Please present your lunch for inspection little Suzy...

nooshinjohn

EPIC FAIL!!!

RAEFORD ? A preschooler at West Hoke Elementary School ate three chicken nuggets for lunch Jan. 30 because a state employee told her the lunch her mother packed was not nutritious.

The girl?s turkey and cheese sandwich, banana, potato chips, and apple juice did not meet U.S. Department of Agriculture guidelines, according to the interpretation of the agent who was inspecting all lunch boxes in her More at Four classroom that day.

The Division of Child Development and Early Education at the Department of Health and Human Services requires all lunches served in pre-kindergarten programs ? including in-home day care centers ? to meet USDA guidelines. That means lunches must consist of one serving of meat, one serving of milk, one serving of grain, and two servings of fruit or vegetables, even if the lunches are brought from home.

When home-packed lunches do not include all of the required items, child care providers must supplement them with the missing ones.

The girl?s mother ? who said she wishes to remain anonymous to protect her daughter from retaliation ? said she received a note from the school stating that students who did not bring a ?healthy lunch? would be offered the missing portions, which could result in a fee from the cafeteria, in her case $1.25.

?I don't feel that I should pay for a cafeteria lunch when I provide lunch for her from home,? the mother wrote in a complaint to her state representative, Republican G.L. Pridgen of Robeson County.

The girl?s grandmother, who sometimes helps pack her lunch, told Carolina Journal that she is a petite, picky 4-year-old who eats white whole wheat bread and is not big on vegetables.

?What got me so mad is, number one, don?t tell my kid I?m not packing her lunch box properly,? the girl?s mother told CJ. ?I pack her lunchbox according to what she eats. It always consists of a fruit. It never consists of a vegetable. She eats vegetables at home because I have to watch her because she doesn?t really care for vegetables.?

When the girl came home with her lunch untouched, her mother wanted to know what she ate instead. Three chicken nuggets, the girl answered. Everything else on her cafeteria tray went to waste.

?She came home with her whole sandwich I had packed, because she chose to eat the nuggets on the lunch tray, because they put it in front of her,? her mother said. ?You?re telling a 4-year-old. ?oh. you?re lunch isn?t right,? and she?s thinking there?s something wrong with her food.?

While the mother and grandmother thought the potato chips and lack of vegetable were what disqualified the lunch, a spokeswoman for the Division of Child Development said that should not have been a problem.

?With a turkey sandwich, that covers your protein, your grain, and if it had cheese on it, that?s the dairy,? said Jani Kozlowski, the fiscal and statutory policy manager for the division. ?It sounds like the lunch itself would?ve met all of the standard.? The lunch has to include a fruit or vegetable, but not both, she said.

There are no clear restrictions about what additional items ? like potato chips ? can be included in preschoolers? lunch boxes.

?If a parent sends their child with a Coke and a Twinkie, the child care provider is going to need to provide a balanced lunch for the child,? Kozlowski said.

Ultimately, the child care provider can?t take the Coke and Twinkie away from the child, but Kozlowski said she ?would think the Pre-K provider would talk with the parent about that not being a healthy choice for their child.?

It is unclear whether the school was allowed to charge for the cafeteria lunches they gave to every preschooler in the class that day.

The state regulation reads:

?Sites must provide breakfast and/or snacks and lunch meeting USDA requirements during the regular school day. The partial/full cost of meals may be charged when families do not qualify for free/reduced price meals.

?When children bring their own food for meals and snacks to the center, if the food does not meet the specified nutritional requirements, the center must provide additional food necessary to meet those requirements.?

Still, Kozlowski said, the parents shouldn?t have been charged.

?The school may have interpreted [the rule] to mean they felt like the lunch wasn?t meeting the nutritional requirements and so they wanted the child to have the school lunch and then charged the parent,? she said. ?It sounds like maybe a technical assistance need for that school.?

The school principal, Jackie Samuels, said he didn?t ?know anything about? parents being charged for the meals that day. ?I know they eat in the cafeteria. Whether they pay or not, they eat in the cafeteria.?

UnFREEKING believable!:evil:

We are in a fight for the soul of our nation and our very freedom. Time to stand as one and say NO MORE!

EndersShadow

And yet what is funny is that in most schools here in Indy they sell kids Taco Bell in the lunch line, along with ding dongs, ho ho's and other super "nutritious" food..... tell me how that makes sense?

Maybe its time to home school kids... since its obvious the "system" is working soooo well lately... :razz:

steveinaz

Those who home school should be able to deduct school taxes from their property tax as well. This is what happens when you want the gub'ment to run thangs. Some people like being told what to do---for those, may I suggest moving to China? You'd LOVE it there.

The 1 thing that EVERYONE agrees upon that the fed Government is suppose to do, is provide national defense---and guess where the biggest cuts will come from? You guessed it. Maybe if we get big gov out of our lives, and back to work doing what they are suppose to do, what they are paid to do, what they are voted in to do, we may just be a little better off.

EndersShadow

steveinaz wrote: »

May I suggest moving to China? You'd LOVE it there.

How 'bout North Korea... they really know how to do it there

steveinaz

Yeah, they're even told when/how to mourn properly. Socialist paradise.

nooshinjohn

Cannot find the link to it at work, but they are inspecting the lunches of truck drivers coming across the borders from Canada as well! Up there, the reason given is to prevent certain produce and meat items that have not been USDA inspected from coming in and contaminating our food supply. This crap is just rediculous.

Drenis

This is true. Some foods are just not allowed across the border. Try to send chocolate and you'll get a nasty big fine in the mail...

maximillian

Chicken Nuggets are better?!?!

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/S9B7im8aQjo&quot; frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

WilliamM2

steveinaz wrote: »

Those who home school should be able to deduct school taxes from their property tax as well..

What about those of us who have no kids in school, and never did? I used the public school system for 13 years, I've been paying them back for over 30! Over 2/3's of the property taxes here are for the schools, and the community college.

rooftop59

we are treading on thin ice my gun-slinging anarchist libertarian polkies...why don't we stop before things get out of control. If you don't like NC why don't you just move to AZ? They sell sniper rifles to felons and drug cartels there:

http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/46316454/ns/today-today_rossen_reports/t/rossen-reports-anyone-can-buy-guns-no-questions-asked/

FREEDOM!!!

steveinaz

If I'm elected president of Arizona, William, I will see to it that you are fully refunded.

steveinaz

Ahhh the MSNBC kool-aide, that explains a lot. You know, you can buy all sorts of things illegally, in a mall parking lot right?

rooftop59

As opposed to the Fox kool-aide???

steveinaz

I prefer to be known as a "freedom-slinger" thank you. Fox just celebrated it's 10th year in a row as the most trusted news source, what sort of credentials does MSNBC have?

steveinaz

There are good people, who follow the law, and there are bad people who simply disregard the law. I'm not getting your point. Are you saying we should limit the freedom of good people, so we can stop the bad people? Is that a worthy compromise in your opinion?

You don't have a problem with your kids lunches being inspected, ya know, to ensure you are being a proper parent to their standards?

rooftop59

I know you won't watch it, so I will tell you what it says:

http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/tue-june-21-2011/fox-news-false-statements

Non-partisan think tanks consistently "fact-check" fox news reports and find them, um, lacking.

nooshinjohn

All playing on the roof will get is the thread shut down, before somebody falls off and gets hurt.

steveinaz

...and MSNBC's facts are all solid? The fact still remains that more Americans trust Fox than any other news agency. That's a SOLID fact.

Can you answer my questions?

tonyb

Wow....Jon Stewart is a creditable news source ?? Here I thought he was an entertainer......and not a very good one at that.

Maybe I should get some news from Jay Leno or Conan....at least they are fairly good at what they do.

tonyb

steveinaz wrote: »

Those who home school should be able to deduct school taxes from their property tax as well. .

Abso-effin'-lutely, limit the free money that flows and all this nonsense will go away.

rooftop59

I actually agree with y'all that this particular case is ludicrous. What I am consistently amazed at is:

1. That this kind of hot-button political stuff continually gets posted on an audio forum where it is not allowed
2. That this admittedly absurd particular instance is used as a jumping off point for a rant against 'big government'

Its the same way politics in America happens today, and it pisses me off and these threads just reinforce that I guess this is the only way that most people can or will engage is very difficult and important political issues (no ability to think reasonably, no patience for a nuanced discussion) . Do I think that a person should be able to bring their lunch to school and eat it without being fined just because its not healthy? Of course! But do I think that obesity, diabetes, and all the related health issues are a HUGE problem in this country that we need to address? Yes! And the solution is probably some nuanced position in the middle somewhere, not on either extreme side.

Ok back to work for me.

rooftop59

tonyb wrote: »

Wow....Jon Stewart is a creditable news source ?? Here I thought he was an entertainer......and not a very good one at that.

Maybe I should get some news from Jay Leno or Conan....at least they are fairly good at what they do.

Actually, yes he is much better than msnbc or fox. And if you actually watch the video you would see that its not as much about him as his source.

steveinaz

I'll give my answers:

1. No, we don't limit the good law abiding peoples freedoms; we punish the bad people, and make it stick. Why should I lose freedoms because a serious minority percentage of the population chooses to be criminals? (we also make prisons a place you don't want to be, thereby not making it an attractive "plan B")

2. I don't answer to Government, government answers to me. Keep your damn hands off my kids lunch, and out of my family business.

The reason these topics set people off, is because we are tired of being dictated to. Especially since WE pay the f'n bills. The tail has been wagging the dog far too long.

nooshinjohn

steveinaz wrote: »

I'll give my answers:

1. No, we don't limit the good law abiding peoples freedoms; we punish the bad people, and make it stick. Why should I lose freedoms because a serious minority percentage of the population chooses to be criminals?

2. I don't answer to Government, government asnwers to me. Keep your damn hands off my kids lunch, and out of my family business.

The reason these topics set people off, is because we are tired of being dictated to. Especially since WE pay the f'n bills. The tail has been wagging the dog far too long.

Well said...

I think know what they are up to... The school is training the TSA agents of tommorow. It's much easier to do than it is to teach the three R's...

steveinaz

Oh yeah, the brain-washing has been going on far too long. Time to privatize schools.

tonyb

rooftop59 wrote: »

I actually agree with y'all that this particular case is ludicrous. What I am consistently amazed at is:

1. That this kind of hot-button political stuff continually gets posted on an audio forum where it is not allowed
2. That this admittedly absurd particular instance is used as a jumping off point for a rant against 'big government'

Its the same way politics in America happens today, and it pisses me off and these threads just reinforce that I guess this is the only way that most people can or will engage is very difficult and important political issues (no ability to think reasonably, no patience for a nuanced discussion) . Do I think that a person should be able to bring their lunch to school and eat it without being fined just because its not healthy? Of course! But do I think that obesity, diabetes, and all the related health issues are a HUGE problem in this country that we need to address? Yes! And the solution is probably some nuanced position in the middle somewhere, not on either extreme side.

Ok back to work for me.

Hmmm...well, Ok then, would it not have been of more benefit if you just joined the discussion rather than attack the source ? Obviously you have opinions, so convince me. The thread isn't about Fox news, MSNBC, or the tooth fairy, changing the coarse of coversation will do little if nothing at all to benefit the topic at hand.

The whole reason schools get away with this is because they know they have you by the nuts. They get your money regardless if your kid attends, or not. Change that, and you can change the system, begin to anyway. When policy starts to affect the pocketbook, you'll see how much of this goes by the wayside.

steveinaz

Here's the problem, when you say "But do I think that obesity, diabetes, and all the related health issues are a HUGE problem in this country that we need to address? Yes!

Define who "we" are. Is "we" the parents, or is "we" the government? I know my answer, what's yours?

There are lots of people who feel that some parents are failing at their responsibilties--and to this point I agree. Where the derailment happens, is what should happen to correct it. Some feel the government should intervene. That's one slippery slope you never what to start down.

People are frustrated with Washington (congress/senate) gridlock. Why? I say. It's simply a reflection of how divided Americans have become. Are Congressman/Senators not suppose to reflect our direction? Of course they are, that's why we vote them in office. You're simply seeing a reflection of the American voter---and right now, we Americans differ greatly on the direction we should be headed.

You have 2 8yr olds; one saves his allowance for a big purchase, the other spends his allowance as soon as he gets it---and wonders why he never makes any head way to the big purchase. One plans/sacrifices for tommorrow, the other lives in the "today" to capture that instant gratification.

Sound familiar? It should.

Drenis

Some interesting opinions you folks share south of the border with your views, values and government stance. I'm not going to join in but all I'll say is if you really want change so bad, why aren't YOU running for office?

steveinaz

Because honestly, I don't come anywhere near to qualifying for the job---nor would I want it. I VOTE instead.

rooftop59

tonyb wrote: »

Hmmm...well, Ok then, would it not have been of more benefit if you just joined the discussion rather than attack the source ? Obviously you have opinions, so convince me. The thread isn't about Fox news, MSNBC, or the tooth fairy, changing the coarse of coversation will do little if nothing at all to benefit the topic at hand.

The whole reason schools get away with this is because they know they have you by the nuts. They get your money regardless if your kid attends, or not. Change that, and you can change the system, begin to anyway. When policy starts to affect the pocketbook, you'll see how much of this goes by the wayside.

Again, I am not sure that I am so far off. I may in fact send my children to private schools while paying property taxes that support those schools. I agree that we probably need some kind of reform, but our positions on this issue are largely intuition-driven and because we have radically different intuitions it is difficult to have a real conversation about these issues. Deepest concerns or intuition are:

1. Justice
2. Fairness
3. Do no harm/protect the innocent

I believe that these should be the bedrocks on a pluralist liberal (liberal as in free) democracy. So I am willing to pay property taxes even though my children may not attend the school because I believe that giving everyone a decent education is fair, just, and will give children born into dire circumstances a fighting chance at living a decent life, which will benefit everyone. You, on the other hand, have radically different intuitions. Most people who identify themselves as conservatives in America display one or more of the following:

1. Loyalty/respect (to family or country)
2. Purity (moral or religious)
3. Autonomy

I am pretty sure that the third intuition drives almost all of your arguments, and while I am also a fan of freedom and autonomy, I think that it goes hand in hand with fairness and do no harm. And that makes it difficult to have a real conversation, esp. online. We can talk about audio, movies, beer, etc., because those things don't link up to our deepest intuitions like politics and religion.

So one thing about freedom: You think that the govt limits your freedom yes? What about all the other freedom-limiting social structures? Like big business, banks, tv and internet, churches, etc.? Anything that forms your intuitions from a very early age limits your freedom. Kids are fat in part because they love fast food, because fast food has lots of money and advertising power and we are inundated with it from a very early age, well before our prefrontal cortex where we make decisions is fully formed? So how might we keep all those social structures from limiting our freedom? Maybe the gubment could do that for us...but then wait, the gubment would have too much control, so lets deregulate. but wait, then out children will be formed by the private people and corporations with the most money and power from an early age, so maybe we should regulate...

The point is simple: you assume that by getting the govt out of your life you will have more freedom, when actually your freedom will simply by constrained by some other entity, maybe an even more malevolent one. So much for freedom.

steveinaz

Our freedoms will always carry conditions--the thing is 1. to reduce those conditions as much as humanly possible; 2. Do not allow YOUR government to chip away at those freedoms as a way of dealing with those who choose to live without values. PURSUE AND PUNISH those who would errode your freedoms.