School Meals Provide Nutrition Safety Net
May 20, 2015
One of my favorite inspirational readings ends with the line “Face reality and unwilled change will happen.” If our communities are to thrive, here is a reality that our society has to face: Too many families struggle to put food on the table. In fact, in 2014, one in six households in Missouri said there […]
Honest Numbers Matter
November 12, 2014
Audrey, a coffee shop owner in Jefferson City, Mo., recently told me about her surprise when she gave a really good employee a raise, and the worker seemed disappointed. Audrey’s surprise turned to dismay when she gave the employee a second raise a few months later. The employee quit. “She was such a good employee […]
Some Always Lose in a Musical Chairs Economy
January 8, 2014
If you are ever in need of “a shot of hate,” read the online comments section after many newspaper reports that relate to recipients of Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF). Sometimes you’ll even find similar remarks about those helped by the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, commonly known as food stamps) or even some […]
The Failure of Missouri’s Outdated Tax Table
November 18, 2013
It’s 1931. A loaf of bread costs 8 cents, and 45 cents is the price tag on a gallon of milk. The average new car can be purchased for $640. Cab Calloway’s “Minnie the Moocher” makes history as the first million-seller jazz record, and “The Star Spangled Banner” is officially named the U.S. national anthem. […]
Federal Poverty Level and Why the Safety Net Is Strung an Inch from the Sidewalk
October 17, 2013
It’s a scene repeated all over the USA. A principal testifying at a legislative hearing will pour out her heart, asking for support services for students who qualify for free/reduced price lunches. “Their parents make just 225 percent of the federal poverty level or less!” the principal will plead. “What?!” a legislator will rage. “You […]
