Should public schools provide free meals and free menstrual supplies to students?

[pete6032]

I didn't want to make two poll threads so you're getting both topics in a dual poll. These are two topics that right wing "influencers" seem to be attacking Walz for. What are your thoughts?

 

[pmv]

Free meals regardless of income (it's pretty much established by now that if you means-test free-school meals, many families that would meet the entitlement won't claim them, because of the perceived stigma - that was the case for my own school days, personally, in fact).

Can't pick an option because I don't know enough about the topic to have an opinion on menstrual products - wouldn't rule it out, but have absolutely no idea what the data on that says. Is there an issue with some girls going without due to low family income?

(These sorts of things usually aren't that costly to implement, because of the economies-of-scale involved.)

 

[GoPackGo]

For the amount of money we are taxed breakfast and lunch should be included. In fact all needed books and supplies should be included as well.

 

[pete6032]

Free meals regardless of income (it's pretty much established by now that if you means-test free-school meals, many families that would meet the entitlement won't claim them, because of the perceived stigma - that was the case for my own school days, personally, in fact).

Can't pick an option because I don't know enough about the topic to have an opinion on menstrual products - wouldn't rule it out, but have absolutely no idea what the data on that says. Is there an issue with some girls going without due to low family income?

(These sorts of things usually aren't that costly to implement, because of the economies-of-scale involved.)

I don't profess to be an expert about it, but some studies have shown that access to these products could increase attendance rates at school as students might skip school if they don't have access to menstrual products.

 

[nOOky]

My co-irker that sits next to me has two school age children here in Minnesota. He says breakfast was $1.60 and lunch $3.70 per kid before they were free, so he saves $10.60 each day. His kids also take a snack in their bags so in his view it helps a lot but being kids they are still ravenous when they get home. It does save him time in the morning, and he thinks it helps because prior to this the poorer families that needed free or reduced lunch tickets are now all lumped in there is no way to tell.

Of course the obvious things that not all kids like every meal etc. are to be expected.

 

[HomerJS]

I have no problem with menstrual products in bathrooms. Don't think there is a black market for tampons.

Breakfast/lunch if school is going to provide make is free to students only. Means testing stigmatizes poor kids.

The amount of money for breakfast/lunch is a pimple on a dogs ass looking at overall costs. Meanwhile looking at the GOP they are so concerned about pushing Christianity on kids yet don't want to help with the #1 killer of kids. At least something that would be effective. Hint: more guns don't equate to safety.

 

[Stokely]

My thought is that I don't give a shit what "right wing influencers" are pushing. It's going to be garbage by definition, and anyone willing to listen I'm not ever going to see eye to eye with on....anything.

I think our society must be doing fantastic if our biggest worry is feeding kids and making sure girls have supplies for emergencies.

 

[FelixDeCat]

Free food? No. Free birth control and abortion services? Yes.

You had those kids. You feed them.

 

[ch33zw1z]

Yes and yes, we expect kids to perform in school, then we give them the tools to do it. That includes food and basic hygiene/ sanitary measures

 

[fskimospy]

Free food? No. Free birth control and abortion services? Yes.

You had those kids. You feed them.

Why would this logic not apply to education itself?

 

[Pens1566]

Free food? No. Free birth control and abortion services? Yes.

You had those kids. You feed them.

Bold policy choice for the party of "You have to carry the baby of your rapist father/uncle/pastor/local GOP official to term, sorry".

 

[alien42]

On a related note, can we please go back to the school lunch nutrition standards enacted by the Obama's that trump nixxed?

 

[LurchFrinky]

Yes to both.
And feminine hygiene products should be tax-free to the general public.

 

[IronWing]

Free food? No.

Kids always eat for free because they are kids, so we feed them. The adults can argue about who pays for the meals but let's stop with the bullshit that some kids are entitled to food and some are not, based on the accident of birth.

Yes on menstrual supplies as well. We don't demand that kids bring their own toilet paper so why would we demand girls provide other basic hygiene supplies?

 

[nakedfrog]

Free meals regardless of income (it's pretty much established by now that if you means-test free-school meals, many families that would meet the entitlement won't claim them, because of the perceived stigma - that was the case for my own school days, personally, in fact).

Can't pick an option because I don't know enough about the topic to have an opinion on menstrual products - wouldn't rule it out, but have absolutely no idea what the data on that says. Is there an issue with some girls going without due to low family income?

(These sorts of things usually aren't that costly to implement, because of the economies-of-scale involved.)

Even getting reduced price school lunch got me singled out when I was a kid 😕

 

[nakedfrog]

Kids always eat for free because they are kids, so we feed them. The adults can argue about who pays for the meals but let's stop with the bullshit that some kids are entitled to food and some are not, based on the accident of birth.

Yes on menstrual supplies as well. We don't demand that kids bring their own toilet paper so why would we demand girls provide other basic hygiene supplies?

Uh oh, you're giving him ideas now...

 

[IronWing]

Even getting reduced price school lunch got me singled out when I was a kid 😕

Yep, that happened when I went to school as well and it was bullshit. Every child had access to subsidized lunches, they just weren't told that the lunches they were eating were subsidized. That students knew who was getting free lunch vs subsidized lunch was a black mark on the schools. That information was nobody's business.

 

[Moonbeam]

Free food? No. Free birth control and abortion services? Yes.

You had those kids. You feed them.

Just a note of caution. I had ten kids and the food bill was incredible so I put them on a diet and just when I had my food bill down to just about nothing they all died. Thank God the state paid for their disposal thanks to your tax support.

 

[hal2kilo]

For the amount of money we are taxed breakfast and lunch should be included. In fact all needed books and supplies should be included as well.

100% books and supplies. Teachers are providing way too much out of their own pockets. Never understood this BS. You want to have a fancy notebook that's not the standard, knock yourself out.

 

[FelixDeCat]

Just a note of caution. I had ten kids and the food bill was incredible so I put them on a diet and just when I had my food bill down to just about nothing they all died. Thank God the state paid for their disposal thanks to your tax support.

Yes I know. I fed three many times. Adding myself made 4.

Four times anything is very expensive. Even Taco Bell, which was their favorite.

Thankfully I was just the uncle helping out sometimes so it's not like I had to do it all the time.

 

[dank69]

Free food? No. Free birth control and abortion services? Yes.

You had those kids. You feed them.

On abortion: Don't punish the child for the "sins" of the mother
On free school lunches: Punish the child for the "sins" of the mother

 

[dank69]

In both cases you will spend more money means testing than you will by just providing it for all.

 

[HomerJS]

..

 

[hal2kilo]

In both cases you will spend more money means testing than you will by just providing it for all.

It will happen once big AG figures out how to make a fortune on it.

 

[brycejones]

In both cases you will spend more money means testing than you will by just providing it for all.

This, it reminds me of a state that spends millions a year on tracking down Medicaid Fraud (strangely focused on people who signed up but may not have been eligible but not focused on provider fraud which is a far higher amount) in order to "recover" $500K a year by cutting off benefits. The people they "bust" rarely have the money to repay anything they may have received because they are poor just not as poor as the state would like them to be.