Posted on 03/07/2012 10:39:01 AM PST by Sub-Driver
Sebelius: Living a Mile from a Grocery 'May Be Too Far to Get Healthier Food' By Penny Starr March 6, 2012
(CNSNews.com) – The administration’s definition of a “food desert” – an urban area where a significant share of the population lives more than one mile from a grocery store – came under the microscope during a Health and Human Services appropriations hearing on Capitol Hill Tuesday.
Questioning HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, a Republican lawmaker said it was likely most of those present at the hearing lived a mile from their nearest grocery store.
“Do you think that definition should be revisited, because one of the things is, if you are in an urban area a mile away from a grocery store you’re in a food desert – which I would think in so many cases is ridiculous,” said Rep. Jack Kingston (R-Ga.). “Have you thought of – have you looked at their definition?”
“Ah, we have sir,” Sebelius responded.
“And you think it’s a good one?” Kingston asked.
“Well, I think it’s very difficult for a family buying groceries – if they have to walk a mile with bags of groceries, it may be too far to get healthier food,” Sebelius said.
“You really think that?” Kingston asked.
“I do,” she replied.
Sebelius agreed to take another look at the definition after Kingston pointed out that the definition is silent on how people must travel the one mile to a grocery store – whether on foot, by car or by some other means of transportation.
(Excerpt) Read more at cnsnews.com ...
More economical for them to just buy a cart. That a mile from a major grocery store puts one in a ‘food desert’ is just ridiculous.
There is no such thing as ‘food justice’. These are just greedy, welfare-sucking slugs looking for just one more handout that is paid for by the American taxpayer. If these worthless bums can’t be bothered to go to the grocery store, let them starve. If they get hungry enough, they will find a way to get to the store. What they buy when they get there is a matter of personal choice. If their diet causes HTN, DM II, or any other medical condition, they only have themselves to blame. No one held a gun to their head, forcing them to eat pork rinds or Ho-Ho’s.
Not angry at you, just hissed off at the way too many so-called ‘citizens’ of this country expect something for nothing, all the while being paid for by taxpayers.
You missed the point. The government wants to control food distribution in the name of justice.
lol.
BUMP
This woman is a veritable cornucopia of insipid remarks.
I’ll give her this: She may not be a real Catholic, but she is a great source of amusement.
Oy!
They must be planning for the day when we can no longer afford to put gasoline in our cars. If that happens we more than likely won’t be able to afford food so what is their point?
“In many of these areas with “so called” food deserts, stores tried to stay in business but can’t because the theft is so bad it can’t stay in business”
Bingo. I used to work for a large grocery chain. We tried to operate stores in the hood but the shoplifters caused the stores to close. The profit margin on groceries was about 1% at that time. When somebody steals it takes the profit out the operation. Then the locals bitch and moan about how they are discriminated against.
Forgotten man, I see a big subsidization of grocery stores in your future.
It’s hard to generalize because neighborhoods are so different. I’ve lived for 30 years in a walkable/bikeable city neighborhood and lived for years without a car. The full service supermarket is about seven blocks away, but there are numerous small convenience markets throughout the area, most of which have at least some fresh fruits and vegetables and a basic beef/chicken/pork selection. No need to stock up; the easy urban tactic is to plan a path home from work to pass by a store, and just buy for a day or two. Since there’s never a line at the little stores, this is not a problem.
Not all neighborhoods are as well off, but in traditional center cities, the pattern is not uncommon. It’s how most people used to live in cities until the automobile took over and people decided they needed to patronize a big store with a big parking lot.
It is so difficult to remember sometimes that this Bimbo actually used to live in Kansas. As Governor I doubt if she ever went to the store or could even tell you where the nearest one was located.
Unbelievable that Sebelius was elected governor
of Kansas twice. I’ve never met anyone who said
they voted for her.
Fine.
No more urban welfare—those taking unemployment or welfare can work at the urban healthy farms and some can drive the delivery van.
They work the urban farm and urban pantries and they deliver healthy foods, no more choice, no more cash.
That should be socialist enough for them.
But the libtards have spent TRILLIONS on mass transit- we should have no trouble getting anywhere
For the amount of manye we spent we probabvly could have bought everyone a car two or three times over
When I was young, we lived in the city, didn't have a car, and the supermarket was about a mile. I had one of those carts, I walked the mile, did the shopping, and walked back. It was good exercise.
Looking at the average member of the urban underclass, it would probably do them good to have to walk a mile to get food.
Here in Indy, we had Cub Foods and Walmart Grocery stores build in those areas because the complaint was that nobody would put a food store in the hood. Well, these stores were good joes, built new stores, got robbed blind, and now sit empty with graffiti all over them, weeds and cracks in the parking lots and busted out lights.
I suppose that now, if Obama hangs around, we will have to pay to keep those stores there in spite of the fact they get robbed blind.
The people in those areas need to understand if they want nice things, they should show some respect for the people that offer them nice things.
This kind of stuff grates me in a bad way.
cause Lord knows you can’t expect a healthy person to walk more than a mile /sarc
Why no grocery stores and food shops in crime ridden neighborhoods???
Because they get shoplifted and robbed out of existance!!!
Reasons why some Pittsburgh neighborhoods are devoid of grocery stores:
1) Unions. Back in the 70’s they were all taking a hard line and driving many supermarket chains away. Thorofare, Loblaws, A&P, Kroger and others fled the area. This left Giant Eagle with a near-monopoly.
2) Declining inner-city neighborhoods have a very high percentage of food stamps, AFDC and shoplifting. The first two cost money to administer and the third is pure shrink. Since grocery is a low-margin business it does not take long until the store is not profitable and becomes a target for closing. Those stores do not have the upscale shoppers to offset the additional admin costs and loss from theft.
3) When Giant Eagle closes a location they generally tie the property up in deed restrictions so that no competing grocery store will ever again occupy the space and provide competition.
4) Supermarkets, like most every business here, have been Pavlov-trained to sit on the sideline and wait for the politicians to come along and wave incentives and subsidies in front of them to do what they should be doing for business reasons.
Now I suppose we’re going to have a Federal Ride To The F****** Grocery Store Subsidy....
I hate these people. I mean I really, really, really hate these people.
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