Cheers & Jeers
Cheers: As the 蘑菇视频 reported Sunday, student meal debt continues to rise in the wake of a move by federal lawmakers to end funding that made school meals free for all students during the pandemic. The program’s end comes at the same time inflation and rising labor costs are driving up food prices, forcing some schools to raise meal prices. Sadly, those meals are “sometimes the only meals that are available to kids,” said Jennifer Foringer, business manager and food service director at Jefferson-Morgan School District in Greene County. A bright spot to that story came when we learned that some districts are seeing individuals and organizations step up to make donations to help pay off some of that debt. For example, Laurel Highlands district resident Alan George donated $8,311 to eliminate school lunch debt for the 311 students who owed money before the 2022-23 school year started. It is heartening to hear of such generosity in our community.
Cheers: U.S. Sen. John Fetterman made headlines last week when his office revealed he had checked into Walter Reed Medical Center to receive treatment for clinical depression. Studies have found that depression is common among adults who have suffered strokes, as Fetterman did last year, and, according to a statement, Fetterman has struggled with depression intermittently throughout his life. Fetterman is not the only U.S. senator who has admitted to dealing with depression – Tina Smith, a Minnesota Democrat, said she has experienced depression, and gave a speech on the Senate floor about it in 2019. Also, Fetterman is hardly alone when you look at the United States as a whole. Several studies have found that about 10% of Americans suffer from depression, with rates increasing among young adults and teenagers. Fetterman’s admission will, perhaps, lead others to seek help. Akin Olla, an opinion writer for The Guardian, pointed out, “Every day, millions of depressed Americans go to work, and the country wouldn’t function without them. … Fetterman seeking treatment should not trigger calls of incompetency. Instead, it should trigger empathy and questions of how we can ensure others can seek the help they need.”
Jeers: To err is human, and because public officials are human, they’re bound to occasionally make mistakes. But some officials in Spain have committed a blunder of truly epic proportions. After approving more than $200 million on new commuter trains for the northern part of the country, it turns out they are too wide to fit through some tunnels. Spain’s transportation secretary has resigned, along with the leader of the country’s rail operator. Though officials say no money has been lost because work on the trains was halted once the mistake was discovered, it will result in a two-year delay on the delivery of the trains. This whole debacle demonstrates that something as simple and inexpensive as a tape measure can save a whole lot of grief.