Michelle Obama Wants $400 Million for Non-Existent ‘Food Deserts’
- Posted on October 27, 2010 at 8:14pm by
Meredith Jessup
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Is First Lady Michelle Obama’s proposed $400 million/year “food desert” initiative a good use of taxpayer dollars ? It doesn’t look that way, according to CNSNews’ Terence Jeffrey.
Mrs. Obama’s multi-million dollar anti-obesity initiative seeks to eradicate so-called food deserts. “Right now, 23.5 million Americans, including 6.5 million kids, live in what we call ‘food deserts’—these are areas without a supermarket,” Obama explained in May. “And as a result these families wind up buying their groceries at the local gas station or convenience store, places that offer few, if any, healthy options.” According to Obama, these “food deserts” lead to increased levels of obesity.
“We’re creating a Healthy Food Financing Initiative that’s going to invest $400 million a year—and leverage hundreds of millions more from the private sector—to bring grocery stores to under-served areas and help places like convenience stores carry healthier options,” she announced.
But Jeffrey wonders if the situation is as dire as Mrs. Obama describes it and whether this new financing initiative is warranted. Pointing to a 2008 government study of “food deserts,” Jeffrey concludes the First Lady’s characterization of American “food deserts” is “fatuous at best.” (emphases mine)
Lower-income Americans live closer to supermarkets than higher-income Americans.
“Overall, median distance to the nearest supermarket is 0.85 miles,” said the Agriculture Department report. “Median distance for low-income individuals is about 0.1 of a mile less than for those with higher income, and a greater share of low-income individuals (61.8 percent) have high or medium access to supermarkets than those with higher income (56.1 percent).”
There are 23.5 million people who live in “low income” areas that are more than a mile from the nearest supermarket. But more than half of these people are not low-income, and almost everyone in these areas–93.3 percent—drive their cars to the supermarket. On average, they spend 4.5 minutes more than the typical American traveling to the supermarket.
“Area-based measures of access show that 23.5 million people live in low-income areas (areas where more than 40 percent of the population has income at or below 200 percent of federal poverty thresholds) that are more than 1 mile from a supermarket or large grocery store,” said the report. “However, not all of these 23.5 million people have low income.
“If estimates are restricted to consider only low-income people in low-income areas, then 11.5 million people, or 4.1 percent of the total U.S. population, live in low-income areas more than 1 mile from a supermarket or large grocery store,” it says. “Data on time use and travel mode show that people living in low-income areas with limited access spend significantly more time (19.5 minutes) traveling to a grocery store than the national average (15 minutes).
“However,” says the report, “93 percent of those who live in low-income areas with limited access traveled to the grocery store in a vehicle they or another household member drove.”
Only 0.1 percent—one-tenth of one percent—of Americans living in low-income areas more than 1 mile from a supermarket took public transit to the store, the report said.
(In the interest of full disclosure, I’m happy to point out that I am one of the Americans who uses public transit to get to the nearest grocery store–which happens to be in the middle of a low-income neighborhood.)
It’s for this “one-tenth of one percent” of American living in low-income areas that First Lady Michelle Obama says U.S. taxpayers need to invest $400 million every year. Is it worth it? You be the judge.
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Comments (171)
BurntHills
Posted on October 28, 2010 at 1:52amfirst off, the minute someone ever opens a grocery in a “food desert” area [ghetto] the blacks and hispanics there rob and murder the owners. just READ THE NEWS.
second, anyone at all remember when “a million dollars” was the same as a “KAZILLION” to us normal everyday Americans? she throws MILLIONS of OUR tax dollars away.
third, this Chicago ‘hood cow michelle obama is sure not starving, she is packing those lobsters and steaks and ice creams and cakes away as fast as her socialist hubby –and both daughters– are. we can SEE them all on every news outlet stuffing their faces while this hardworking taxpaying John Q American sits here with a family to protect and feed on only generic hotdogs.
thebitter1
Posted on October 29, 2010 at 2:02pmOh, wow. That hits pretty close to home with me. Have you ever seen a little film called “American History X”? I‘m pretty sure blacks and hispanics didn’t go into the store and kill and rape people. I am a black person, and I find your statement HIGHLY offensive. Where I live, the ghettos have all races and they all commit crimes. As a matter of fact my father (even though he’s black, he’s a police officer, not a career criminal) one time had to chase down a robber while he was off duty at a store. The robber was white.
Report Post »RNHunter
Posted on October 28, 2010 at 1:45amThat is just too much money for a dessert. I do not think I have ever spent over $5 on desert. She needs to cut down on calories. However, it does make one wonder what the size of that ice cream sundae would look like.
Report Post »Beetle1971
Posted on October 28, 2010 at 1:43amI’m not sure I can comprehend how out of touch she is with the american people and reality. I lived in the middle of no where Colorado surrounded by towns with populations of 50 including the cows. There were plenty of grocery markets and not to mention farmers markets, which are way more healthy then any Walmart. I agree with Bookhound63 they need to stop waisting our money on foreign vacations and get a good dose of reality.
Report Post »Matty1631
Posted on October 28, 2010 at 1:42amFolks, it told you this was coming.
These marxist union kindergarten teachers, and thier supermarket union bagboy thugs, are trying to lace your little debbie snacks with mind control drugs.
Woodrow Wilson stockpiled these drugs in a liberal bunker full of environmentally friendly homosexual sex toys shortly before his death. But they are trying to make us out to be radical conspiracy theorists.
It’s so obvious people, you cannot let these homosexual, marxist, liberal, progressive, union, bagboy teachers poison your snack cakes, we have got to let them know that we will not stand for this.
but don’t take my word for it do your own research.
Report Post »rosie100
Posted on October 28, 2010 at 1:34amWho the HELL is Michelle to even hint at money she wants spent anywhere!? Since when does the wife of a marxist get to tell American citizens when and where and how much money of OURS she wants spent where???? How much more are we going to put up with folks? How do we “Just say NO!” and stop their actions?
Report Post »Rob_M
Posted on October 28, 2010 at 1:09amShe wants to spend money? I’m shocked.
Report Post »bookhound63
Posted on October 28, 2010 at 12:59amThe Obama’s have a “city mentality” They have no idea how the majority of Americans live. I have never seen a fast food restaurant that WASN’T near a grocery store. In fact, where I live, most fast food places are IN THE PARKING LOT OF THE GROCERY STORE. Now, I admit that I have bought groceries at a convenience store, but only when I had to go there anyway and didn’t want to drive the extra few miles for two grocery items.
Report Post »Maybe instead of Spain, Michelle should visit rural NC, or SC, or GA or IA, or any of the other“57” states her husband thinks we have.
capitalismrocks
Posted on October 28, 2010 at 12:28amThese morons continue to view the world in an upside down way…. instead of pouring millions to billions into these so called “deserts” they need to offer massive tax breaks to super market chains to build out a supermarket in the area and in turn, those markets will hire a few dozen local people and add jobs…
oh, I keep forgetting… that would mean that free market capitalism comes to the rescue instead of Govt-Corp managed food markets and then hiring overpaid govt workers that are part of a union with a ridiculous pension and then instead of injecting growth in the economy we watch more tax dollars being flushed down the toilet for a market which will cost the people 3-4X what a free market private supermarket would cost to run…
Michele, how are those cheeseburgers you’ve been scoffing down with the hubby??? He still smoking up after some nice greasy food??? You two are setting such a wonderful example for the nation {NOT}
Report Post »staythecourse
Posted on October 27, 2010 at 11:48pmDoes Donna Gambrell live in a food desert…..and have trouble getting healthy food options? Is her weight issue related to too much exposure to fast food restaruants in her neighborhood?
Just asking…
Food deserts are a myth perpetrated by progressives on the American public!
Report Post »Eddies_Grandma
Posted on October 27, 2010 at 11:38pmI never believed for a second this is about Obesity. This is another Communist move for the Goverment to control food like they do in Communist countries.
Report Post »5 things Obama needs to control society—
1.Control the Media He’s working on it – assults on FOX
2. Control the Health Care system —-Done
3.Control the Banks–He’s almost there.
4.Control food—-Using Michelle Obama to put this plan in place.
5.Take away guns and the right to bear arms. They both despise our Constitution.
Number 5 will NEVER be accomplished. Obama wants a Dictatorship. Our Founding fathers knew some day we would have an “Obama ” problem. So they gave us the right to bear arms. Now, there is a gun hiding behind every blade of grass in our Country. Thank God the Fathers of this Counry knew we would face a tyrant.
walkwithme1966
Posted on October 28, 2010 at 3:03amI have never heard Obama say anything about taking away your guns but the way some of you act sometimes perhaps you should have your guns taken away. http://wp.me/pYLB7-id
Report Post »squeaker
Posted on October 28, 2010 at 3:51amwalkwithme1966 – but he was trying to take the ammo away that they use since he couldn’t take the guns.
Report Post »Seven
Posted on October 28, 2010 at 9:34amWALKWITHME1966, hi we enjoy your comments but they are completely opposite of what we God fearing, law abiding, fight for America to the death citizens believe in. So bring it. Oh here is something that you will find really offensive.
Report Post »I pledge allegence to the flag of the United States of America, and to the REPUBLIC for which it stands one nation under GOD Indivisible with liberty and justice for all. God I love America
RightPolitically
Posted on October 27, 2010 at 11:35pmOf course, Mrs. O. is talking mostly about black ghetto neighborhoods. And, yes, they are devastated and major supermarket chains see no profit in building a big expensive store in those areas. Can you blame them? Those that have tried find that they must spend excessive amounts of money on security details so as not to be robbed blind by many of their customers. Yes, my statement might be considered POLITICALLY INCORRECT but TRUTH is not always pretty!
Report Post »Hobbs57
Posted on October 27, 2010 at 11:32pmMaybe we should take the 400 millions and move the stores 5 miles away from low income so they can get their excercise, AS I DO, going to get groceries. Seriously, who can afford to eat at a gas station on regular basis… These people are so out of touch with reality. The African Americans really need to understand that Obama didn’t come up like alot of us did. Michelle neither.. they don’t know what it is really like.. I live on next to nothing.. I stretch the little money I do have as far as I can, I am not about to waste it on junk food at the gas station. I am skinny because I walk everywhere, ride the bus, and buy very smart when I do actually get a ride to the grocery store and buy in ways that get the most food for the money … THen again, there is my sister who thinks Food Stamps is free money … ARRRGGG … DOn’t even get me started …
Report Post »Rollo2
Posted on October 27, 2010 at 11:28pmThe wife and I and some of our family work with and purchase from “Angel Food Ministries”, we try to buy 3 or 4 boxes of food a year anonymously, as unclaimed boxes are distributed to those who cannot purchase for themselves because of temporary issues.
We do this happily and voluntarily, I don’t think having money taken out of my paycheck will make me as happy or as voluntary..
Report Post »BoilitDown
Posted on October 28, 2010 at 12:28amGod bless you for your efforts.
Report Post »Our federal government is doing everything they can to undo your good work without a mandate. None of what Mrs Obama is undertaking here should be done by government. These social initiatives are for the private sector alone. When taken up by the government it becomes entitlements which eventually leads to socialism. It’s progression is like a gateway drug into something harder.
JJ Coolay
Posted on October 28, 2010 at 6:01amRoll02… those 3 or 4 boxes are not so anonymous anymore, now are they? ::Wink:: :)
Report Post »SouthLAConservative
Posted on October 27, 2010 at 11:27pmThe problem isn’t just a lack of stores. The ones that are there don’t have arugula in them. Talk about a desert.
Report Post »GhostOfJefferson
Posted on October 27, 2010 at 11:22pmGood gravy. Give me 4 million dollars. Seriously, just give it to me. Send me an email, let’s make it happen. The amount that’s thrown away on waste, the amount created out of thin air out of whole cloth, just vie me 4 million, let me retire. It‘s like they’re not even dealing with real money at this point.
4 million. That’s all I ask. :(
Report Post »SgtGGP
Posted on October 27, 2010 at 11:22pmAh, yes foot in mouth. Tasty is it not? So, now, you are no Eleanor Roosevelt and your husband is no Franklin Roosevelt. No, lets not spend a dime on this uninformed project of FLOTUS. This is just as bad as having no shovel ready projects and spending the money recommended by POTUS. Is there any other good looking stuff that the American public desires that will make us say,’Yes we can.’ When in fact,‘No we can’t’, because it is just a con game for the feel good trusting fools that do not research the practical elements of logistics. In a big rush to impress, but in the end you look foolish. I agree with the young boy who said,”The Emperor is naked. The boy is right! The Emperor is naked! It’s true!”
Report Post »thegr8restoration
Posted on October 27, 2010 at 11:14pmThey create a problem that dose not exsist. While Obama tryes to water the food deserts we are going to drain the swamps of DC.
Report Post »Rollo2
Posted on October 27, 2010 at 11:11pmAnybody in here awake?
Report Post »JJ Coolay
Posted on October 28, 2010 at 5:59amYawn…. huh?
Report Post »Jimmers46
Posted on October 27, 2010 at 10:59pmMichelle is worse than Blackbarry is
Report Post »walkwithme1966
Posted on October 28, 2010 at 3:00amIf Michelle Obama is so bad as you contend, how come Forbes Magazine said she is the most influential woman in the world – beating Oprah and Sarah Palin as well as Sec. Clinton? Can anyone answer that question? Naw – didn’t think so….oh wait….do you think,,,no, but it could be….Soros paid someone to put her in that position? Naw
Report Post »http://wp.me/pYLB7-id
squeaker
Posted on October 28, 2010 at 3:47am““Michelle is worse than Blackbarry is”” — Good one JIMMERS46
Report Post »Bob_R_OathKeeper
Posted on October 28, 2010 at 6:26amwalkwithme1966- Time magazine also had Hitler as, “Man of the Year”, idiot. People like you are dangerously stupid.
Report Post »whybother
Posted on October 28, 2010 at 10:04amOh, walkie….. Just back away form the Kool aide, ok buddy? Most influential woman in the world….hmmm…i dont know, perhaps because she is married to the President of the US? Was she the most influential in 2007? Wanna bet she falls quickly in 2012?? Didnt think so superstar!
Report Post »mrlogan3
Posted on October 28, 2010 at 12:39pmWhoa! Uncalled for.
Report Post »Rollo2
Posted on October 27, 2010 at 10:53pmThere was such an issue raised in this area recently, until it was pointed out that three vacant(former) grocery store buildings stood in the area highlighted. Those stores reported to have closed because of high shoplifting and high employee turnover. I doubt that any of these structures would meet code now, and it would probably cost millions for a new franchise to upfit the long vacant buildings, for a community that seemed to not appreciate them when they were functional.
Wonder why they’re vacant???
Report Post »LUDWIKA BRONISLAWA
Posted on October 27, 2010 at 11:08pmThat doesn’t matter, we just need to keep shovelling taxpayer money into another black hole to make us feel better about ourselves. Oh, wait, I don’t really feel all that guilty though Michelle! Let me keep my money and donate to the food bank.
Report Post »IndianaUSA
Posted on October 27, 2010 at 10:47pmMaybe we can cure the obesity problem by having these people walk to the store. This story is a perfect example of why this country needs to rid itself of the disease of liberalism. I am sick of the govt. wasting my money for their B.S. programs. I go to work everyday to have the govt. take my money to pay for this B.S. My wife drives 5 miles to the grocery store. Who gives a F.
Report Post »untameable-kate
Posted on October 27, 2010 at 10:59pmThat will be the next govt investment of our tax dollars, we can’t expect these poor food desert folks to walk to the store. Treadmills for the poor, or gym memberships for the poor, fat farms……
Report Post »mrlogan3
Posted on October 28, 2010 at 10:24amSo what would you rather have the government do with taxes? Fund wars with countries that haven’t attacked us? I’m pretty sure eliminating food deserts is a little more beneficial to the homeland.
Report Post »poverty.sucks
Posted on October 27, 2010 at 10:46pmWhat are examples of munipulation Obama’s use to leverage hundreds of millions more from the private sector? Why are union grocery stores worried about food deserts?
Report Post »Sharkei
Posted on October 28, 2010 at 6:50amUNION Need I say more. Scratch my back I’ll scratch yours
Report Post »megansmom
Posted on October 27, 2010 at 10:41pmwell let me see, they the world’s smallest violin is playing slip sliding away.
Report Post »chazman
Posted on October 28, 2010 at 8:03pmHow’s ’bout we build giant food stores in the food desert areas, only there will still be security windows that the turds have to walk up to in order to buy food. It will make them feel right at home! Good idea!
Report Post »stopprintn
Posted on October 27, 2010 at 10:37pmIf you open a new store in some of these areas, they get robbed on a regular basis. Why do you think they do not service these areas. Most have had large stores and have closed them. If it was safe and a profit could be made there would be stores there. Stores that do sevice these areas have 1in. thick bullet proof glass. I dont want my tax dollars spent on this crap.
Report Post »angelcat
Posted on October 27, 2010 at 11:21pmExactly! If the people in these areas wanted the stores, perhaps they wouldn’t rob them so regularly.
Report Post »OklahomaBeck
Posted on October 28, 2010 at 7:54amThat is what happened in north Tulsa.
Report Post »mrlogan3
Posted on October 28, 2010 at 10:18amThis isn’t about store security or the Obamas. This is about people who need access to the right kinds of food. As a college student majoring in nutrition, I know that there are socioeconomic barriers to acquiring that food. It’s exactly as planerick said, don’t just criticize and ridicule, spitball some ideas.
Report Post »longhorn mama
Posted on October 28, 2010 at 5:14pmAs a college student majoring in nutrition, you do not yet understand how hard it is to make money at a real job and why it is wrong for a government to force you to give money away for a “good idea” that is not constitutional.
Report Post »NoName22
Posted on October 27, 2010 at 10:29pmWe should spend TAXPAYER MONEY to tell PRIVATELY OWNED gas stations, grocery stores, etc……what to carry as products……???????????
Get RID of Federal Income Tax.
FIRED UP FREE MAN !
Posted on October 27, 2010 at 10:36pmHere is a TASTE of things we can look forward to, if we allow ourselves to be enslaved by the Communist menace.
Source: http://www.digitalsurvivors.com/archives/communistbodycount.php
People’s Republic of China
Body Count: 73,237,000
Union of Soviet Socialist Republics
Body Count: 58,627,000
Russian Soviet Federated Socialist Republic
Body Count: 3,284,000
Democratic People’s Republic of Korea
Body Count: 3,163,000
Cambodia
Body Count: 2,627,000
Democratic Republic of Afghanistan
Body Count: 1,750,000
Vietnam
Body Count: 1,670,000
People’s Democratic Republic of Ethiopia
Body Count: 1,343,610
Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia
Body Count: 1,072,000
Chinese Soviet Republic
Body Count: 700,000
People’s Republic of Mozambique
Body Count: 700,000
Socialist Republic of Romania
Body Count: 435,000
People’s Republic of Bulgaria
Body Count: 222,000
People’s Republic of Angola
Body Count: 125,000
Mongolian People’s Republic
Body Count: 100,000
People’s Socialist Republic of Albania
Body Count: 100,000
Republic of Cuba
Body Count: 73,000
German Democratic Republic
Body Count: 70,000
Socialist Republic of Czechoslovakia
Body Count: 65,000
Lao People’s Democratic Republic
Body Count: 56,000
Hungarian People’s Republic
Body Count: 27,000
People’s Republic of Poland
Body Count: 22,000
People’s Democratic Republic of Yemen
Body Count: 1,000
COMMUNIST Body Count Total is….. 149,469,610 DEAD by their OWN people!
Sometimes numbers SPEAK for themselves!
Join us on Facebook for further discussion on how to rid our country of the COMMUNIST/DEMOCTRATIC Plague.
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Fired-UP-Free-MAN/118250461570054?v=app_2373072738&ref=sgm#!/
& http://www.facebook.com/pages/Fired-UP-Free-MAN/118250461570054?v=app_2373072738&ref=sgm#!/pages/Fired-UP-Free-MAN/118250461570054
Report Post »FreedomOfSpeech
Posted on October 27, 2010 at 10:45pmThat tranny “Michele” Obama needs to go on a diet herself before she starts telling me what I can and cannot eat.
Obama is now burning books like the Nazis did.
LUDWIKA BRONISLAWA
Posted on October 27, 2010 at 10:47pmWait, I thought they wanted to keep Wal-mart from spreading it’s evil tentacles and bringing the people affordable food and other goods. I know, they mean Whole Foods, of course! Everybody in out of the way areas can afford to spend $8 on a small bag of cereal! How ironic, they probably don’t want to allow people to grow their own food though.
Report Post »TruthTalker
Posted on October 27, 2010 at 10:53pmMIchelle being dishonest?? No way! For the first time in my lifetime I am ashamed of a the First Lady of the United States…or something like that
Report Post »snowleopard3200
Posted on October 27, 2010 at 10:54pm@ludwika
I think they already can do that under interstate commerce nonsense as there is a case of a person growing wheat for his OWN consumption and the Feds took him down for it.
Report Post »LUDWIKA BRONISLAWA
Posted on October 27, 2010 at 11:05pmExactly Snow, same reason you need to pay sales tax and get a business license to sell produce from your front yard. Thank God we had the tax man to crack down on those pumpkin kids in Idaho, dispicable!
Report Post »beekeeper
Posted on October 27, 2010 at 11:33pmLet’s see, 400 Million dollars for 0.1% of population of 300 Million is what, 300,000 people live in the “food deserts”? That comes out to what, about $1,333 per “desert-dweller”? – Couldn’t we just sign them up for one of those weight-loss meals by mail programs? That’s about $4/day per person…
Report Post »untameable-kate
Posted on October 27, 2010 at 11:52pmLUDWIKA don’t forget that guy down south somewhere (Georgia?) who was fined $5000 for growing too many vegetables in his yard and giving them away.
Report Post »PlaneRick
Posted on October 28, 2010 at 1:32amIt seems that many have totally overstepped what was presented. Even in the study cited, the 0.1% is that of the 23.5 million NOT 300 million!!! I am still curious where her 6.5 million children comes from but it is obviously not the study she from which she spoke.
To BEEKEEPER: If you could do math, you might have tried using it in the reading of the article. From her numbers it comes to $61.54 per child. It is clear her number of children (and probably 23.5 million) did not come from this study alone.
To me it seems she is also speaking to areas such as where I have been for years, where there is over 30% in poverty and the average travel to even the gas station is 2.3 miles, let alone the hand full of grocery providers in the county. It would be ignorant to assume that only low-income people live in low-income areas when geography isn’t everything. (kind of like the joke: Bill Gates walks into a basic blue-collar bar and the per capita income increases by $1,000,000)
To: LUDWIKA & SNOWLEOPARD3200: I agree that there is definitely some government overreach, but in your example (wheat farmer), as far I can tell, such overreach has been struck down directly. To take the same example, that was also policy put in place to keep consumption price sustainable for other farmers during the GREAT DEPRESSION. Context is important and to think that everyone living in more remote areas other than urban/suburban are all able to afford $8 cereal, makes it only clear you have never been there and seem to know little truth of it. If you can’t afford an $8 box of cereal, how are you going to afford to get to an area where things are cheaper and closer?
To UNTAMEABLE-KATE: I totally agree that the case of which you write is F-ed up. But that is definitely a case of public zoning policy over common sensibility, not of the federal government making non-sense policies. I hope it is resolved properly from where it began, on the local government level.
If I am wrong, please prove me wrong.
Report Post »Strictlybusiness
Posted on October 28, 2010 at 1:59amMICH Obama is such an ignorant , brain dead , person for being a first lady. SHE has 000 personality she is just an emotionly dead, man look alike she male !!
Report Post »jthicks16
Posted on October 28, 2010 at 2:02amIt woould be cheaper to give each of the 23.5 million a check for 1 million dollars. It would save the tax payers 367.5 millions dollars.
Report Post »jaspyr
Posted on October 28, 2010 at 2:54amhaha he was holding cupcakes
Report Post »walkwithme1966
Posted on October 28, 2010 at 2:54am@FREEDOMOFSPEECH – still linking to that untruthful video about Obama burning books – now you know that isn’t true so why are you still linking to that video. Several people have called you on this but you are still spouting the lie – shame on you! Shame on you!!!
Report Post »http://wp.me/pYLB7-id
ConsiderThis
Posted on October 28, 2010 at 3:03amI agree with a lot of what PlaneRick says. Spending government money is not the answer but there are what can be termed food deserts. And its easy to say, “Take the bus” and all that but often its just not practical for a variety of reasons. And more inner city Wal-Marts aren’t the answer either.
Report Post »Nor is giving money to convenience stores and gas stations.
Although I consider myself strictly conservative this is one area I think government can and should help – not with money but maybe with some education initiatives regarding food co-ops. Who knows, perhaps just having inner city folks get involved in something like co-ops would eventually lead to some getting together and opening a business.
I don’t have all the numbers and I doubt Michelle Obama has them either but there are these areas where getting access to reasonably priced food is a huge issue.
So, from a Christian standpoint we should pay a little attention. And helping people to help themselves is the best way I can think of.
FreedomOfSpeech
Posted on October 28, 2010 at 3:11am@walkwithme1966 You are the only idiot who insists the video is not true. But guess what, moron, it is true. In fact, Fox News, the New York Times and The Washington Post all said as much. Your commie president orders book burnings. Shame on you for denying the truth. Shame on you for burying your head in the sand and contributing to the destruction of our country. Please tell your FAT CLOWN boss at MSNBC to eat balls.
Obama is now burning books like the Nazis did.
Report Post »longhorn mama
Posted on October 28, 2010 at 3:39amDear Michelle, I know you never heard of the Free Market or anything but let me explain something to you, sweetie. If a grocery store is economically viable in an area, that is, someone can make a profit with a store in that area, an entrepreneur will take advantage of that opportunity to make money and will put one in. He does not need you. Now be a good girl and go tell, Barry.
Report Post »Sincerely, Longhorn Mama
Now to be serious, who are the Obama’s trying to pay off/buy off now with this phony scheme?
PlaneRick
Posted on October 28, 2010 at 4:03amTo CONSIDERTHIS: Thank you. There are people out there who need help. Rather than help, people just ridicule them. It is sad what true colors show when people get behind a screen name. Rather than talk of realistically better ways than Mrs. Obama’s, people just chime in with the same old tired and useless sentiment. Most of those who read these stories are sensible Christians and the constant senselessness and incivility of others makes us all look bad.
To WALKWITHME1966: FREEDOMOFSPEECH is just another example of those who “see what they believe” and nothing else. They usually have to rationalize their views by attacking things they generalize with others who disagree rather than discussing civilly the matter at hand. Their world view, fueled by silly conspiracies, keeps falling apart because their logic is flawed and their facts are frivolous and incoherent. They debase their own opinion through personal attacks rather than talk of things of consequence. The fact that they seem to be the only ones who can see the conspiracies only reinforces that fact that their claims are baseless.
To FREEDOMOFSPEECH: Yes, there was destruction of that book, but by the pentagon in an act of censorship. It is nothing new and nothing unheard of. Get over it! This kind of censorship is common throughout history. The fact that it was news WHEN it happened should be telling of reality. The fact that we can see the original edition, from Wikileaks, is even more to the point. The only thing new on the issue is that the internet makes such attempts at censorship even more fruitless and pointless.
Please quit with the mean hearted attacks and start speaking some truth from facts, not hyperbole.
To LONGHORN MAMA: Please figure out the difference between Keynesian economic practices and …well… whatever you seem to think the First Lady is talking about. You seem to miss the fact that there is little to no finance for your “entrepreneur” in the current economy. And even if there was, there is most likely a lot reasons they aren’t there still.
Report Post »FreedomOfSpeech
Posted on October 28, 2010 at 4:18am@PLANERICK Go soak your head pal. That crazy person WALKWITHME1966 comments on every post I make. The DIA burned the book. And the DIA is an executive branch agency serving at the pleasure of the President and the Secretary of Defense. And you can keep your advice about how I should speak to yourself. I will speak how I want as long as it’s still a free country.
Report Post »FreedomOfSpeech
Posted on October 28, 2010 at 4:32am@PlaneRick Brevity is something that you obviously have not learned. You have diarrhea of the mouth. Do you find it ironic that you use generalization and personal attacks to criticize what you perceive to be generalization and personal attacks? Very interesting indeed.
Report Post »P.S. – It’s almost the end of the month. Don‘t forget to pay your teacher’s union dues. Douche.
BeckFan1964
Posted on October 28, 2010 at 4:37amGet rid of the obamas!
Report Post »ConsiderThis
Posted on October 28, 2010 at 5:10amTo PLANERICK: Your points are right on and very well presented.
Report Post »I believe that fear is behind most of the insensitive comments we are seeing. In the same way we have to fight against the temptation to turn away when we see a handicapped person who, except for the grace of God could be ourselves, we often see in the poor something that triggers a similar emotion.
If I could be King for a while I would assimilate the poor into middle class areas. Like water seeks it’s own level so do people. There are exceptions but generally we don’t tend to rise above our local environment. Every large city has it’s ghetto blocks and depressed areas, and it’s almost impossible for kids growing up there to escape the conditioning of their surroundings. And that leads to generation after generation of folks depending on social assistance. These kids are defeated right from the get go.
However, they’re not going to make me King anytime soon, so….
JJ Coolay
Posted on October 28, 2010 at 5:55amWhat America does Michele Obama live in??
Report Post »There’s nearly 3000 Super Walmarts, (i.e. grocery store), in the country.
That doesn‘t include all the HEB’s, Randalls, Super Targets, Krogers, Publix, et al littered around the country.
Is she talking about a literal desert? Like people that live in Death Valley, California? Cause maybe they have to drive a couple extra miles, I don’t know??
gopsnativeson
Posted on October 28, 2010 at 7:38amThats 400 million of taxpayers money & much more leveraged from the private sector. So when you strongarm the private sector to cough up the cash, thats what we;’re calling leveraged now.
Report Post »America, welcome to Chicago
Eyore
Posted on October 28, 2010 at 9:06amThe Government has to tell everyone what to do and how to do it, people are stupid
Report Post »If they don’t the USA will always be a backwards country
As proof just look at who we elected as president
Nutthuggers
Posted on October 28, 2010 at 9:21amWhy doesn’t Michelle and BO open up a grocery store in one of these “food deserts”? Let’s watch and laugh as their money is lost to people who treat private property like garbage. Let’s watch as food is shoplifted, stolen, looted, the store is trashed and robbed. I did tar roofing in Baltimore as a teenager and all of the corner stores had to have cages and bullet proof glass separating the “customers” or more like “animals” from the hardworking employees. We had to carry hammers with us at all times for some protection from all of the people just hanging out on their stoops. Use your money Michelle!!!! Stay out of our pockets! What a hypocrite. She and OB wouldn’t step foot in any of these “food deserts” without a huge security force.
Report Post »independentvoteril
Posted on October 28, 2010 at 10:24amI have lived in the city and in the country.. and have NEVER found a food desert.. there were places the stores were further than other in others but lets say that is the GOVERNMENTS fault.. In the city when I was a kid there was a small grocery store on just about EVERY corner..(along with a bar but that’s another story)..There are stores within a mile of everyone’s home in the city the problem NOT getting to the stores but getting the groceries HOME.. public transportation doesn’t do it.. what strike me as FUNNY I didn’t see ANY overweight people in this clip except maybe the person behind the counter.. and no one there looked so poor they couldn’t afford a car to get their groceries home..
Report Post »longhorn mama
Posted on October 28, 2010 at 10:27am@Planerick
Report Post »You see, I believe as a Christian, that redistribution of wealth by the government is theft, not charity. And I am follower of Hayek, not the bankrupt ideology of Keynes. Interestingly, as letters between the two prove, Keynes himself told Hayek, “I think you’re right!” And as for this credit crunch you speak of, I thought all of these evil corporations were saving, I mean hoarding, their cash because they are scared to death of what this government is going to do next. And by the way, My husband and I are small business owners who tithe. But I guess we are just small minded and small hearted to you.
BJC49
Posted on October 28, 2010 at 1:09pmI’ll tell you why the thugs on food stamps use them at gas stations often. I managed two stores and the parents would send each of their 10 children into the store with a dollar food stamp and the child would purchase something for 5 to 10 cents and then each child would take the change out to the parent and then the parent would come in and purchase their smokes or beer with the change. It use to make me furious. That’s what they do all the time.
Report Post »longhorn mama
Posted on October 28, 2010 at 5:19pm@BJC
Report Post »I saw the exact same thing daily when I worked as a cashier at a grocery store while putting myself through college 20 years ago. At least now in Texas, they are given a Lone Star card which works like a debit card so they are never given actual money change. It does not stop all the fraud but it helps.
PlaneRick
Posted on October 28, 2010 at 5:23pmTo FREEDOMOFSPEECH:
Report Post »Firstly, thank you for agreeing with my point. Yes, the DIA did take the action which, as I stated, isn’t unusual. The DIA is directly under the Secretary of Defense, because they are considered a part of the Department of Defense (“the pentagon”). While redaction by the DOD is commonly used in books and articles published within speaking directly of DOD actions, I feel that this privilege related to “National Security” is abused. Renewed controvery, which you seem to be attempting to incite, has proven to do nothing to negate abuse. If you want to change something like that, change your approach in social media.
Secondly, thanks for further proving my point of personal attacks over factual standing. Yes I did speak of your statements in generalizations (not personal attacks like yourself though), but there is no irony. You keep making faulty, and clearly fallacious, generalizations (as in your P.S. comment) whose only basis seems to be in your imagination and supposition. On the other hand, I would be happy to explain to you my generalizations with a multitude of personal anecdotes, sociological surveys, and well-documented case studies from which I speak directly. I highly doubt you could do the same without falling back on shoddy inference, fictional data, or total opinion.
Lastly, just because I clearly state my opinion, usually with qualifications and examples, does not mean I sacrifice brevity. It is only that the opinions I am speaking to are compounded or complex and simple opinion can not adequately justify my criticism. I hope you took more from schooling than you reflect. If you can’t tell the difference a request and advice, maybe you need to repeat elementary English. If you can not tell the difference between fingers and mouth (as this text is obviously not from my mouth) maybe you need to pull your head out once and a while and look in the mirror. I have nothing to do with teaching or teacher’s union (faulty generalization) and I went through officer’s training supervised by two instructors who were DIA agents in foreign embassies and have a good understanding of what they do.
I, as well, will continue to call them like I see them in this free country. Please, keep spouting nonsense and illogic or justly and factually prove me wrong as I politely asked.(either way I don’t care)
PlaneRick
Posted on October 28, 2010 at 6:17pmTo LONGHRON MAMA:
I find it a sad you claim to be a follower of Jesus and Hayek, yet still seem to think that tithes and other’s charity alone (which speaks nothing to my earlier statement) will solve the severe problems affecting many parts of this nation.
Even Hayek did not have such cold faith. He spoke of the “social insurance” government should create in a nation as wealthy as ours. He also spoke of a moderately free market, rather than a totally unrestricted free market, because of inherit and historically proven potential dangers. It is interesting how he is cherry-picked.
Just because Mrs. Obama didn‘t speak directly to your version of Hayek’s teachings, doesn‘t show that she doesn’t know free market. It only shows her view doesn’t agree with yours. Also, deregulation of some markets over the last couple decades has shown spontaneity could be just as flawed.
The financial ecomony is stagnant, not because of fearing governemnt action (which makes little sense because they are better set now than before with capital safety nets), but rather the fact that that they haven’t gotten their businesses in proper order yet (as illustrated by the recent foreclosure debabcles) Their hoarding, which you seem to think I spoke, only contributes more to the loss of demand.
Report Post »I also am a part owner in small business. One thing that is blatantly clear, your simple entrepreneur model lacks foundation in the current market (with or without market), especially in rural and near suburban areas that I spoke earlier.
chazman
Posted on October 28, 2010 at 7:38pmSorry, Michelle. You may not have four hundred million dollars for ‘food deserts.’ Why? Well, there are food deserts because people cannot make a living by having grocery stores in crappy areas of town. They get robbed and have to deal constantly with shop lifting. Ignorant turds need to walk up to a security window at a gas station to buy their food. It’s the only thing ignorant turds respect. Allow ignorant turds to walk into a super market and they steal you blind. Or shoot you. So NO, Michelle. Go away and keep yer mouth shut.
Report Post »FreedomOfSpeech
Posted on October 29, 2010 at 3:37am@PLANERICK The video is truthful. It’s disgusting that the Obama administration is burning books. Can you name a book that the Bush administration purchased AFTER ITS PUBLICATION and burned? That is the point of the story that you are missing. The book had already passed two separate army reviews and was ACTUALLY PUBLISHED. Name me another incident in recent history where an American administration bought up published books and burned them. I don’t know what your agenda is, but you obviously cannot handle the truth. You are full of hot air. You use generalizations and attacks to reply to every commenter with whom you disagree. And then you deny that you use generalizations and personal attacks. You cannot get past your own ego, which I assume is inflated due to decades of being unsuccessful and unappreciated in American society. You probably blame your financial problems on others. And we all know that you do have financial problems. Why else would a 50 year old man like yourself still live with his mother? You have only served to convince us all that you have diarrhea of the mouth. When it clears up, please go eat a bowl of dick.
Best,
Report Post »FREEDOMOFSPEECH