Zero "Fact Checks" Our Blog Post. We Rate Their Response "Politically Naive"

December 27, 2010

SHARE

It’s clear that the Blogforce who write for this website have captured the notice of the liberatti, local institutions and the daily newspaper of record with our opinion pieces about the Kyron Horman case by former Multnomah County Sheriff, Bernie Giusto, and Bruce McCain (here and here and and here. ) and Pete the Banker’s demonstration that then candidate, John Kitzhaber’s home loan was and is illegal (here and here and here). Mr. Why has captured the notice of the land use and light rail crowd including Tri Met’s hired blogger/commenter (here and here). Rees Lloyd’s pieces go national with regularity (here and here) and Lew consistently tweaks the noses of the power crowd which can’t make them happy (here and here). I spend a lot of time writing about local stories such as Mo Mo, local government’s overreaching etc. See examples here, herehere, here, and here.

Our blog posts, as most blog posts do, take a set of facts about which we have an opinion. We lay them out for you to read and accept or dismiss at your whim. 
The Zero’s “Politifact” reporter, Janie Harr scrutinized Rees’ recent piece about the reduced breakfast program at a local Portland Public School. Rees is pretty steamed about the program  because it, among other things, apparently invites any adult who wants, to come on in, pony up $1.75, a taxpayer subsidized meal. See his piece here.

He doesn’t fancy strangers or dead beats (or rich dead beats for that matter) making a beeline for a school filled with innocents. Who can blame him? Add the fact that the taxpayers are subsidizing the meals for people who can well afford to buy their own food and he’s downright irate.
Here’s what Harr reports about Rees’ claim:

Matt Shelby, spokesman for the school district, confirms that a Dec. 9 school e-mail re-posted on Taft’s blog is correct. In it, district nutrition services program manager Kristin Palmer reminds “West Sylvan parents and staff” that hot and cold breakfasts start up again in the new year.

Adults unaffiliated with the school need to sign in to get on campus, so the idea of an undocumented worker dropping “in at West Sylvan School for a $1.75 breakfast on their way to a job ‘Americans don’t want’” is pretty far-fetched (contrary to Lloyd’s musings). Strike this part as a Pants on Fire claim.

(By the way, Lloyd doesn’t buy it. He interprets the e-mail as a more sweeping invitation, despite it being addressed to “West Sylvan parents and staff.” “That’s what makes it so stupid, inviting adults to come in for $1.75. It’s without limitation and they know damn well we don’t want people walking into schools, what in the hell are they thinking? If they’re not inviting everyone in there, they should know how to say so.”) 

Clearly, the breakfast offer is not intended for the general public, which means no drug addicts, homeless or suspected terrorists, domestic or otherwise, get to mingle with the kids unless they happen to be staff or parents at the well-to-do school.

She gives Rees an atta boy for being concerned about taxpayer money but then gives the claim that the meal is open to anyone a “barely true.” 
Why would Rees every think that a school meal program would be open to anyone? Oh, I dunno, maybe because they are. Here’s a factoid from the summer breakfast and lunch program at PPS schools (here), 

No application or paperwork is necessary to participate. Sites are open to all children on a first-come, first-served basis; adult meals cost $3.75.

We know Matt Shelby says the intention is to have only school attached adults and children avail themselves of the program. And very few adults do take advantage of them. But who will be at the door turning unknown adults away? Who’s ever turned down for a free school  meal program. That’s what I thought. 
Consider what Matt Shelby himself tells Harr,

Shelby says the USDA reimburses the district $1.76 for every free breakfast, $1.46 for every reduced-price breakfast and 26 cents for every fully paid breakfast. The district is not reimbursed for adult meals, which is why adults pay $1.75 to cover the cost of labor and food. The total districtwide budget for school lunches and breakfasts is $17.5 million, sustained by sales of meals to students and reimbursements from the federal government.

On our ratings system we rate the reporter and any adult who doesn’t think this program will be abused: politically naive. 

Tell ’em where you saw it. Http://www.victoriataft.com