If you can't afford them, why are you having them?

I just read a news article saying that schools in Albuquerque, NM was instituting a new policy that if the kids' lunches were not paid for, they would have to eat a cheese sandwich, milk, and a piece of fruit. http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap..../20090225/ap_on_re_us/chee....se_sandwich_flap

My initial reaction was "damn" that is harsh. But then I had to evaluate the situation. If parents are not paying the bills for their OWN kids, then who does? Who is responsible? Should the kids have to start washing dishes to pay back the debt? And does it matter that the schools do have to pay suppliers for the food that it is serving. Aint nothing free.

My second reaction was, at least the kids are getting something to eat. Honestly, if I didn't have any money when I went to the cafeteria, I didn't expect to eat for free. That is when you hope that your friends had some extra money, or you brought something from home.Parents not paying their kids' bills teaches the kids that you can be irresponsible and not pay your bills and there won't be any repercussions. Real life doesn't work that way. You don't pay your cable bill, cable gets cut off. You don't pay rent, you get evicted. Teaching kids that there are no consequences is just flat out wrong. They will be so effed up when they get out into the real world.

My next thought on this is, since when are schools obligated to pay for kids meals? Isn't that the parents job anyways? I mean, it seems like schools are really getting more and more responsibility when it comes to raising these kids...just my opinion.

And then we got Octo-mom. This woman just rubs me completely wrong. She has absolutely no means to raise 14 kids. The taxpayers are having to shoulder her bills. Her mom is being forced to help raise these kids. And she has become some kinda freak celebrity. She is the poster child of why our welfare system needs to be reformed. Popping out babies knowing that you can't pay for them is completely un-fair to the folks that have to pay for those decisions. I understand sometimes people need help...but having kids is not a profession. And I shouldn't have to pay for others' kids and other people's effed up, self-inflicted decisions. If you can't afford them, why are you having them?

I know that my rants may come off as less than PC, but is there really a nice way to say...pay your EFFIN bills! Maybe, but I don't roll in a PC kinda way.