There is So Such Thing as a Free Lunch
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James Joyner | Monday, July 13, 2009 |
Lawprof David Bernstein’s daughter is getting, along with all the other kids of well off parents at a day camp, a free lunch courtesy of the federal taxpayer. Not only are the kids in question not from indigent families but camp is over each day at 12:15.
Bernstein believes this an unwise allocation of tax resources. Absent powerful new evidence, I’m inclined to concur.
About the Author: James Joyner is the publisher of Outside the Beltway and the managing editor of the Atlantic Council. He's a former Army officer, Desert Storm vet, and college professor with a PhD in political science from The University of Alabama. He lives just outside the Beltway in Alexandria, Virginia with his wife and infant daughter.
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The thing to understand, here is that this is not about helping 'the poor', and never has been. It's about increasing the role and power of governemnt.
The comments over there are priceless. They basically add up to "well, some kids are poor and hungry, and it would take too much money to figure out who needs the money, so lets just give free lunches to everyone"
Why are lunches even a subject when the camp gets out at lunch time?
Why are lunches even a subject when the camp gets out at lunch time?
If there were poor kids going to the camp -- which I can't imagine -- I don't have any heartburn about feeding them. If their folks can't afford to feed them or are too drunk or high to bother, it might be the only decent meal they get. But sheesh, it ought to be fairly easy to figure out who doesn't need a subsidized lunch.
But sheesh, it ought to be fairly easy to figure out who doesn't need a subsidized lunch.
Golly, I heard this free lunch thing was being discussed at the lunch of a bunch of lawyers and Goldman execs in New York today. Oh, and the lunch, of course, was tax deductible, business expense and all that.
It's kind of bad that the original post (and this one) leave us to guess how it happened, but one commentator over there guesses it was this:
http://www.fns.usda.gov/cnd/summer/states/virginia/default.htm
You can "can" your suspicions about liberals and aid to the "poor." If this is USDA, it is directed at fattening farmers.
It's about increasing the role and power of governemnt.
Please. You bent over so often and for so long when Cheney & Bush were busy increasing the role and power of government and now suddenly you want to stand up straight like a man? Afraid it does not suit you very well anymore...
