Dave Renaud
Fairfield
A July 24 article was titled “Free summer meals available to children in Fairfield, Suisun.”
But there is no free lunch. Government programs are paid for by taxes collected from private citizens. Government has no money of its own — whatever it gives away, it must first take from private-sector individuals.
This particular program has a big title: California’s Department of Education’s Seamless Summer Feeding Option (SSFO). It costs money to administer it and to buy the food and bottled water. Someone is paying.
Today, government at all levels is in deep financial trouble due to excessive spending. Yet, programs like this still exist. Do we really need the state to give our kids a peanut butter and jelly sandwich? It might be better to teach our kids to be self-reliant. That will come in handy when they become adults. Even a 5-year-old can make a sandwich and pour a glass of tap water. But SSFO will even make a sandwich for a 17- or 18-year-old!