What’s more important, feeding children or enforcing petty rules?

Yes, I am still in Northern California, the East Bay to be more exact. My stay was extended soon after I arrived in early September from one month to the end of October. My mother is making good progress on her recovery from various and usual aliments for an 87 year old. I plan to be back in Juneau the first week of November.

The front page story on today’s SF Chronicle titled ‘S.F. schools’ lunch money cut off‘, just blew me away. You’re probably thinking oh, there must have been some rotten beef served, unsanitary conditions, or someone is putting money in their pocket. But those answers are wrong, wrong and wrong again. There are some petty violations of the program’s rules. Things like occasionally one of the children will take less then the required number of items. It is news to me that there is a way to get children to eat what they don’t want. It’s OK for them to throw the food away. And that way they will learn how to waste food. It gets even more ridiculous then that. Sometimes the trays are handed out fully loaded and the children don’t get to make a choice of what they are served! This helpful for the younger students, but it is just not part of the program! One school ran out of milk one day. This is a big no no. There no errors allowed in this game.

Meanwhile 57% of San Francisco public school students depend on the school lunch program. Thankfully, the city has advanced the funds to cover the costs. They will be reimbursed when the program meets all the picky little requirements. Wonder what the mayor Galloping Gavin is doing about this? If I were the mayor, I’d be on the phone in a flash. My first call would be to the President. Surely, he is more compassionate then this. Then there be a ring ding to Nancy, Diane and Barbara. Part of being a politician is pulling strings and getting things done one way or another. And this time it is even for a good cause!

Every so often in Alaska we get petty bureaucratic types in our government. And what do we do? Ignore them and hope they go back down south where they belong. We are companionate enough to not make them swim or walk.

It is time to wake up and help feed the children!

San Francisco, lunch program, funds, what is more important?