Missouri Rep. Cynthia Davis' Web site comments on school lunch programs

[FangKC]

Did everyone see, or hear about, the comments made by Missouri Representative Cynthia Davis on her Web site about funding summer school lunch programs for low-income families?  It got some national media coverage.

I found her comments a bit disturbing and ignorant -- especially in light of the fact that she chairs the House committee on poverty, and on children and families.

Rep. Davis' Web site comments:

http://cynthiadavis.net/PDFs/cpr090604_ ... rogram.htm

A report on the issue by Kansas City Star's Prime Buzz:

http://primebuzz.kcstar.com/?q=node/19006

Here is an editorial that appeared in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch:

http://www.stltoday.com/blogzone/the-pl ... -children/

From the editorial:

Ms. Davis chairs the House Special Standing Committee on Children and Families. In that position, she might be expected to have insight into child hunger in our state.

She might know, for instance, that about one in five Missouri children lives with hunger. That ties us with Louisiana for the nation?s seventh-highest rate, according to a report released last month by the hunger-relief charity Feeding America.

Or that the recession has pushed the number of poor Missouri kids who qualify for free or reduced-price school lunches by 8.3 percent this year, well above the national average.

Apparently not.

Here is KC Star's Barb Shelly's commentary:

http://voices.kansascity.com/node/4973

Here is Rep. Davis' rebuttal in the Joplin newspaper:

http://www.joplinindependent.com/displa ... 1245876457

It seems to me that she is more focused on her idealogy about "big government" than she is concerned about whether children are going hungry or not.

Her comments upset me, and I took the time to write her an email outlining why I thought she was wrong.

For those of you who want to email Rep. Davis, her email address is:

cynthia.davis@house.mo.gov

[grovester]

yes, that was a disturbing initial interview that perpetuates midwestern cliches

[omenapt]

you know,, i am fairly liberal and initially brissled at this story, but the more i think about it, in some ways i agree with her..  Somehow, some way, somebody in that child's life can prepare him/her a lunch to take to school.  i understand certain situations make that very difficult, but come on!    even most young children can learn at an early age to spread peanut butter and jelly,  With some adult supervision, many could prepare their own lunch


Flame begin  ...3....2.....1

[KCMax]

Stephen Colbert applauds Cynthia Davis. He urges viewers to help keep Cynthia "hungry" so that she may achieve more.