Suffer the little (urban) children
by digby
I don’t know about you, but if you’re looking for an example of the GOP’s inherent racism, it’s hard to see a better example that this:
Once again the Republicans are cutting spending on food programs for poor children. No that doesn’t automatically assume they hate children who are not white. But this certainly does:
And in a surprising twist, the bill language specifies that only rural areas are to benefit in the future from funding requested by the administration this year to continue a modest summer demonstration program to help children from low-income households — both urban and rural — during those months when school meals are not available.
[…]
Democrats were surprised to see urban children were excluded. And the GOP had some trouble explaining the history itself. But a spokeswoman confirmed that the intent of the bill is a pilot project in “rural areas” only.
There is simply no better example of the conservative philosophy that says government benefits are fine as long as they don’t go to people they don’t like. Even children.
Update: Also, the program is expanding the menu for the WIC program for new mothers to include potatoes — at the behest of the potato industry which is concerned that young women aren’t eating enough of them.
I’m not saying that potatoes can’t be part of a healthy diet, but let’s just say that it makes little sense to subsidize them in a country that is suffering from an epidemic of obesity. These young women who are cutting down on potatoes are doing the right thing.
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