For years, parents have complained about kids on the free/reduced lunch program whose parents live in big houses and drive expensive SUVs. The response has always been that principals are required to accept all applications. The system is set up so that those receiving the benefit are unknown to most others standing in the same line.

It's more than FCPS receiving more free Federal money for each FRL kid. Achieving that status also allows the family other free benefits from the county and other organizations, ranging from free sports registration for their kids, to transportation to tickets to shows.

New Jersey finally had enough of the system's abuse and decided to investigate. Here's what they found:

"Our investigations division ultimately uncovered false information on applications submitted by school board members, teachers, other school employees as well as state, county and local employees," state Comptroller Matthew Boxer said. "What we found are people who work for the government, lying to the government about how much the government is paying them — all to benefit from a program that is designed to help those in need."

http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2013/07/gov_calls_for_firings_and_prosecution_in_wake_of_cheating_scandal_in_school_lunch_program.html#incart_m-rpt-1

Turns out that the people who set up and manage the program are abusing it, knowing that there is little chance of getting caught. They tell their friends how, and the abuse grows.

It's time for FCPS to audit this program.

How much does it cost to sign up for the lunch for free program?

Every government handout program is rife with fraud. Period.

http://chicago.cbslocal.com/2013/01/07/school-investigator-widespread-fraud-pervades-chicago-school-lunch-program/

http://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/12-Principals-and-Assistants-Removed-for-Lunch-Scam-162356866.html

Chicago public schools uncovered principals and assistant principals getting free/reduced meals for their kids by lying on the applications. One married couple, both working for CPS, failed to mention that they made a combined annual income of $230,000 when securing free meals. I'd REALLY hope that that's not happening at FCPS.
A study also showed that 77% of applications filed with CPS had fraudulent information on them. Nice, eh?

i'm a lefty and have no problem whatsoever auditing this program to root out blatant fraud. go for it.

Curmudgeon Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> i'm a lefty and have no problem whatsoever
> auditing this program to root out blatant fraud.
> go for it.


I'll never understand why some assume the Liberals are "okay" with fraud.

Liberals tend to believe in helping to support those who cannot support themselves. Fraud - be it welfare, school lunches, or anything else - makes it less likely that those who are truly in dire straits will get the assistance that they need.

I would fully support random audits of those receiving assistance, and criminal prosecution of those who blatantly abuse these programs.

Of course its a f'n scam.
My kid's school website says almost 50% of the kids get a free lunch.
Free school lunches for 50% of the kids in the 2nd richest county in America !1!@?!@?!?@??!

The state and county benefit if more people sign up.
Same thing with Food stamps.
It will be the same with the Obamacare health program.

Go back to parenting 101 - that's the most important part of being a parent: feeding the kid.
SHAME on any kid's parents if they get a free lunch.
I got a free knuckle sandwich for any of those parents.

Someone should start one of those online petitions demanding that the school board audit the free lunch program.

Sign Me Up Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Someone should start one of those online petitions
> demanding that the school board audit the free
> lunch program.

I would sign and actively promote it.

The irony is that it would probably be declared "too expensive" to result in savings, which might be true in the short-term, but the benefits would be progressive.

It should be trivial to do a quick audit at the State level, though - a cross-reference of the database with tax returns would probably expose thousands of scofflaws immediately. Bills and/or fines for those who are caught should far exceed the cost of the effort, and news coverage might make parents think twice before engaging in such activity.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/19/2013 08:04AM by Logical Liberal.

Its very simple all you have to do is fill out the form. The department of free stuff is so overwhelmed with applications they just hand it out without checking.

Free and reduced price* meal applications are mailed to all households each August. If you do not receive an application in the mail or if you experience an income or household size change, an application is available at your local school or contact Food and Nutrition Services at 703-813-4800 or 703-813-4844.

Free and reduced-price* lunches are available to students unable to pay the full price of meals according to criteria based on household size and income. Applications are available in Arabic,Farsi, Korean, Spanish, Urdu, and Vietnamese.

Families who earn less than 130 percent of the poverty level are eligible for free meals and those with incomes between 130 and 185 percent of poverty level qualify for reduced price meals.* Today, approximately 24 percent of the student enrollment qualify for free and reduced price* meals. The prices for paid breakfast and lunch are determined by the School Board and the price of reduced price meals* are established by the federal government.

http://www.fcps.edu/fs/food/serve/documents/2012-2013freeReducedApplicationWithParentLetterInstructions.pdf

* Note: Students eligible for reduced price meals will now receive free breakfast and free lunch. This means the students will not have to pay the $.30 for breakfast or the $.40 for lunch. Food and Nutrition Services will absorb these costs. If you have any questions, please call 703-813-4800.

The tax payers need to start insisting that accountability to be on the program. This program is being abused but the people who are in charge of the program don't care. They need to send representatives to the schools to watch the people who are on free and reduce ounce see the cars that the parent drive, clothes that they wear and the vacations that they take. Ask the school personnel. Parents want this program not to pay for the extra's suc as summer school and courses that have fees. I am not a leader but if a movement starts I would be one of the first people to join. If need be give parents classes about living within their means. If it means parents might have to work two low paying jobs that is life. This entitlement way is hurting the h are working people th at live within their means.

The bottom line is no one is checking to be sure what is on the application is correct, same with food stamps. The government puts down what qualifies for free school food so the applicants are sure to put down the right numbers so they qualify. Same with the federal food stamp program.

The program pays for itself many times over. It cuts down on crime and helps our little future taxpayers become just that.

left turn clyde Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> The program pays for itself many times over. It
> cuts down on crime and helps our little future
> taxpayers become just that.

Your point is valid - for some, these are the only decent meals they get during the day.

It can help reduce truancy, it's nearly impossible for a hungry child to learn (meaning the school money was a waste), and a child who hasn't eaten is more likely to disrupt an entire class (again, wasted money).

An educated child is much less likely to be a burden on taxpayers as an adult.

It's the fraud that's at issue.

What planet are you from. The people lie on the applications not for the food but all the other benefits that come with school lunch. With they publish the income levels parents make sure that they put under the lowest level or add extra kids just so they qualify. It is a badge of honor these days for the free lunch so everything else is free. Before anyone really supports this come and spend a week in a school that has a lot free and reduce lunch kids and it will not take you long to see how it is abused. No money form lunch but the vending machines get emptied daily. No money for lunch but kids have cars and insurance and purchase a parking permit for 20 instead of 200. No money for lunch but new clothes daily. Stop the entitlement and if you feel they need it give them the tools like how to spend your money to support your family or how to get and hold a job or stop lying when you make over 80 thousand.

There are only a handful of government workers to process the free school lunch applications. There is no system in place for fraud. The qualifying numbers are known before the forms are completed so anyone that fills it out knows exactly what to put down to qualify.

and and Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> The tax payers need to start insisting that
> accountability to be on the program. This program
> is being abused but the people who are in charge
> of the program don't care...


Nobody is incented to care. As in the case of most all such programs they are structured toward giving away more versus less and that's how all of the metrics measuring "success" are designed. It won't change because that's the nature of the program and the people who support and run it. Detecting fraud is hard and takes a lot of effort with little benefit seen on the part of anyone involved. Accepting more applications is easy and gets you an atta boy and more money for the program. Structuring things to minimize abuse falls far down the line to "if we can just help one person who needs it" even though the waste and abuse directly takes away from those who may. Can't do anything that makes it harder for anyone since that may keep someone from getting it and/or make our numbers look bad and like we don't need that budget and staffing.

It is one of those situations where it would cost more to police it than it does to allow the fraud to continue. If a kid has a Dad who makes 100 grand a year but blows it all on gambling and drugs or whatever I still want to buy that kid breakfast and lunch.
Again , the program costs nothing. It pays back many times over and I bet the fraud is less than 15% but that is just a guess on my part.

How can these people live with themselves? How do they rationalize this? Terrible role models for the kids.

Why don't they just serve free breakfast and lunch to all the kids? They can also reduce all the fees as well. This would make the whole thing fair to everyone. They can get rid of all the forms, postage and handling.

When I went to school in the late 50's there was not free lunch. If you did not have the quarter to buy lunch you made a peanut butter and jelly or bologna sandwich. Stop the entitlement.

Log. Liberal, get real
Dont give us that BS about hungry kids cant learn and become truant!

Their parents are sitting at home watching cable on a big screen and gabbing on their Iphones with unlimited minutes. Theres a luxury car in the driveway and at timeshare at Ocean City PAID FOR by the "savings" of not having to feed their freakin kid any lunch.

Dear Dr. Karen Garza:

Fix this waste of tax money ASAP. If you can't or won't, shut down marching band, cheerleading, swimming and lacrosse.

You, ma'am, are a disgrace and waste of tax dollars. Go back to Texas, teach George Bush how to read.

Marching band, cheerleading, swimming, and lacrosse are not the problem. Marching band, for one, requires the parent to pay hundreds of dollars and the booster club makes up the rest through tons of fundraisers. I can't speak for the others, but I have a feeling you are talking about chump change. There are other much bigger and more wasteful expenditures and many of them are in Gatehouse and in the "coach" and "specialist" areas. At least the items you mentioned benefit kids directly in some way (although your opinion may be different).

How about the parents or more likely parent of the kids getting free meals be required to do fundraising. Get LaShantel, Marita or Amber Lynn off the couch and away from Judge Judy. Get them out there picking up trash on the highway or cutting down the weeds.

LL PLLLLLLLLEASSSSEE Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Log. Liberal, get real
> Dont give us that BS about hungry kids cant learn
> and become truant!
>
> Their parents are sitting at home watching cable
> on a big screen and gabbing on their Iphones with
> unlimited minutes. Theres a luxury car in the
> driveway and at timeshare at Ocean City PAID FOR
> by the "savings" of not having to feed their
> freakin kid any lunch.


I think everyone knows that there are some cases where the scenario you describe is a reality or close to it. That is even more reason to leave the free and reduced program just the way it is. Those corrupt parents are already lost to society, our system has failed them. Now we need to try and help those kids.
The free and reduced plan is essentially on the "honor" system and thats how it needs to stay to allow it to continue to generate increased tax revenue for our government in the long run.

It takes more than a free lunch to get a kid on the right track in life. I suspect many are already lost to the system when they see mom hustling the government for free housing, free medical care, food stamps and an obamaphone. They look at her and see an easy road in life thanks to the government so what is the big deal about staying in school or doing well in class.

You can stay in school study hard and maybe just maybe make it in life. Or you can just figure out the address to the social services office. Then follow your moms path with no worries about who will house, feed and clothe you and your future offspring.

What liberal whites fail to understand is that some people are ok with living in squalor. Given a choice between working and doing ok or not working and never having to worry about your basic needs thanks to the government is a simple choice for some.

You hit on it Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> How about the parents or more likely parent of the
> kids getting free meals be required to do
> fundraising. Get LaShantel, Marita or Amber Lynn
> off the couch and away from Judge Judy. Get them
> out there picking up trash on the highway or
> cutting down the weeds.


We used to use drug and alcohol offenders from the jail to do that kind of stuff. Guess what? The county started getting sued more and more every year. Now any inmate labor has to be hired by the county, they have to pass a physical exam and a drug test, they have to be issued steel toe boots safety vests and safety glasses and they have to attend safety classes and CPR training. The same would apply to the welfare parents.
We can barely even offer community service tasks to people who are sentenced by the courts because of the liability insurance issue.
The Idea you describe is not a new one but it has become impractical to the point that it would cost the taxpayers far more than just simply cutting a check for the free and reduced lunch plan.

better yet Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------

"It takes more than a free lunch to get a kid on the right track in life"

I agree with you there.

These children are victims in many cases because their parents and grandparents were failed by the American system long ago.
What I just don't get is why you would pick this program to complain about. There are plenty of corrupt and failed government programs out there. The only reason I could think that someone would be upset that an underprivileged child was getting a free meal from a system that saves the taxpayers in the long run would be hate and or racism.

The taxpayers are tired of supporting the overweight parents of kids that show little respect to anyone. The kids are rude, defiant and just disrespectful. That is what they learned from their parents. The learned to. Take and take and take. They do not learn to earn and take care of themselves or their children. If we stop giving then they will start learning. Called survival.

"These children are victims in many cases because their parents and grandparents were failed by the American system long ago."

Total bullshit and it is your type of thinking that people use to excuse laziness and a lack of ambition on their part. I know several Vietnamese people who were boat people. They came here with next to nothing and didnt speak the English language. Yet they made it because they wanted to better themselves rather than depend on others to help them succeed in life.

Yet you have five and six generations here that are on welfare because it is acceptable due to people like you excusing sloth with the "Man holding them down". If there is any failure it is on the parents.

People like you that excuse irresponsible behavior are the biggest threat to someone making something of themselves.

"The only reason I could think that someone would be upset that an underprivileged child was getting a free meal from a system that saves the taxpayers in the long run would be hate and or racism."

Why do you sight racism? Are you saying only Blacks are on welfare? Isn't that a racist assumption on your part? Liberals are so easy to trip up.

I am total agreement with the last two post. Why can't the people in office see how they a ruining these people by giving all the time and taking away from the tax payers that are supporting this. We need to get people in office that will change this!

left turn clyde Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> better yet Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
>
> "It takes more than a free lunch to get a kid on
> the right track in life"
>
> I agree with you there.
>
> These children are victims in many cases because
> their parents and grandparents were failed by the
> American system long ago.
> What I just don't get is why you would pick this
> program to complain about. There are plenty of
> corrupt and failed government programs out there.

The answer is because these programs are funded with money that comes from other places... places where actual good can be done. Pointing to other wrongs has never made something right.

> The only reason I could think that someone would
> be upset that an underprivileged child was getting
> a free meal from a system that saves the taxpayers
> in the long run would be hate and or racism.

Who's upset about underprivileged kids getting a free meal? The complaints that have been meaningful to me have been in regard to fraudulent abuse.

Referring to critics as "racists" would seem to indicate a high level of racism on your part. I've seen no breakdown as to what color the parents are who are abusing the system.

And yes, I suppose that "hate" might be an acceptable term for what I feel toward parents who do this, though "contempt" would be more accurate.

I predict (correctly) that you take away every free lunch from every kid, and 90% of them are gonna eat OK. Those parents will just be late on a couple Mercedes payments to buy the lunch meat and bread.

The 10% of kids really hungry? Take a collection up from the other parents. There's plenty of bored housewives in Fairfax that can donate $100 a week instead of getting their nails done again...

left turn clyde Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> LL PLLLLLLLLEASSSSEE Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Log. Liberal, get real
> > Dont give us that BS about hungry kids cant
> learn
> > and become truant!
> >
> > Their parents are sitting at home watching
> cable
> > on a big screen and gabbing on their Iphones
> with
> > unlimited minutes. Theres a luxury car in the
> > driveway and at timeshare at Ocean City PAID
> FOR
> > by the "savings" of not having to feed their
> > freakin kid any lunch.
>
>
> I think everyone knows that there are some cases
> where the scenario you describe is a reality or
> close to it. That is even more reason to leave the
> free and reduced program just the way it is. Those
> corrupt parents are already lost to society, our
> system has failed them. Now we need to try and
> help those kids.
> The free and reduced plan is essentially on the
> "honor" system and thats how it needs to stay to
> allow it to continue to generate increased tax
> revenue for our government in the long run.


You are wasting your time trying to reason with Conservatards. Every time a child goes without lunch these people get a funny little kick out of it. They are even happier if that hungry kid is a Hispanic or black.

Righties love to see kids suffer.

This discussion should be about giving food to people who need it and making sure those who don't need it don't take advantage of the system. This is about good governance (something we seem to have had little of in the past few decades in this country). Without good governance, we will have problems that lead to the "Detroits" of the world. Then we really will have hungry people and there will be nothing we can do about it. This is not about what "righties" or "lefties" like or don't like or conjecture about that type of thing. This is about real situations and pragmatic solutions. To my way of thinking there are two solutions. One is that the program is administered in a fair and effective way (actual oversight occurs). The second solution is to just give everyone a lunch as part of the public school program. Since we live in the land of personal responsibility and "anyone can make it on minimum wage if they just stop using a cell phone and cable", I would bet that solution number two will never come to pass. So it's solution number one if we can get it to happen. When the feds send the money, the local government hardly has much incentive to monitor the program correctly. Corruption happens at the local level with these kinds of federal programs.

@turn down the music- good point. I wouldn't want to see the program go away, just the waste eliminated, which being a government program, I am sure there is a lot of.

People who are employed to administer programs like these are very interested in keeping their jobs and their employment- they will always likely defend any critiques and dismiss all calls for accountability or reform and even push the narrative that these critics are motivated by hate, racism.

truth be told, the people who administrate THIS particular program MUST have easy gig they don't want to give up. Why else would they be trying to advertise and get more participants. Especially on a message board like this.

I believe in feeding hungry children and being charitable, but the fact that this program claims to do that does not exclude the good chance that it is a wasteful scam.

idontlikebeingrightaboutshitlikethisbutiam



Edited 21 time(s). Last edit at 5/31/1967 05:57AM by WingNut.

Last edit at 11/30/2015 01:37PM Last edit at 5/14/2015 03:52PM Last edit at 1/28/2014 05:57AM Last edit at 11/29/2015 01:10PM Last edit at 3/14/2011 11:52PM Last edit at 7/20/2012 04:07AM
Last edit at 6/29/2013 11:18PM Last edit at 3/19/2011 01:02PM Last edit at 3/26/2012 09:07PM



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/17/2015 12:29AM by WingNut.

turn down the music Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> This discussion should be about giving food to
> people who need it and making sure those who don't
> need it don't take advantage of the system.

+1

I think liberals hate their own kids.

I would never be able to go to sleep at night wondering what my kid would eat for breakfast, lunch, or dinner the next day. My kid would never need a free lunch program, because I believe in something called PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY. If I did not have enough money for my kid to eat I would get a goddamn night job instead of going to sleep.

Liberals believe in shit like "utilizing public assistance programs in order to facilitate childhood fairness in learning." Fuck that. Liberals can feed their kids just as well as conservatives. They just believe in gaming the system.

Lunch for a kid costs less than 4.00 per day with NO assistance. 4 times 5 times 4 = 80 bucks a month. I-phone plans cost about 90 bucks per month. It's a simple matter of PRIORITIES. YOU EITHER LOVE YOUR KIDS, OR YOU LET THE CITY, COUNTY, AND STATE BUREAUCRATS LOVE YOUR KIDS.

I would guess that about 20% of FRM applicants underreport income in order to qualify.

No way you live in a $500k house with that mortgage and qualify for FRM.

The school district is reimbursed by US Gov for these kids so there is no incentive for the school district to uncover fraud.

Also the higher the FRM number, the more the school gets in resources--smaller class sizes, reading specialist, etc.

Lastly, the inflated FRM number gives the school an excuse when the test scores suck--they can say "we are doing the best we can--look at how many poor kids we have, yada yada".

They need to do an audit.

FCPS needs to do a top to bottom budget review. If it is not on the narrow path to a good education, it has to be considered for elimination.

Start with sports and related activities such as cheerleading and band. If people want them badly enough, they can pay for them. This means that they will pay the FULL COST as well as an administrative fee. Yes it is not just enough to have the costs covered, these things needs to become a profit center for the county.

Next, the staff at Gatehouse and the building itself. This is an extravagant embarrassment in these tight fiscal times.

The current budget attitude, "higher taxes and fewer services" while idiocy like paying for band trips to the Rose Parade has to stop, and it will, in the next cycle of board of supervisors and school board elections.

I wish someone would take note of how much food is wasted each day from our school cafeterias. It makes me sick sometimes to see kids turned away in the lunch line because their parents have let their account go dry then a couple hours later throwing a whole bunch of food in the dumpster. I suppose some of these kids are given lunch money and they spend it on other things. The grade school kids get a cheese sandwich and a milk if they have no way to pay but if that happens three times the county has a social worker contact the parents to see what the problem is. High school kids don't get anything if they cant pay. Sadly some parents just don't care. Some kids beg us for food and we pay for it out of our own pockets because we could get fired if we slip them food on the sly.

The bottom line is there is no system to determine if anyone who files for free school lunches actually makes what they put down. You can make 100k a year but when you fill out the form you put down 15k. No one ever checks it out. The filings are accepted at face value and you are enrolled.

These postings prove that libs couldn't care less about fraud. Probably because all the people engaged in fraud are liberal leeches on society. This lib mentality is what has made Detroit what it is today.

The mentality that made Detroit fail cannot be blamed on one party or the other completely. The whole political system/bureaucratic structure is to blame. Constructive ideas on how to monitor these programs are needed. I think you might be surprised by how many of the "fraudsters" are not what you would call "liberal". Fraud is an equal opportunity crime.

Lib Leeches Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> These postings prove that libs couldn't care less
> about fraud. Probably because all the people
> engaged in fraud are liberal leeches on society.
> This lib mentality is what has made Detroit what
> it is today.

No. The persons who are engaged in the fraud are crooks looking out for themselves. They would no doubt support whatever political ideology was most likely to benefit them depending on their circumstances at the time.

VERIFICATION: The Office of Food and Nutrition Services may check your eligibility at any time during the school year.
School officials may ask you to send information to prove that your child(ren) should receive free or reduced price meals.

FAIR HEARING: If you do not agree with the decision on your application or the results of the verification, you may wish to
discuss it with the coordinator, administrative services, at 703-813-4800. If you wish to review the final decision on your
application you also have the right to a fair hearing. You can request a hearing by calling or writing Ms. Penny McConnell, R.D.,
director, at Office of Food and Nutrition Services, 6840 Industrial Road, Springfield, Virginia, 22151, 703-813-4800.



Somebody PLEASE call Penny McConnell and ask her two questions:

1. How many applicants were checked for eligibility?
2. If the number above is greater than zero, which I doubt, how many applicants were denied coverage.

24% of FCPS kids are on FRM--that is almost 43,000!! Do you think anyone has been busted for fraud?

time for an investigation Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> VERIFICATION: The Office of Food and Nutrition
> Services may check your eligibility at any time
> during the school year.
> School officials may ask you to send information
> to prove that your child(ren) should receive free
> or reduced price meals.
>
> FAIR HEARING: If you do not agree with the
> decision on your application or the results of the
> verification, you may wish to
> discuss it with the coordinator, administrative
> services, at 703-813-4800. If you wish to review
> the final decision on your
> application you also have the right to a fair
> hearing. You can request a hearing by calling or
> writing Ms. Penny McConnell, R.D.,
> director, at Office of Food and Nutrition
> Services, 6840 Industrial Road, Springfield,
> Virginia, 22151, 703-813-4800.
>
>
>
> Somebody PLEASE call Penny McConnell and ask her
> two questions:
>
> 1. How many applicants were checked for
> eligibility?
> 2. If the number above is greater than zero, which
> I doubt, how many applicants were denied
> coverage.
>
> 24% of FCPS kids are on FRM--that is almost
> 43,000!! Do you think anyone has been busted for
> fraud?


Of all the government waste that you could complain about why would you chose a program that feeds hungry kids for next to nothing? Do you wake up each morning and think about how you can make someone suffer? Do you take pleasure in other peoples pain?

"Hungry kids can't learn "
What bullshit.You could feed the nigs all day and they'd still be mildly retarded.

If a parent works his or her ass off and doesn't cheat the government out of a free lunch for the kids, I think it would be pretty frustrating to see others milking the system and the county not really caring.

Fuck the 20 year teacher too, sounds like a libtard do-gooder who is riding the gravy train himself.

free barry stuff Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> The bottom line is there is no system to determine
> if anyone who files for free school lunches
> actually makes what they put down. You can make
> 100k a year but when you fill out the form you put
> down 15k. No one ever checks it out. The filings
> are accepted at face value and you are enrolled.


That is absolutely true . I have neighbors who drive new cars, dishes all over the roof,party every weekend etc etc but was told because I work at the school they all go to, I cant say anything about their freebies. Yes, we couldn't possibly stigmatize those who steal and commit fraud to the rest of us.

Teacher 20+ years Wrote:
----------------------------------------------------
>
>
> Of all the government waste that you could
> complain about why would you chose a program that
> feeds hungry kids for next to nothing? Do you wake
> up each morning and think about how you can make
> someone suffer? Do you take pleasure in other
> peoples pain?


Yes they do! Anytime a kid goes without lunch or a welfare Mom gets raped it gives a conservative a little bit of joy and happiness deep down in his hateful soul.

You are missing the point. They are talking about the abuse and the liars. At a huge cost to the tax payers. The honest people have less extra to spend while the liars eat out, buy things on tax payers dime.

I worked for the F&R program in fairfax. we were only required to randomly check 10% of the applictions...and that was mid way into the school year.

F&R Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I worked for the F&R program in fairfax. we were
> only required to randomly check 10% of the
> applictions...and that was mid way into the school
> year.


So what were the results of a typical audit cycle and how were suspected cases of fraud handled?

As a democrat, I hate it when liberals say, "You are so mean".

Please-you can do better.

NOBODY has said they want a kid to go hungry.

They want FCPS to audit the applications.

Real simple-look at the address where they live.

$600k house?

Probably lying about their household income.

how much?? Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> How much does it cost to sign up for the lunch for
> free program?


$1,000,000

F&R Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I worked for the F&R program in fairfax. we were
> only required to randomly check 10% of the
> applictions...and that was mid way into the school
> year.


NO WAY FCPS audited 10% of application. 25% participation--175,000 kids.

Assuming 2 kids per family, that is nearly 22000 applications-and they audited 2200????

Don't think so.

Solution to fraud problem:

IN BIG BOLD LETTERS ON FRONT PAGE OF APP:

Providing false information on this form could reult in prison of deportation.

Problem solved--no need to audit.

Feds only required 10%...and that's what we did.
If it was found that they didn't qualify, then they were removed - no actions further than that.

Fill it out and turn it in: that’s the message thousands of school districts send parents each year when they offer applications for the federal government’s National School Lunch Program (NSLP). And each year, millions of parents comply. But new data suggest that the process for verifying eligibility for the program is fundamentally broken and that taxpayers may be picking up the tab for participation by ineligible families. The NSLP, which is administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) at an annual cost of $8 billion, serves 31 million American children each day. The program’s goal is to help low-income students succeed in public and private school classrooms by ensuring they have adequate nutrition, a mission that is compromised if substantial funds are being spent on ineligible families or the program fails to reach the neediest students.

Determining the extent of program fraud and error is important, as the entitlement is associated with other streams of federal, state, and local taxpayer dollars. Eligibility data are widely used as proxies for poverty rates, thereby influencing funding for myriad government programs and informing both school district policies and policy research. For example, NSLP participation rates serve as the main criteria for the allocation of federal Title I funds to schools. Those schools with a higher percentage of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch also receive a larger discount on the federal government’s E-Rate program, which facilitates access to telecommunications services for schools and libraries.

State governments dole out benefits according to free and reduced-price lunch percentages, too. The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, for instance, allocates $2,250 to schools for each low-income child enrolled in kindergarten through 3rd grade. The program gauges poverty using NSLP participation.

Because of the financial benefits, local school districts have a clear incentive to register as many students in NSLP as possible. Some districts encourage parents to fill out applications, even if they are not sure they qualify. One district in Chillicothe, Missouri, offered parents a $10 Wal-Mart gift card for turning in an application. “Even if you choose to pay for your child’s lunches and or breakfasts, each qualified application earns $1,025 per child of state money for our school district,” said Assistant Superintendent Wade Schroeder.

Less money Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> You are missing the point. They are talking about
> the abuse and the liars. At a huge cost to the
> tax payers. The honest people have less extra to
> spend while the liars eat out, buy things on tax
> payers dime.


No, you are missing the point. Kids that have low rent parents that would lie to get their kid a free lunch are scum. We need to try to help those kids rise above their surroundings and become useful members of our taxpaying society. We can help these kids that have bad parents with free meals at school, no questions asked.

I work in FCPS. I am one of the ones fed up with the FRM Program. I have spoken to Penny McConnel and her boss all to no avail. They only want to quote the federal regs to you. I have no problem feeding people that need it, my problem is the federal program also extends to the parking permits. If you qualify for the Free or Reduced Program, you can also buy a parking permit to park on school grounds for $20 as opposed to the $200 payed by regular students. Some of these FRM students drive Acura's and Mercedes. I have seen it. I say if the tax payers of America have to buy your kids food, then they do not need to be driving a car to school. Use that money for food and ride a bus.

FCPS does not check any applications for fraud. They could care less. Been there, done that. If you do not believe me, call Penny McConnel in Food Services. She will pass you on to her boss who will then quote you the Federal reg and nothing else. Sad

We have a household income near $150k--hardly for Fairfax County. But with 3 kids, life is expensive. I can't afford to buy a car for my kid so how the hell can a family of four with income of $42k do it?

Thanks for sharing the fraud example--I am sure there are thousands of parents who just don't want to pay for lunch when they can spend it on the family vacation!

Penny McConnell - a laugh. She's in it for the $$. I worked with her, only in it for the $. The F&R program is all about the money - and the records are "fudged" to get it.

NONE thank you for a wonderful post full of truth and insight.

Game, set, match.

Thats what I have been talking about !!!

Log. Liberal wants everyone to think little innocent starvin Marvin is sitting in 2nd Grade unable to think because his little tummy is rumbling.
TRUTH is little Marvin's mommy drives a 40,000 SUV with a DVD package in the backseat. Marvin enjoys the flat screen TV in his bedroom and the Ipad on his bedstand. He also enjoys Tom Taxpayer buying his
A) pancakes and fruit salad for breakfast,
B) macaroni, salad and apples for lunch,
and
C) DID YOU SHEEPLE KNOW PARENTS CAN APPLY FOR FREE AND REDUCED LUNCHES DURING THE SUMMER ??? THE FOOD CAN BE PICKED UP AT CERTAIN SCHOOLS, OR EVEN DELIVERED BY SCHOOL VANS TO "AT RISK" CHILDREN'S HOMES !!! Who needs parents ??

Less money Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> You are missing the point. They are talking about
> the abuse and the liars. At a huge cost to the
> tax payers. The honest people have less extra to
> spend while the liars eat out, buy things on tax
> payers dime.


No, you are missing the point. The free and reduced lunch program costs the taxpayers nothing. It is an investment in our future which has and will continue to return our investment ten fold or more. The small amount of fraud within the system is not worth the effort to police. The free and reduced program is one of the most cost effective programs that our government has.

No wonder the kids grow up expecting someone to take care of them for life.

Spot On None, Spot on Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------

> C) DID YOU SHEEPLE KNOW PARENTS CAN APPLY FOR FREE
> AND REDUCED LUNCHES DURING THE SUMMER ??? THE FOOD
> CAN BE PICKED UP AT CERTAIN SCHOOLS, OR EVEN
> DELIVERED BY SCHOOL VANS TO "AT RISK" CHILDREN'S
> HOMES !!! Who needs parents ??

I heard there is also a program where the county will send a van by to take you where you want to go during the day if you are on welfare. That way you do not have to put miles on your Cadillac.

Spot On None, Spot on Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> NONE thank you for a wonderful post full of truth
> and insight.
>
> Game, set, match.
>
> Thats what I have been talking about !!!
>
> Log. Liberal wants everyone to think little
> innocent starvin Marvin is sitting in 2nd Grade
> unable to think because his little tummy is
> rumbling.
> TRUTH is little Marvin's mommy drives a 40,000 SUV
> with a DVD package in the backseat. Marvin enjoys
> the flat screen TV in his bedroom and the Ipad on
> his bedstand. He also enjoys Tom Taxpayer buying
> his
> A) pancakes and fruit salad for breakfast,
> B) macaroni, salad and apples for lunch,
> and
> C) DID YOU SHEEPLE KNOW PARENTS CAN APPLY FOR FREE
> AND REDUCED LUNCHES DURING THE SUMMER ??? THE FOOD
> CAN BE PICKED UP AT CERTAIN SCHOOLS, OR EVEN
> DELIVERED BY SCHOOL VANS TO "AT RISK" CHILDREN'S
> HOMES !!! Who needs parents ??

Please provid proof of your truth that all the kids moms drive SUVs, etc....

Proof
You are not too good at following threads, are you?

Did you read NONE's post?
NONE was a FCPS worker who witnessed the kids on the program, and I quote
"Some of these FRM students drive Acura's and Mercedes. I have seen it."

Let me quit my full time job and videotape all the kiss and ride lines in front of all 200 county schools.

Or better idea, let me pose the question: Why do you need proof? Why defensive? What do you have to lose?

meals on wheels Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Teacher 20+ years Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> --
> >
> >
> > Of all the government waste that you could
> > complain about why would you chose a program
> that
> > feeds hungry kids for next to nothing? Do you
> wake
> > up each morning and think about how you can
> make
> > someone suffer? Do you take pleasure in other
> > peoples pain?
>
>
> Yes they do! Anytime a kid goes without lunch or a
> welfare Mom gets raped it gives a conservative a
> little bit of joy and happiness deep down in his
> hateful soul.


As a right winger I do have to admit you are right about that.

Since federal funds are involved, there is a potentially huge payoff out there for whoever becomes the whistle blower on the free lunch program.

Realist 241 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
>
>
> No, you are missing the point. The free and
> reduced lunch program costs the taxpayers nothing.
> It is an investment in our future which has and
> will continue to return our investment ten fold or
> more. The small amount of fraud within the system
> is not worth the effort to police. The free and
> reduced program is one of the most cost effective
> programs that our government has.

I'd like to see how there's a correlation between the free and reduced meal plan and the future of the students. If they are in the plan and their parents are gaming the system, then how is that going to benefit the child? Most kids under the plan don't really have a bright future whether they have a meal or not. That's just reality.

Additionally, I was listening to a show several months back and it was reflected that the plan in the U.S. costs something like $16 billion. However, to roll it out to all students would only be $23 billion for a year.

If FCPS is in the Michelle Obama system, then these kids aren't getting enough to eat.

_____________
We are all Eesh.

This thread is making me hungry. All I get to eat in the summer is Mcdoubles and MT dew. I cant wait till school starts back.
Attachments:

I agree it should be the parents responsibility to feed their kids.

Take the 16 billion that goes to feed the kids and instead spend it on training the parents to be parents for goodness sake !!

Paid in Full Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> For years, parents have complained about kids on
> the free/reduced lunch program whose parents live
> in big houses and drive expensive SUVs. The
> response has always been that principals are
> required to accept all applications. The system
> is set up so that those receiving the benefit are
> unknown to most others standing in the same line.
>
>
> It's more than FCPS receiving more free Federal
> money for each FRL kid. Achieving that status
> also allows the family other free benefits from
> the county and other organizations, ranging from
> free sports registration for their kids, to
> transportation to tickets to shows.
>
> New Jersey finally had enough of the system's
> abuse and decided to investigate. Here's what
> they found:
>
> "Our investigations division ultimately uncovered
> false information on applications submitted by
> school board members, teachers, other school
> employees as well as state, county and local
> employees," state Comptroller Matthew Boxer said.
> "What we found are people who work for the
> government, lying to the government about how much
> the government is paying them — all to benefit
> from a program that is designed to help those in
> need."
>
> http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2013/07/gov_calls
> _for_firings_and_prosecution_in_wake_of_cheating_s
> candal_in_school_lunch_program.html#incart_m-rpt-1
>
>
> Turns out that the people who set up and manage
> the program are abusing it, knowing that there is
> little chance of getting caught. They tell their
> friends how, and the abuse grows.
>
> It's time for FCPS to audit this program.


How much does a student have to pay a month in order to receive the free lunch program.

Roughbook Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I agree it should be the parents responsibility to
> feed their kids.
>
> Take the 16 billion that goes to feed the kids and
> instead spend it on training the parents to be
> parents for goodness sake !!

We shouldn't let children starve because the parents won't/can't make lunch for them. However, we shouldn't allow people who clearly have no need for free or reduced lunch to get it. If you can afford a $40,000 SUV, you can afford to pay $45 a month for a student lunch.

_____________
We are all Eesh.

lunch lady Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I wish someone would take note of how much food is
> wasted each day from our school cafeterias. It
> makes me sick sometimes to see kids turned away in
> the lunch line because their parents have let
> their account go dry then a couple hours later
> throwing a whole bunch of food in the dumpster. I
> suppose some of these kids are given lunch money
> and they spend it on other things. The grade
> school kids get a cheese sandwich and a milk if
> they have no way to pay but if that happens three
> times the county has a social worker contact the
> parents to see what the problem is. High school
> kids don't get anything if they cant pay. Sadly
> some parents just don't care. Some kids beg us for
> food and we pay for it out of our own pockets
> because we could get fired if we slip them food on
> the sly.


We save all the apples and pears at our school to feed to the FCPD horses. Most of the fruit has one or two bites out of them. The horses get at least three 5 gallon buckets of fruit a week. Most of the rest of the food goes in the dumpster. Sad.

That's funny ,considering the county police do not and have never had a horse mounted unit. Please take your medication.

Come in mr ed Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> That's funny ,considering the county police do
> not and have never had a horse mounted unit.
> Please take your medication.


You mean the post was fake, the hell you say!!

These children also get musical instruments for practically free. I am paying $30 a month for a violin...these kids get them for $20 a year. Not to mention the fact that it was announced at the strings meeting that the school is not aloud to check up on anyone who signs up for any of these instruments! I don't mind helping a child who is less fortunate...however, I have noticed that these parents belong to the pool (which costs $400 a summer), drive expensive cars, and have iphones....do they really need a free breakfast, lunch and instrument????

County night classes for adults and rec center classes are greatly reduced or free if you are on welfare.