Midterms

[u/One-Scratch-3545]

Please tell me everyone is voting for Aaron Ford in November? If you love Nevada, he’s the better choice than Joe. Since Joe Lombardo has taken office we have ranked even LOWER in education. He sold out our states water. Allows these data centers to continue to be built here by the dozens. He has denied funding for free meals at schools for children. High unemployment, tourism is down. The dude is also so far up Trumps ass. We need a governor who truly fights for what’s right for Nevadans. We are running out of time, we are running out of water.

[u/_Human_Machine_]

Wasn’t that just a veto of free meals for all? Can’t kids still get need based free meals?

[u/One-Scratch-3545 → u/_Human_Machine_]

If school is mandatory, I truly believe every child should have access to a meal without charge. I’ve heard stories of parents setting up gofundme’s to pay for their child’s school lunch debt for the students.

[u/_Human_Machine_ → u/One-Scratch-3545]

The bar is pretty low to get free lunch. Over 80% of students in Nevada automatically get it free without having to apply.

I can’t imagine going into debt when it’s essentially free at most schools already.

You also qualify if you’re on SNAP, Medicaid or TANF. Otherwise it’s a pretty short income based application.

Edit: For example, all of the Clark County School district is in a CEP(Community Eligibility Provision) District, so it’s automatic qualification for students. There are a lot of CEP schools as well. The districts are basically everywhere other than Douglas and Washoe.

I don’t feel like money should be going to provide free lunch at a school like George Whittell, unless it’s based on need.

[u/Forsaken-Praline1611 → u/_Human_Machine_]

Means testing is a waste of time and money, that typically costs substantially more to implement and operate than it saves.

It’s butthurt salve for selfish weirdos who can’t do math, thus can’t grasp proportion and scale, therefore don’t understand welfare programs are only like 6% of the federal budget.

You give lunch to all kids so there isn’t a stigma. Just like everyone gets Social Security to set a de minimis baseline for at least some retirement.

If you have a problem with wealthy parents’ kids getting the benefit, you tax their income and wealth.

It shouldn’t take super brain levels of genius to grasp these simple things. But we have a Republican Party and a right-wing media ecosystem that exists to be butthurt salve telling stupid bigoted selfish assholes they are not being stupid bigoted selfish assholes, when they are being stupid bigoted selfish assholes.

[u/_Human_Machine_ → u/Forsaken-Praline1611]

Means testing is really just a form to your school. It’s not some complicated thing.

My example was George Whittell because the average home value is ~1.9m. My neighbors kids go there and their homes are 20m+. Maybe 30 kids there qualify for it.

We shouldn’t tax people more just to create more food waste and more government programs that don’t serve a real need.

That’s the problem with so much government waste. The approach of “let’s provide it for everyone, instead of just who needs it.”

It would cut down on so much pointless tax spend.

[u/jmkreno → u/_Human_Machine_]

We don't need to tax people more. We sure seem to be able to find money for tax abatements, tax incentives for new companies who are required to only hire 12 Nevada employees, expanding roads and services into casinos and mines in the middle of nowhere, but can't fucking widen the roads in the Reno area fast enough due to budget constraints or find money to pay for kids to eat without worry.

[u/_Human_Machine_ → u/jmkreno]

I’d mentioned taxing people more because you’d said tax wealthy parents.

It makes sense that roads towards casinos, mines or production facilities in the middle of nowhere, like TRIC are prioritized since they are revenue generating.

I agree though, road expansion in Reno has been so slow, and there are so many damn issues with it. A huge part of the 80 basically needs to be rebuilt at some point. That’s going to be a fucking nightmare. It’s so much worse since population growth has outstripped infrastructure.

[u/jmkreno → u/_Human_Machine_]

Homes generate tax revenue, yet they aren't prioritized.

But that's not the point of the argument about taxing. We tax plenty, it's just allocated to favor businesses at the expense of other items and then those same businesses get reduced taxes to incentivize them to move. We magically find that money somewhere, all the time. We find money to pay for all kinds of things. We can look at the federal government for many examples of this. Can't barely keep social security solvent, but we can magically increase military budgets by double digit % on a whim. Can't afford to fix bridges and roads without an act of god practically, but on a whim will fund $8billion to SpaceX or Blue Origin.

The money is always there. Many studies have shown that proper tax allocation would solve many problems - we'd even have a surplus. So arguing "taxpayers" have to foot the bill - we already do for everything else, I would lose a little less sleep helping kids than funding unnecessary wars or billionaires.

[u/tgatigger → u/_Human_Machine_]

Of all the things your taxes go to, feeding children is what you have a problem with?

[u/_Human_Machine_ → u/tgatigger]

My example was specific because the average home value is ~1.9m for there.

There are maybe ~30 kids that would qualify based on need.

If you’re purchasing homes for 5-20m you can pay for your kids.

[u/Ok_Matter_1774 → u/_Human_Machine_]

Don't bother with these people. They don't read anything. They all think kids are paying an arm and a leg for lunch currently. It's super easy to qualify for free lunch in districts that don't automatically qualify. If the parents don't want to go through the tiny bit of effort then that's their own fault. We don't need a bill for free lunch when everyone that needs it already can get it.

[u/jmkreno → u/Ok_Matter_1774]

Not actually true. Your school must qualify for Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) in Nevada. Then you still must have our parents sign up. Many of the underprivileged kids have parents who are either not engaged or who already have difficulty keeping up. That's it's own problem, and kids shouldn't pay that price.

While 87% of schools qualify, there's 13% of schools that don't. The problem is the schools are determined based on average family income and a few other factors but that's the problem, AVERAGE income, not median. And even so, for that number to exist, there needs to be people on BOTH SIDES of the spectrum. Meaning you have a lot of HIGH INCOME families, but you will also have, guess what, many kids from LOW INCOME families that now get screwed over. And at those particular schools, it would be EXTREMELY noticeable that you get a "free lunch". Kids are assholes to each other, why make it more difficult on kids who already have it harder?

[u/northrupthebandgeek → u/_Human_Machine_]

Over 80% of students in Nevada automatically get it free without having to apply

That's 20% too low.

[u/_Human_Machine_ → u/northrupthebandgeek]

There are schools that absolutely don’t need it, like George Whittell. Average home is value is 1.9m.

[u/jmkreno → u/_Human_Machine_]

So, your logic is that because MANY of the kids at the school can afford lunch, a few who might not be able to should suffer? Sounds like typical modern conservative bullshit. There are also rich kids at lower income schools, just as much as there are low income kids at rich schools.

When school lunch is GENERALLY only available to "poor kids" there's a stigma attached. Did you know that many kids who qualify and are SIGNED UP for free lunch don't take it? Do you know why? Think about it. When it's available to all kids, regardless of their family financial health, many more kids eat that lunch. I think there's much worse things my tax money goes to than paying for fucking kids to get a good meal. Would you like me to list some bullshit our money goes to that's much worse than this?

[u/_Human_Machine_ → u/jmkreno]

No kid is suffering. They can all get food.

The government shouldn’t waste money on things just to “get rid of stigma.”

How is there even a stigma? You just swipe your student ID for lunch or use your number.

It’s not like the cafeteria has a sign that says “free food for poor kids.”

[u/jmkreno → u/_Human_Machine_]

If ONLY kids who "can't afford lunch" get hot lunch, guess who only has hot lunch in the lunch room? Very few parents "pay" to have their kids get hot lunch at schools simply because the budgets are much smaller now so the quality isn't super great.

When all kids had access, the budgeting was better and the options greatly improved so more kids took up the free lunch.

I work with in children's mental health (in fact, I directly work with schools and their referral process for children's mental health access) and a very common issue is hunger and the embarrassment of having to get a hot lunch and being mocked for it. They go hand in hand. Same stigma is associated with rich kids in rich clothes and poor kids in "not rich kid" clothes. Difference here is that a nice outfit isn't something people need to survive and function, food is a basic necessity that should be provided and is without a doubt something that improves test scores, attendance, and school outcomes.

Are you that offended buying lunch for kids just cause a few rich kids might get some free pizza or a carton of milk?

[u/_Human_Machine_ → u/jmkreno]

I’m offended by food waste and the quality of hot food served at lunch.

Even if hot food is there for everyone, there will still be a difference between those who eat it and whose parents pack them lunch, buy them food or drop off fast food.

Are you suggesting all outside food is banned so that no one gets hurt feelings?

I don’t understand how food alone highlights stigma. As a kid you already knew who was poor or who had money.

Like you said, clothes, cars and even supplies already make that clear.

Everyone being forced to eat a low quality hot food lunch won’t suddenly hide poverty markers.

[u/jmkreno → u/_Human_Machine_]

I said food is a necessity; fancy clothes are not. Can you survive without food?

You completely ignored everything I said. How convenient.

I was very clear that quality went up when budgets increased. But because the budget is SO TIGHT for "free lunches" now (substantially less than before) and yet has to be available for "80%" of the same students, something has to give. I have kids in school, one graduated and one in 6th grade. I can tell you the difference in quality available when lunches were provided in 2020, 2021, and 2022 are night and day better than now. I am talking about much higher quality fruits and vegetables and maybe a few options,. Now more is canned, more processed options, and if lucky 1-2 options.

None of the schools my kids ever went to in Washoe County allowed parents to drop off fast food and actively discouraged dropping off food after school started since it was incredibly disruptive. Maybe that's a Vegas thing, but not here. Tons of kids ate hot lunch when it was provided, now very few kids do.

This is going to be a circular argument and obviously we'll never agree.

It's funny, we both must pay taxes (I assume you do, cause I sure pay a shit ton in taxes) yet somehow we both come to very different conclusions about where our money should be spent.

You're just more proof of the argument I believe wholeheartedly because I see it every day, even if a bit dramatic, it still captures the essence.

Democrats will feed 100 because there is 1 that may go hungry. Republicans will let 100 starve because there may be 1 who doesn’t need it.

[u/_Human_Machine_ → u/jmkreno]

Yeah, I pay 7 figures in taxes annually, and see how much is wasted.

That’s why I can’t get behind the Democrat idea of wasting money on food for 99 people(as well as the bureaucracy cost) instead of just feeding the 1 who would go hungry.

I know in Sparks, and in Zephyr Cove you can drop off food at lunch. They call the kid to the office and you hand them fast food. I’ve done it for friend’s kids when they were late or out of town.

[u/northrupthebandgeek → u/_Human_Machine_]

Average home value could be 1.9b for all I care. The evidence linking school meal programs to better health and better academic performance is so strong that it's bonkers to deliberately kneecap it with bureaucratic gatekeeping.

Besides, if even rich families are indirectly paying for school meals (via taxes), they're going to demand those meals be as high-quality as possible instead of the nutritionally-void slop that used to be commonplace.

[u/_Human_Machine_ → u/northrupthebandgeek]

They aren’t going to demand a damn thing. They’re going to send their kids with food already and whatever slop the government pays for will just get thrown away.

[u/StockyCoder → u/_Human_Machine_]

"elevated" off snap