friend that shared something with me awhile ago that has been driving me crazy ever since. Her child get’s FREE school lunch – this is not my ‘problem’ although any type of government assistance is totally up for debate here. .. My problem – however – lies deeper in this scenario. My friend sometimes allows her son to pack his lunch and he then just grabs a milk and goes about his business. After a while, she got a call from the school, they told her that her son had an outstanding bill owed to the lunch program for the milk he was getting each day. She was dumbfounded and explained that they get the FREE lunch and sometimes he would pack but just take the milk, so something must be wrong.
NOPE they said…. “He has to get the WHOLE lunch in order for it to be FREE…..” WHAT??????? You got it, after much debate and continued follow-up with more people… it was sadly confirmed, her son must take the full lunch – whether he wanted it or not and whether he ate it or not – in order to get the milk FREE. One cafeteria worker even confirmed that they see kids throw away more food than they eat overall…. THIS SICKENS ME!!! … as I run around getting all the bargains I can so my kids can pack a nice lunch each day or I pay the $2 each for my three kids to BUY on pizza or chicken nugget day….
How about letting the kids that want just the milk have just the milk and giving the lunch to my kid… that way everyone wins…. Just saying – I see a HUGE problem here and it drives me NUTS!!
Any ideas????
Next week, I will spout off about welfare and my belief that drug testing should be mandatory…or I wont’t – we’ll see – LOL!!
Posted on February 22, 2012, in Uncategorized. Bookmark the permalink. 21 Comments.
Michelle Talks ~ Our REAL Deal... 
you continue to brighten my day!
Thanks Julie – You brighten my day too – LOL!!
You are absolutely right Michelle! Why can’t the school give the luch to some other kid who forgot theirs or who are obviously hungry and can’t buy lunch for some reason. Seems ridiculous to not give the kid milk if he doesn’t take the whole lunch. Our system is SO messed up. Looking forward to the welfare discussion. I’m with you on the drug testing. If they can afford drugs, they don’t need our money. But, then again, I’m sure they would find a way around it somehow. Maybe I can go into business selling pee!!!!!
Welfare will you have enough time or space to write about that? I am 56 and raising one of NY finest drug addicted Womans children,that even after her parental rights were taken away continued collecting welfare for the children for over 8 months.Paper work from the courts sent to them still continued giving it to her. Figure that out? Welfare and drugs not one of my favorite topics,smoke starts to bellow out of my ears. I love reading your post thanks for the entertainment and great deals.
Oh Cheryl – You could probably write up a way better rant than me… I am lovi ng the excitement stirred up here… Do tell!!!!
You are so right!
Heidi, I bet you see all kinds of craziness in your line of work!!
I know Momzy – I actually learned that there is even a government grant available to schools who offer all children FREE lunch… Many of the buffalo area schools are doing it – and for a non-profit program, receiving the grant allowed them to give all kids FREE lunch with no change to the schools expense… UNBELIEVABLE!!! No – no, don’t worry about me, i will just keep working to pay for my kid’s lunches – UGH!!! And – Girls, I can’t go into the welfar thing yet…. I am gearing my self up for a big spout off!!! LOL
Wait – How about this guy that works with my husband… His wife is on NYS DSS, she won the lottery – OMG, I Know – she called DSS and said she needed to report her winnings as income… They told her that her 1 million dollar win was an asset and not income and she, 2 years later, continues to receive her DSS payment!! OMG…. and I work all day evry day in federal funding so i have tons more of these examples!!
I work in a doctor’s office so I cannot wait for this spout….dealing with free loading, drug seekers who have no intentions of job searching…and the others who just keep having more children because there is no worry about how to support them it’s all taken care of! Meanwhile myself & other hardworking people are paying left & right for medical expenses with insurance!
OOOH Stella – You could probably write a better rant than me… Feel FREE!!! I am loving these “debatable” issue discussions…. 🙂
Seriously the longer I live the more I realize how DUMB the people are the run this country/state and make the laws. I think a group of us moms could do a WAY better job.
PS that story about the NYS DSS REALLY sickens me!!!! She should be ashamed of herself too and get off DSS. She can’t realized how lucky she was and pay it forward??
Jen – That is the point of the story, she TRIED to get them to stop paying her, and they wont – UGH!!!!!!!
Ok. Am I the first one to defend the need for such programs? For every person you hear about about that abuses the system, there are 10 that truly need and deserve an opportunity to help their family. The trouble is, no one talks about the good people. Everyone complains about the bad. While I believe there are indeed flaws in the system, I would not like to see anyone who needs these services suffer without. That includes children who parents unfortunately may or may not have drug related issues. Those kids deserve a chance too.
While I’ve never had any drug related issues in my family, my mother did use these programs when I was young. She married young and had two children with a man she thought she loved. He provided for us and when they divorced after 6 years, she had NO job. I’m sure all the parents on this blog know how expensive housing and food can be for a family. Welfare, housing and food programs enabled her to be able to pay a sitter to watch her children while she went to school and later went on to work for the government! She busted her butt to make a better life for us and succeeded!
I agree, the lunch thing is just dumb, but lets not group everyone together and try to work toward actual reform for these programs.
Hey Sarah – WELCOME! No, I think you are absolutely right… the programs are 100% there for a reason and a good one at that – but there are so many flaws that make it almost comical… seriously, a kid can have a whole FREE lunch, but not just a pint of milk?? And that is only 1 example of ridiculousness in only one program. But hey – that is why I posted such a controversial topic… I want the commentary to continue – I love hearing from everyone and truly respect each opinion!
So – death penalty, abortion… where do we go from here…LOL
Thanks Sarah, Please continue to visit and comment!!
Ha ha – death penalty, abortion – you make me laugh! I wouldn’t touch those with a 10 foot pole!
How about more than a few people have suggested Men and Women being friends… now that is one I think I should stay away from – hahaha – or NOT!!!
Michelle,
I too, had the same problem as your friend. My children take their lunch because they won’t eat the processed food that the school provides. It left them tired and hungry by the end of the day. My oldest is pre-diabetic, and the school lunches are some of the worst food you can eat.
With that being said, I also had them take advantage of the FREE milk that we were entitled too when I was out of work 3 years ago, and was told the same thing. It is just not worth my aggravation to fight city hall.
I also have family members that collect from Social Services and he works under the table and she has a second job that she don’t claim… they brag about it. Both got new vehicles this year, and are taking a 2 week vacation next month…all while collecting $500/month in food stamps and full medical insurance… I have been out of work 14 weeks + from Oct ’11 until last week, and didn’t bother going to Social Services because it isn’t worth the hassle… I was not physically able to go in for the application process and Our county don’t let us apply online like most of the other counties… Online??? Funny that these “poor” people can afford a computer and internet access…I have, twice, offered up doing Coupon Classes for a local Not for Profit.. and they told me that my blog and money saving ideas wouldn’t pertain to “their Population,” because they are “poor” and most don’t have computers… so they turned me down… but in order to apply for assistance, this “population” applies online (and a source friend of mine that works at a DSS that does take internet applications, says that about 75% apply online)….. Don’t get me started~!
I know Kim, it’s crazy isn’t it… The good the programs do can be ruined by bad “management” of the program and by abusers of the program… it is sooooo crazy!!! I find there isn’t anything we can do about the abusers, they will find a way to buck the system no matter what but those that need and use the system trying to do better deserve more attention… Just crazy!!
The disability thing that your friend is still getting paid is what’s frying my ass!!! I had a friend who moved to Canada for a short time – less than a year. Moved back here & 3 or 4 years later was in a horrible car wreck, that left her with brain damage. Not so badly damaged she could not function or take care of herself, but bad enough she could not work – she can’t concentrate & has very little short term memory – is like groundhog’s Day and 40 first dates for real, could not learn a cash register, nothing. She was not able to collect Soc. sec. dbl because she did not live in the U.S. 5 years prior to her accident!!!!!!! She lived here 30 years, moved away for less than a year, came back, but still not eligible!!! She was forced to work on a farm that has a list of exactly what she needs to do every day. It was the only occupation tolerant enough of her situation. But the system is paying a millionaire who no longer needs the assistance!!! Just unreal. I can’t even imagine what this world is going to be like for our grand children or great grandchildren.
RIGHT on sista!! Can I just re-iterate that the girl this is happening to has tried multiple times to ocntact people and has an acountant who through the IRS did alot of work on her bahalf to request the SSI stop and they are still paying her… she CANNOT give it back… she says “screw it, I am not spending any more money to get them to stop”… I say – just like the school lunch – Give it to me!!! So far – NOTHING… darn it!!!!!!