One in 10 Kansas households goes hungry

[Judi Lynn]

Story last updated at 4:58 a.m. Saturday, January 17, 2004

Study: One in 10 Kansas households goes hungry
WICHITA (AP) -- Tens of thousands of Kansas families don't get enough to eat, a study found.

The Kansas Health Institute reported in the study released Thursday that each year, about one in 10 Kansas households reported having uncertain access to food sometime during the previous year.

Of the 105,000 households that worried about food, about one-third, or 38,000 households statewide, had one or more members who went hungry at some time during the year because they could not afford enough food. The other two-thirds of the households managed by eating less-varied diets, participating in federal food assistance programs or relying on charity. (snip)

The results "dispel a lot of myths" about hunger, said Barbara LaClair, lead author of the study. "This issue ... is more than an isolated concern." (snip/...)

http://www.dodgeglobe.com/stories/011704/sta_0117040065.shtml

[cornermouse]

1. I'm sure Kansas isn't alone.

I find it interesting that these stories get so little attention from the mainstream news. You would think it would be a serious contender for headline status.

[0007]

2. I would think Texas is leading the pack in hungry.....

[Name removed]

22. Deleted message

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[Robbien]

23. sorry, wrong thread eom

[Name removed]

3. Deleted message

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[Judi Lynn]

5. The people at the Kansas Health Institute are solid citizens

Here's their Board of Directors, then their National Advisory Committee.

Serious Kansans are damned uninclined to screw around. It's not a particularly frivolous place.

[Name removed]

6. Deleted message

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[Robbien]

12. This is a typical response one would read on the FR site

There are no poor people, the right wingers shout, they all are fakers who have TV's and VCR's and are living off the backs of taxpayers. So lets take away their food stamps.

They sully the term compassionate.

[shrike]

15. You obviously don't know what you're talking about

I was at a point in my life when I had to scrounge around to change to go buy a bag of rice. And I assure you, I did not have a bass boat or vcrs, or play the lotto.

[Gman]

4. Kansas is a solid Republican state

because the hungry don't vote.

[KansDem]

7. I'm inclined to agree with you, however...

Kansas did elect a Democratic governor in 2002 and the Third Congressional District is held by a Democrat. However, having said that, these are moderate Democrats. Generally, elections in Kansas come down to a fight between moderate Republicans and right-wing Republicans, with moderate GOPers bolting for the Democrats when the right-wing becomes too much of a threat. Rep. Dennis Moore (D-3rd District) couldn't have won without support from the "Republicans for Moore."

I like to think there is a serge to the left (albeit, a little one) in Kansas, but with the Kansas City Star whoring full-time for Republican Adam Taff*, Moore's challenger in 2002 and, one supposes, in 2004, I wonder if Kansas' move to more-rational politics is short-lived.

________
*Adam Taff challenged Moore in 2002 and lost. However, the Kansas City Star ran a FULL-LENGTH feature article on Taff in its Sunday edition following the election, prominently on the front page and ABOVE the fold. When does a "major" newspaper provide such coverage for a LOSER???

[loudnclear]

8. Are these "Dixicrats?"

A platform plank for the Dems should be "affordable housing for any family of four where at least one parent works."

First two years of college paid for by the government in state colleges.

Construction of a fist-class passenger rail sysytem across the US. (think of the jobs this would create. Steel, textile, paper, computers, etc.

[LiberalTexan]

9. No, Kansas was a Free State

No Dixiecrats. You may want to call them something different, like conservative Democrats, but please don't call them Dixiecrats!

I find this report very sad indeed. I'm studying nutrition, so maybe I'm biased, but I think that there should be MORE reports on our own American hungry. Sure, we hear about jobs being lost under this administration, but wouldn't people really get the depth of this problem if we knew how many children went without dinner last night?

Frankly, I'm tired of being a country that that doesn't care anymore. We used to. Then the Rush Limbaugh set came along and suddenly it was cool not to give a crap about our fellow neighbors.

And, an aside: the GOP would do anything to get rid of Dennis Moore. However, the problem I see in his district is that many staunch Republicans aren't motivated to help get rid of him because the GOP there doesn't give them "conservative enough" candidates. Many of the Republicans in that area around KC feel that the Republicans that run aren't conservative enough. So, you've just isolated your base. I don't know if I would personally call them liberal republicans, but some people do.....

PS, if you want to do something about this, contact your local FOOD BANK and donate a few hours of your time some afternoon. They can always use help with stocking shelves and moving inventory, etc. Tell them you are a DEMOCRAT and you CARE. Make a social statement out of it. Talk to folks.

[SemperEadem]

20. The Missouri-Kansas wars showed Kansas was a free state

and Missouri was a southern slave state, hence the wars...

[SemperEadem]

21. This started with Reagan, not Rush Limbaugh back in 1980

[KansDem]

10. I don't think they're necessarily "Dixiecrats..."

Just moderate Democrats. Perhaps fiscally "conservative" but more progressive with regard to social issues: Moore signed on to the Voter Confidence and Increased Accessibility Act of 2003:

...the bill would
require all voting systems to produce a voter-verified paper record for use in manual audits and recounts;

ban the use of undisclosed software and wireless communications devices in voting systems;

require all voting systems to meet these requirements in time for the general election in November 2004;

requires that electronic voting systems be provided for persons with disabilities by January 1, 2006; and

require mandatory surprise recounts in 0.5% of domestic jurisdictions and 0.5% of overseas jurisdictions
These are excellent provisions that are a minimum of what needs to be done.

And he also opposed Patriot Act II:

This measure expands the definition of "financial institution" to provide enhanced authority for intelligence community collection activities designed to prevent, deter and disrupt terrorism and espionage directed against the United States and to enhance foreign intelligence efforts. Banks, credit unions and other financial institutions currently are required to provide certain
financial data to investigators generally without a court order or grand jury subpoena. The conference agreement expands the list to include car dealers, pawnbrokers, travel agents, casinos and other
businesses.
http://thepete.com/thenewsblog/cgi-bin/archives/archive-122003.html

Moore hasn't always voted the way I would have liked him to, but considering the alternative...:scared:

By the way, your platform looks good! :hi:

[Fovea]

25. No, but it might be fair to call them

Jayhawk Democrats.
They can run to moderate, but they have to have a Jim Lane/John Brown kinda wild light in their eyes to survive around here.

[Judi Lynn]

11. Yup, I heard Adam Taff was planning to run again against Moore

some time ago. There's absolutely no comparison between them.

Even before going to Congress, Dennis Moore had established an exceptional reputation as a District Attorney, with many of his outstanding cases getting a ton of coverage locally in K.C.

Adam Taff, as you probably remember, only had to offer, for his tv spots, tons of patriotic baloney, with photos of him in his pilot's uniform, and endless repetition of his credentials as a military pilot. Almost completely empty of any qualifications other than flying in the military, and being a Republican. Jeez.

If there's any justice anywhere, Dennis Moore, DEMOCRAT, will be going right back to his office in Washington, where he belongs. There are a lot of people who have grown to respect him enormously, for his notable concern and hard work as a public servant.

[Zero Gravitas]

19. Dennis Moore

I'm suspecting that Dennis Moore is a DINO. I e-mailed his campaign indicating that I was interested in contributing money (which I was). However on the radio I had heard him ducking any discussion of which Dem candidate he supported, so I asked if, at least, he felt that Bush should not be re-elected. I recieved no reply. If Moore thinks Bush is doing a good job as "president" I won't be voting for him this time around.

As far as the Star goes, just look at their editorial page... they'd whore for ANY right wing Republican.

UNfortunately the Repbulicans have tricked the working classes, the working poor, and probably many of those 1 in 10 in Kansas who go hungry that THEY represent their best interests more then the Dems do. Amazing.
And no, none of those going hungry in this state have a $30,000 bass boat :eyes:

[barbaraann]

13. And why don't the food banks register people to vote?

It just makes me furious.

[0007]

16. The food banks I've worked at doing volunteer work

We're either mentally impaired or not bright enough to know who could help 'em.

[barbaraann]

17. And why don't the Dems work on this either?

n/t

[cthrumatrix]

14. there is plenty to do at "home" with the less fortunate and jobless

[oldcoot]

18. Liberate Kansas?

The Bush administration expressed concern that Saddam Hussein was starving his own people before the invasion. Well, I wonder what he is going to do to help people starving in this country.

[Must_B_Free]

24. The must not be counting beer and liquor as food

[gate of the sun]

26. a travesty!

uh ummmm uh let's fly to the moon and maybe to mars wouldn't that be nice!