Ban Sale of Junk Food From Schools
Posted by
Kevin
Good for Blagojevich:
Trying again to rid public schools of junk food, Gov. Rod Blagojevich on Monday called on the Illinois State Board of Education to ban sales of unhealthy snacks and soft drinks at elementary and middle schools.
The proposal excludes high schools that benefit most from vending machine proceeds, and it is less dramatic than a ban proposed in 2003 that state lawmakers rebuffed. This time around, Blagojevich is turning to a board controlled by his appointees to change state rules to battle childhood obesity.
“We know that selling candy and soda to elementary and middle school students is not good for their health, so let’s do what we can to stop it,” the governor wrote in a letter to the state board.
These are kids we are talking about here. They need to be taught about proper nutrition and eating choices for their long term health. You cannot do that and offer to sell them junk food at the same time.
The real scandal, however, is that so many school districts have to resort to these kinds of deals in order to raise the funds they need to provide a proper education. I would be more impressed if the Governor would couple this proposal with a comprehensive plan to fully fund all school districts.
How much would it take to “fully fund” a government school? Is there enough money in the world to do so?
Comment 11/30/2005