WHAT'S ON YOUR MIND
By Scott Hennen
Host of “What’s On Your Mind?” Radio Show heard on KTGO-1090AM and KFYR-550AM
Co-owner of Flag Family Media and the McKenzie County Farmer
Welcome to the April 2023 edition of “Things are not always as they seem.” I have 3 examples to share as we go beyond the headlines and breathless reporting of shock and awe.
Headline: “North Dakota’s Senate has passed a bill to give its members more free food - after killing a proposal to boost free lunches for hungry school kids. On Thursday, the GOP-led chamber voted 26-21 to let state employees collect up to $45 a day to pay for meals while traveling within North Dakota, up from $35 currently” was how Yahoo reported the story.
Facts: The federal government already has a school lunch program for “hungry school kids” for families making $30,000 or less annually. North Dakota legislators considered a $6 million proposal (for 2 years) to increase eligibility to 200 percent or below the federal poverty level (for a family of 3). It would have provided free school lunches for children of families making up to $60,000 annually. The debate centered on whether parents that make between $30,000 and $60,000 should be responsible to feed their school-age children or your tax dollars. As of now the bill to make the free school lunch program more generous has failed.
For the full story, subscribe to the McKenzie County Farmer