The Free Market Hurts NC Children and Farmers
Submitted by zabouti on Sat, 08/25/2007 - 10:25am
Free market fundamentalists "know" that government is always more expensive and less efficient than private enterprise, right?
Yet today's News and Observer newspaper tells us what happened when the Defense Department outsourced its "farm-to-school" program in North Carolina to a private company.
[This] program took advantage of the power of Defense Department purchasing agents, who buy food for military bases, veterans hospitals, commissaries and federal prisons. They have enough clout to secure volume discounts for schools that wanted to spend federal school lunch credits on fresh produce from North Carolina farms.
This was apparently a very successful program, benefiting both North Carolina farmers, "who have a tough time penetrating institutional food-purchasing programs dominated by bigger agricultural states", as well as North Carolina children, who get fresh fruit and vegetables.
So what happened when part of the program was privatized?
The food service company that got the North Carolina contract tacked a new $4.30 surcharge on each case of food sold to schools.
The stacked fees have had a dramatic effect on the price of produce sold under the program, offsetting the savings of lower field prices negotiated with farmers. For example, a case containing up to three watermelons that sold for about $7.50 last year will cost roughly $13.00. Grape tomatoes, popular for student salad bars, cost $11.60 for a dozen one-point containers last year; they go for about $17.80 this year.
The new price regime is also pinching farmers. Frank Howell of Goldsboro said he expected to sell about 4,100 cases of watermelons under the farm-to-school program, like he did last year. On Tuesday, he was told he'll sell only 2,300 cases.
As a result of the added expense, some North Carolina school officials say they will be able to buy only about half as much Tar Heel-fresh watermelons, apples, strawberries or sweet potatoes under the farm-to-school program as they did last year. Other school districts may decide to drop out altogether.
Ain't the free market wonderful? And oh so much cheaper than government!
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Great summary, George
If there were any justice, the CEO of this scum-sucking company should be in jail.
Of course, he's also probably lawyerin' up.
In a voice-mail message, Paul Lieb, president and owner of Foster-Caviness, declined a request for a phone interview
not free market
Real quick econ 101 lesson: outsourcing a government function to the private sector is not a free market solution--nor should it be called privatization. It's more like privatizing half the equation, which often has unpleasant results (see the California electricity 'deregulation' fiasco).
True privatization, true free market solutions, involve the government completely giving up a particular function--not outsourcing it. For instance, a free market solution to food and drug safety would be abolishing the FDA and allowing the interplay of voluntary, uncoerced individual actions in the marketplace to determine what levels of safety various consumers are willing to pay for.
Darren
--
nocoercion.com
So what's the free market solution
in the case of school lunches?
According to Darren's definition,
the only place this true "free market" scenario could take place is at a public school in an extremely well-to-do district or a private school, since taxpayers subsidize school lunches for children from lower-income families.
But I tell you what I have seen, and I couldn't believe the school board allowed it—fast food restaurants like Pizza Hut, Burger King, Taco Bell, etc., were actually allowed to sell their unhealthy crap right in the cafeteria. Not to mention the Coke machines strategically placed around the school, often right beside a water fountain.
Granted, our schools need money and are eager to generate income that taxpayers aren't willing to part with. I understand that, and sympathize. But trading our childrens' health for a few extra dollars is not the act of a responsible entity, and calls into question their ability to feed the students' minds, as well.
And we wonder why our children are becoming obese.
DUH
Be the change you wish to see in the world. --Gandhi
School systems can use existing budgets
to feed students healthy, fresh foods. It is still rare but some school systems have done that already. It takes thinking beyond the fast food deals and more than "popping the can" or "zapping the frozen food".
At the high school where I teach most students eat french fries and a slab of greasy unfrozen pizza for lunch.
My son spent his entire freshman year of high school
eating one piece of pizza for lunch and "slamming an orange drink" because his lunch split his history class in two, and he wound up with only about 15 minutes of actual eating time. He was losing weight at a time when boys should be gaining. When I realized what was happening, we made extra meals at home so that he had a second lunch when he got home.
Be the change you wish to see in the world. --Gandhi
Our students have similar complaints.
We went from three lunch sections to four several years ago due to an increase in enrollment. They wait in line for 10-15 min., then scarf for about 15 min.
You'd think kids would get tired of eating that junk. (Some do)
I either took my lunch or went home to eat, but that was a different era.
I take it your son gained the weight back and it turned out ok??
He stopped losing.
He starts his senior year tomorrow, has grown 5 inches taller, and weighs only 10 pounds more. He's a skinny kid. But he eats well. He and his friends get to eat in the "courtyard" now - which is more pleasant. Last spring he started asking me to get him grapes to take to school. It seems that the girls like grapes, so he takes them to share. So they go buy the gross pizza, and then they eat that and grapes. Grapes are good. It's so weird - it's like having a toddler. I tried slipping in other stuff, like apples, bananas, etc. Nope. Just grapes. But when he comes home, he eats his second lunch, and by the time we eat dinner, he's ready for another meal. He's starting to bulk up a little, thank goodness.
The problem is just as you alluded to - the school is overcrowded. It was built for 1100 students, the current enrollment is well over 2000. They seemed to have trouble hanging on to principals, as well. This year is the first year that the one from last year is returning. Consistency is a good thing. This principal seems to have a much better handle on scheduling students to move through the buildings (there are 4 buildings on campus), getting lunch, etc. I'm hoping for a good year.
I guess your year is about to start. Here's hoping you and your students have a great year.
Be the change you wish to see in the world. --Gandhi