Strollerderby : WIC

Lesbian Lawmaker Denied Chance to Work for Kids

JeanneSager — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 16:32:00 GMT

A Missouri lawmaker has been told she was kept off of a House committee on children and families because other members found her "offensive."

What's offensive? That she's a lesbian?

Democratic Rep. Jeanette Mott Oxford was nominated by her party last month to serve on the Special Standing Committee on Children and Families in the Missouri House. But the Republican house speaker, Ron Richard, ignored the party's request and chose another Democrat.

But Rep. Mike Corcoran, who got the nod, says he expressed an interest in the seat only after being told Oxford was out of the running. He thought she made a good pick. Which leads Oxford back to her big question.

Is the head of the Republicans in the Missouri house saying a lesbian can't help on a committee that serves children and families? Ironic, considering one of only two openly gay lawmakers in the house, Oxford HAS served on committees relating to kids and families since she was elected in 2004. Before that, she served as executive director of ROWEL, a St. Louis organization that advocates for the poor with a focus on changes to the welfare system. One of its biggest claims to fame in Missouri? ROWEL advocated for increases in cash grants for Aid to Families with Dependent Children.

The House minority leader - who put forth Oxford's name for the appointment - is also confused; Richard accepted other party suggestions - and he hasn't given her a clear answer either.

It all sounds fishy to me, especially when you look at the list of bills sponsored by Oxford in her time in the House - everything from establishing lower class sizes in St. Louis city and county schools to expanding the amount of kosher foods available under the state's Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program.

Sounds like this is a lady who knows kids and families. Funny thing a lot of homophobic house speakers haven't realized - lesbians are parts of families too. And once upon a time, they were kids. Which makes them just as qualified for a post on a committee that deals with kids and families as anyone else - especially when they have a long history of advocating for . . . kids and families.

Image: Jeanette Mott Oxford's Blogspot

Protect Children: Prohibit Divorce

Baby Nearly Starves, Diluted Formula To Blame

Kate Tuttle — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 17:27:00 GMT

As if we needed any more proof that these are tough times: a Florida mother recently found out the hard way why you must never dilute baby formula to "stretch it." Jeri Moss, a 23-year-old mother of two, was trying to save money when she watered down her infant son's formul, adding far more liquid than the powdered carton's instructions called for. She says she did the same with her toddler daughter, with no ill effects. But five-month-old La'Damian, who weighs just eight pounds, was admitted to a local hospital suffering from malnutrition and water intoxication. He survived, but it could have gone either way. "Another hour, he would've been dead," according to the doctor at the Tampa hospital that treated the baby.

But according to the article:

Cindy Morris, environmental administrator for the Hillsborough County Health Department, said Moss has been receiving WIC benefits since June 23. Each time, she received the allotted amount of assistance: vouchers for nine cans of formula a month. The allotment includes both powder and premixed formula.

Morris said federal law prohibits WIC from giving more. "It's never meant to cover 100 percent of the nutrition," she said.

To which I have to respond, why not?

Related: FDA Sets Standard for Melamine in Formula

More from this author:

Grandmother’s Right? Or Totally Obnoxious?
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Mama’s Got a Brand New Bag

Preventing Teen Pregnancy, One Tick at a Time

JeanneSager — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 16:34:00 GMT

Comedienne Wanda Sykes just joined the list of celebrities who probably won’t get a Christmas card from Sarah Palin this year. Not that the wisecracking liberal was likely to be on the list anyway – have you seen the gay marriage bit?

But Wanda was at large last week in Atlanta with a number of other celebrities working to have their names removed from the Palin family newsletter list (I hear there’s a whole section on how to name a baby). So what did Martina Navratilova, Lily Tomlin, Big Boi and Sally Field all do that's against the Palin motto?

They designed timepieces for this year's IKEA It's About Time charity auction, with all the money going to fight teen pregnancy. OK, so I cooked this up a little bit - Sarah Palin wasn't actually there. With that kind of write-up, did you think she would be?

The auction was, however, timed just as teen pregnancy has been thrust back into the spotlight, first with the announcement that Palin's 17-year-old daughter is pregnant. It's been kept there by the media's (yeah, we suck, don't we?) repeated reference to the Alaskan governor's decision to use her line item veto to slash funding that would have helped keep teen moms in her state off of the streets. Then there was the announcement that the number of teen moms is on the rise for the first time in 15 years.

Which is why Jane Fonda's pet project, the Georgia Campaign for Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention (G-CAPP) could really use a little help from her friends at IKEA and in the biz last week. The program's Second Chance Homes section does exactly what Palin was against in Alaska - provides homes for homeless teenage moms so they can complete their education and learn parenting/life skills in a stable environment.

Their success results are staggering - less than 1 percent of the teen moms who go through Second Chance end up pregnant again. All of them attend school, with a number going on to secondary education. All of their children receive immunizations on time (which means they're also seeing a pediatrician on a regular basis).

And each has shown a decreased dependency on state programs - including WIC and food stamps. You know, a savings for the state - the type of thing a governor might want to see.

Image: Pennsylvania Public Health

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New Guidelines Allow More Vegetables, Less Milk

Amy Kuras — Thu, 06 Dec 2007 21:06:00 GMT

America's about the only country on Earth where obesity is associated with poverty. Plenty of factors play into that – lack of access to decent foods in poorer neighborhoods, little nutrition education in schools, and the fact that crappy food is often cheaper and easier to get than fresh fruits and veggies.
That's why the Women, Infants and Children food program today changed its allowable foods so that food offered through the program better reflects current dietary guidelines.
WIC is available to pregnant and breastfeeding women and children under the age of five who are at nutritional risk as determined by a health screening. Although WIC is income based (participants must make less than 185 percent of the federal poverty level, currently at about $35,000 for a family of four), it's separate from the federal food stamp program. While food stamps can buy any type of food or beverage, WIC is limited to certain types of more wholesome foods high in protein, calcium, iron, and vitamins A and C.
Unfortunately, that means some less-than-ideal foods such as juice, cheese, and eggs are part of the WIC supplement. Breastfeeding women who receive the special breastfeeding supplement qualified for up to one pound of fresh carrots per month, but no other fresh fruit or vegetables were included. Now, fruits, vegetables and whole grains can be purchased with WIC vouchers, and families can substitute oatmeal or brown rice for whole-wheat bread.
Although this sounds good on the surface, some of it is a little concerning. It cuts the amount of milk WIC families can purchase by one-third, for example, and reduces the monthly allowance for eggs from two and a half dozen to one dozen.
Nutrition information is part of the WIC food package, which amounts to $37 per month per family. More than 8 millin eople use the program.

Strollerderby : WIC

Lesbian Lawmaker Denied Chance to Work for Kids

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Sarah Palin Speaks To Esquire About Kids And Things

Baby Nearly Starves, Diluted Formula To Blame

Preventing Teen Pregnancy, One Tick at a Time

New Guidelines Allow More Vegetables, Less Milk