Secretary Bessent and Senator Kennedy explain why America's Poor are so Wealthy

[Seymour Flops]

It seems that the Census, in calculating how many people in the U.S. are below the poverty level, they only count cash payments to people in the dependency class as income. Using that formula, 11% of American families are in poverty. Shocking for the greatest nation on the planet, economically.

But . . .

Kennedy leads Bessent to testify that there are about $64,000 in non-cash benefits available to families with no earnings, on top of the cash payments. If those were counted in, the poverty rate - says Kennedy - is about 1%

There is no doubt that America pampers its poor. At least the poor who play by the rules and fill out the forms correctly and consistently and who do not live under profoundly corrupt urban governments.

For may inner-city poor, government has become the new slumlord that allows drug gangs to control its housing projects. At the same time, many of the Democrats beloved illegal labor class live as multiple families in single-family housing, and eat simple and cheap homemade food, but they are able to send money back to family they left behind.

 

[Darkwind]

Sounds about right.

 

[Dont Taz Me Bro]

I've been to the Third World. We don't have poor people in the USA.

 

[Muhammed]

$31,000 in free school lunches? That's $84.93/day for 2 kids. And that's assuming 365 days/year.

Something isn't right.

 

[1srelluc]

$31,000 in free school lunches? That's $84.93/day for 2 kids. And that's assuming 365 days/year.

Something isn't right.

No shit.

The average cost per meal to feed an inmate in the U.S. typically ranges from $2 to $5 per meal. More specifically, the average daily cost for feeding an inmate is generally between $2.00 to $4.00. Some facilities may report slightly higher or lower figures depending on factors such as food sourcing, menu complexity, and regional price levels.

Around $5500 (three meals a day) for a year to feed a convict using the high end $5 per meal figure vs around $15,500 a year (I'm assuming two meals a day) to feed a school kid?

WTF?

 

[Seymour Flops]

$31,000 in free school lunches? That's $84.93/day for 2 kids. And that's assuming 365 days/year.

Something isn't right.

Suppliers jack up prices when vending to government entities. School districts do not mind at all, because they are allocated x dollars per year, and they fear that if they do not spend it all, next year they will get less.

 

[Seymour Flops]

No shit.

The average cost per meal to feed an inmate in the U.S. typically ranges from $2 to $5 per meal. More specifically, the average daily cost for feeding an inmate is generally between $2.00 to $4.00. Some facilities may report slightly higher or lower figures depending on factors such as food sourcing, menu complexity, and regional price levels.

Around $5500 (three meals a day) for a year to feed a convict using the high end $5 per meal figure vs around $15,500 a year (I'm assuming two meals a day) to feed a school kid?

WTF?

Yes, it is two meals per day.

Food for schools - at least in Texas - is special order for its "healthy" requirements, i.e. give the kids donuts, poptarts, or French toast with syrip for for breakfast, but . . . they must be whole grain. I wish I was kidding about that. I can't imagine anyone but schools buying whole grain donuts, so the vendors charge a premium since they are manufactured specially.

Also pizza for breakfast, but it must have low-fat breakfast sausage to be a breakfast item. Lowfat milk, including sugared up chocolate milk. Not 100% sure, but I'll look next time I'm buying groceries to see if lowfat chocolate milk is a thing.

Lunch is incredibly bland, and no desert, but many items are in single serve containers which are more expensive.

In Texas, our prisons are noted for not providing the inmates much in the way of good food, so that may not be the best comparison. I wish there was a way to compare costs adjusted for inflation of today's meals with school meals in the past. When I went to school in the 1970's it was some good goldurned food, and we took it for granted. We had plastic divided trays, but we had real silverware. Ten years prior, they had real plates and salt and pepper on the tables.

 

[1srelluc]

Yes, it is two meals per day.

Food for schools - at least in Texas - is special order for its "healthy" requirements, i.e. give the kids donuts, poptarts, or French toast with syrip for for breakfast, but . . . they must be whole grain. I wish I was kidding about that. I can't imagine anyone but schools buying whole grain donuts, so the vendors charge a premium since they are manufactured specially.

Also pizza for breakfast, but it must have low-fat breakfast sausage to be a breakfast item. Lowfat milk, including sugared up chocolate milk. Not 100% sure, but I'll look next time I'm buying groceries to see if lowfat chocolate milk is a thing.

Lunch is incredibly bland, and no desert, but many items are in single serve containers which are more expensive.

In Texas, our prisons are noted for not providing the inmates much in the way of good food, so that may not be the best comparison. I wish there was a way to compare costs adjusted for inflation of today's meals with school meals in the past. When I went to school in the 1970's it was some good goldurned food, and we took it for granted. We had plastic divided trays, but we had real silverware. Ten years prior, they had real plates and salt and pepper on the tables.

When I retired from VDOC it cost around .45 cents per meal to feed the convicts on a 1200 man unit.

The only things that were single-serve was milk and breakfast juice which came in 8 oz plastic bags.

Of course the labor was almost free with kitchen convicts getting around $2.00 a day.

I remember one year (around '81) when our "dietitian" (just a corporal who took a class) broke his leg and they put me in his place.....I got bitched at because I was not keeping meals under .22 cents each.....I told the warden fine, replace me, I'd rather run a gun gang.

Never heard another word, I guess because we were eating good.

 

[Muhammed]

No shit.

The average cost per meal to feed an inmate in the U.S. typically ranges from $2 to $5 per meal. More specifically, the average daily cost for feeding an inmate is generally between $2.00 to $4.00. Some facilities may report slightly higher or lower figures depending on factors such as food sourcing, menu complexity, and regional price levels.

Around $5500 (three meals a day) for a year to feed a convict using the high end $5 per meal figure vs around $15,500 a year (I'm assuming two meals a day) to feed a school kid?

WTF?

Yes, it is two meals per day.

Food for schools - at least in Texas - is special order for its "healthy" requirements, i.e. give the kids donuts, poptarts, or French toast with syrip for for breakfast, but . . . they must be whole grain. I wish I was kidding about that. I can't imagine anyone but schools buying whole grain donuts, so the vendors charge a premium since they are manufactured specially.

Also pizza for breakfast, but it must have low-fat breakfast sausage to be a breakfast item. Lowfat milk, including sugared up chocolate milk. Not 100% sure, but I'll look next time I'm buying groceries to see if lowfat chocolate milk is a thing.

Lunch is incredibly bland, and no desert, but many items are in single serve containers which are more expensive.

In Texas, our prisons are noted for not providing the inmates much in the way of good food, so that may not be the best comparison. I wish there was a way to compare costs adjusted for inflation of today's meals with school meals in the past. When I went to school in the 1970's it was some good goldurned food, and we took it for granted. We had plastic divided trays, but we had real silverware. Ten years prior, they had real plates and salt and pepper on the tables.

Public schools here will give kids a banana and 8oz milk for breakfast. That's just pennies in food costs.

For lunch they should be getting a ribeye with all the fixins.