Stories & Opinions Worth Knowing but Maybe Not Quite Threadworthy 9/26

[enslaved1]

Haven't had one of these for a bit.....

https://www.penncapital-star.com/education/fetterman-introduces-legislation-to-cancel-school-lunch-debt/

Fetterman introduces legislation to cancel school lunch debt
By: Kim Lyons - September 25, 2023 4:17 pm

U.S. Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) has introduced legislation, along with Sens. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and Peter Welch (D-Vt.) that would cancel school lunch debt nationwide. The bill would apply to all “debt,” incurred under the National School Lunch Program, which operates at public and nonprofit private schools.

“‘School lunch debt’ is a term so absurd that it shouldn’t even exist. That’s why I’m proud to introduce this bill to cancel the nation’s student meal debt and stop humiliating kids and penalizing hunger,” Fetterman said in a statement. “It’s time to come together and stop playing political games with Americans’ access to food. September is Hunger Action Month and I’m proud to be introducing this bill to help working families now, while we work to move our other priorities to combat food insecurity in our nation.”

More debt forgiveness to buy votes.  If they are willing to shave the costs off Congressional salaries, I'll listen a little closer.

[SVPete]

It should be named the, Making Free Lunches Truly Free Act.

[Eupher]

Haven't had one of these for a bit.....

https://www.penncapital-star.com/education/fetterman-introduces-legislation-to-cancel-school-lunch-debt/

More debt forgiveness to buy votes.  If they are willing to shave the costs off Congressional salaries, I'll listen a little closer.

I don't have a problem with their salaries, which is $174,000 per year. The Speaker gets $223,500 and the Senate President pro tem gets $193,400. These salaries haven't changed since 2009. The big money is in their perks:

• House Staff/personnel - $994,671 in 2022 per member
• Health Care, including emergency health care while in the Capitol through DC Health Link. No word on cost.)
  
• Travel (apparently no restriction)
• Official office expenses
• Franked mail

The Members Representational Allowance (MRA) (staff, travel, mailing, office space and furnishings, etc.) AVERAGE per member in 2022 was $1,826,590.

Overall, the taxpayer pays more than $660 million in salaries and benefits for the House of Representatives (2021 expenditures)

Each House member is permitted up to 18 full-time employees, with another 4 allowed if they're part-time, interns, etc.

For Senators, the perks are even sweeter:

Personnel, travel back to the home state, and official office space - The average allowance for FY2023, as shown in the draft, is $4,158,847. Mailing costs are provided by the taxpayer.

Each senator is authorized office space in federal buildings within their home state. There are size restrictions of office space, based on population, but no restriction on the number of offices.

Office furnishings for senators - up to $40,000.

Congressional staff salaries - the maximum is shown as $199,300 per year.

Lots of fine print in the pdf at the link.

https://www.everycrsreport.com/files/2022-12-16_RL30064_4982ad0e69458d1c09897cb3911f00a1ef048abe.pdf

[Old n Grumpy]

My first thought was this is from the bee 

So lurch’s first legislation is to piss away more of our money 

My thoughts are if you can’t feed them don’t breed them.

[Drafe Hoblin]

When they're not serving goat-food, they're serving food that sticks to the plate when the kids turn their plates upsidedown.

[Ptarmigan]

Target To Shutter Nine Stores In Major Cities After Being Targeted By Violence, Theft
https://www.zerohedge.com/economics/target-shutter-nine-stores-major-cities-after-being-targeted-violence-theft

Retail giant Target on Tuesday announced the closure of nine stores in major cities across the US, citing violence, theft and organized retail crime. The news comes on the heels of a warning from the company that lost or stolen inventory has created a $500 million dent in profitability this year.

"We cannot continue operating these stores because theft and organized retail crime are threatening the safety of our team and guests, and contributing to unsustainable business performance," the company said in a press statement. "We know that our stores serve an important role in their communities, but we can only be successful if the working and shopping environment is safe for all."

According to CNBC, the company will close one store in Harlem, two stores in Seattle, three stores in the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Area, and three more in Portland, Oregon.

According to CNBC, Target, which has nearly 2,000 stores in the U.S., has been outspoken about organized retail crime at its stores. It has said theft has driven higher levels of shrink, an industry term used to describe losses from goods that were damaged, misplaced or stolen.

Target is shuttering in New York City, Seattle, Portland, San Francisco, and Oakland. Areas that are too soft on crime. There are other factors as well.

This goes way beyond just crime...

Target's plight uncovers more layers of operational decay. The company's struggles, spanning over a year, include an alarming buildup of unsold inventory, backlash against its Pride merchandise collection, and an evident pullback in consumer expenditure on non-essential items such as apparel and home goods.

In an uncharacteristic admission during an earnings call in August of last year, the company - alongside other retailers, highlighted the unexpected blow to profits caused by higher markdowns, along with desperate attempts to offload unpopular merchandise. A surge in inventories predictably correlates with a rise in shrink, leaving a dent in the retail margins, a situation previously unmentioned by Target in the last two decades.

Meanwhile, the introduction of locked cases for merchandise, hiring of third-party guard services, extensive training for store leaders in de-escalation tactics, and considerable investment in cyber defense to counteract fraud and organized crime have failed to make a meaningful difference.

Wokeness plays a role.

[Ptarmigan]

‘The Mayor’s Fault’: Blue City Reports An Average Of 40 Vehicle Thefts A Day
https://dailycaller.com/2023/09/25/mayors-fault-blue-city-average-40-vehicle-thefts/

Police officers in Oakland, California, have reported more than 10,000 motor vehicle thefts in the city since the start of 2023, data from the Oakland Police Department (OPD) shows.

The OPD recorded a total of 10,547 motor vehicle thefts — an average of 40 vehicle thefts a day — and a 51% increase from the year-to-date reported number of thefts in 2022, CBS News Bay Area reported. At least 133 vehicles were stolen between Sept. 11 and Sept. 17, and an additional 12 vehicles were carjacked during the same time period, according to the OPD data. (RELATED: Blue City Residents Rally For More Aggressive Policing As Shopkeeper’s Death Remains Unsolved)

“While the number is pretty staggering, I wish I could say that I was truly surprised or am truly surprised for that matter because of the lack of leadership in Oakland city government and the lack of accountability,” Eugene Kopman, a resident of Oakland, told CBS. “My car was parked at the Coliseum BART. I took my son to a baseball game last Sunday and I came back — the car was gone.”

Oakland is in a free fall. #crime pic.twitter.com/7bXWZwiMt2

— T Wolf 🌁 (@Twolfrecovery) September 19, 2023

Nearly 10,600 car thefts in Oakland that are reported. It is the tip of the iceberg.