Fixing school lunches

[Rich80105]

from:
https://norightturn.blogspot.com/2025/03/fixing-school-lunches.html

"The free school lunch program was one of Labour's few actual
achievements in government. Decent food, made locally, providing local
employment. So naturally, National had to get rid of it. Their
replacement - run by Compass, a multinational which had already been
thrown out of our hospitals for producing inedible slop - has been a
disaster. Inedible food, which does not meet dietry requirements, and
which is sometimes contaminated with plastic or causes severe injury.
The only thing we haven't seen yet is a mass-poisoning, but that's
probably only a matter of time. And now the primary subcontractor has
gone bankrupt as a result of lowballing the bid, putting the whole
scheme in doubt.

The good news is that the former providers are ready to step up and
fix things. It would be a popular move: a Talbot Mills poll released
today shows that 60% of people want the old system restored. A
sensible government responsive to voters would recognise this, and do
it. But for National, it would mean admitting that they made a
mistake. And rather than do that, they'll likely just cancel the
entire system out of spite, having set it up for failure in the first
place. Because when faced with a choice between feeding kids, and
admitting they fucked up, they’d rather let kids starve. It’s just the
sort of monsters they are."
______________

There have now been numerous people from the industry expressing
concern at the incompetence of Seymour - his inability to take into
account anything but price, and his unwillingness to accept any
advice, or to be accountable to the Minister of Education. He claims
to have been keeping the Prime Minister informed, which has just
confirmed that Luxon is equally useless in assessing basic management
issues, let alone showing any leadership. Seymour is again effectively
say f. you to parliament and to the people of New Zealand. Hopefully
Luxon will decide that as Deputy PM, Seymour will not have time to
take any portfolio - the two of them can then sit and do nothing, to
the benefit of all of New Zealand.

[Tony]

Post by Rich80105
https://norightturn.blogspot.com/2025/03/fixing-school-lunches.html

Good lord, what a reliable source of opinion - yeah right!
Hint - that was sarcastic.

Post by Rich80105
"The free school lunch program was one of Labour's few actual
achievements in government. Decent food, made locally, providing local
employment. So naturally, National had to get rid of it. Their
replacement - run by Compass, a multinational which had already been
thrown out of our hospitals for producing inedible slop - has been a
disaster. Inedible food, which does not meet dietry requirements, and
which is sometimes contaminated with plastic or causes severe injury.
The only thing we haven't seen yet is a mass-poisoning, but that's
probably only a matter of time. And now the primary subcontractor has
gone bankrupt as a result of lowballing the bid, putting the whole
scheme in doubt.
The good news is that the former providers are ready to step up and
fix things. It would be a popular move: a Talbot Mills poll released
today shows that 60% of people want the old system restored. A
sensible government responsive to voters would recognise this, and do
it. But for National, it would mean admitting that they made a
mistake. And rather than do that, they'll likely just cancel the
entire system out of spite, having set it up for failure in the first
place. Because when faced with a choice between feeding kids, and
admitting they fucked up, they’d rather let kids starve. It’s just the
sort of monsters they are."
______________
There have now been numerous people from the industry expressing
concern at the incompetence of Seymour - his inability to take into
account anything but price, and his unwillingness to accept any
advice, or to be accountable to the Minister of Education. He claims
to have been keeping the Prime Minister informed, which has just
confirmed that Luxon is equally useless in assessing basic management
issues, let alone showing any leadership. Seymour is again effectively
say f. you to parliament and to the people of New Zealand. Hopefully
Luxon will decide that as Deputy PM, Seymour will not have time to
take any portfolio - the two of them can then sit and do nothing, to
the benefit of all of New Zealand.

[Rich80105]

On Thu, 13 Mar 2025 00:55:21 -0000 (UTC), Tony

Post by Tony

Post by Rich80105
https://norightturn.blogspot.com/2025/03/fixing-school-lunches.html

Good lord, what a reliable source of opinion - yeah right!
Hint - that was sarcastic.

Yet again you are unable to identify any part of the text below with
which you disagree. Perhaps you are learning, Tony - would that our
government showed any capacity to learn!

Post by Tony

Post by Rich80105
"The free school lunch program was one of Labour's few actual
achievements in government. Decent food, made locally, providing local
employment. So naturally, National had to get rid of it. Their
replacement - run by Compass, a multinational which had already been
thrown out of our hospitals for producing inedible slop - has been a
disaster. Inedible food, which does not meet dietry requirements, and
which is sometimes contaminated with plastic or causes severe injury.
The only thing we haven't seen yet is a mass-poisoning, but that's
probably only a matter of time. And now the primary subcontractor has
gone bankrupt as a result of lowballing the bid, putting the whole
scheme in doubt.
The good news is that the former providers are ready to step up and
fix things. It would be a popular move: a Talbot Mills poll released
today shows that 60% of people want the old system restored. A
sensible government responsive to voters would recognise this, and do
it. But for National, it would mean admitting that they made a
mistake. And rather than do that, they'll likely just cancel the
entire system out of spite, having set it up for failure in the first
place. Because when faced with a choice between feeding kids, and
admitting they fucked up, they’d rather let kids starve. It’s just the
sort of monsters they are."
______________
There have now been numerous people from the industry expressing
concern at the incompetence of Seymour - his inability to take into
account anything but price, and his unwillingness to accept any
advice, or to be accountable to the Minister of Education. He claims
to have been keeping the Prime Minister informed, which has just
confirmed that Luxon is equally useless in assessing basic management
issues, let alone showing any leadership. Seymour is again effectively
say f. you to parliament and to the people of New Zealand. Hopefully
Luxon will decide that as Deputy PM, Seymour will not have time to
take any portfolio - the two of them can then sit and do nothing, to
the benefit of all of New Zealand.

[Tony]

Post by Rich80105
On Thu, 13 Mar 2025 00:55:21 -0000 (UTC), Tony

Post by Tony

Post by Rich80105
https://norightturn.blogspot.com/2025/03/fixing-school-lunches.html

Good lord, what a reliable source of opinion - yeah right!
Hint - that was sarcastic.

Yet again you are unable to identify any part of the text below with
which you disagree. Perhaps you are learning, Tony - would that our
government showed any capacity to learn!

It does not prove anything - not one word of it is relevant to your supposed
topic.

Post by Rich80105

Post by Tony

Post by Rich80105
"The free school lunch program was one of Labour's few actual
achievements in government. Decent food, made locally, providing local
employment. So naturally, National had to get rid of it. Their
replacement - run by Compass, a multinational which had already been
thrown out of our hospitals for producing inedible slop - has been a
disaster. Inedible food, which does not meet dietry requirements, and
which is sometimes contaminated with plastic or causes severe injury.
The only thing we haven't seen yet is a mass-poisoning, but that's
probably only a matter of time. And now the primary subcontractor has
gone bankrupt as a result of lowballing the bid, putting the whole
scheme in doubt.
The good news is that the former providers are ready to step up and
fix things. It would be a popular move: a Talbot Mills poll released
today shows that 60% of people want the old system restored. A
sensible government responsive to voters would recognise this, and do
it. But for National, it would mean admitting that they made a
mistake. And rather than do that, they'll likely just cancel the
entire system out of spite, having set it up for failure in the first
place. Because when faced with a choice between feeding kids, and
admitting they fucked up, they’d rather let kids starve. It’s just the
sort of monsters they are."
______________
There have now been numerous people from the industry expressing
concern at the incompetence of Seymour - his inability to take into
account anything but price, and his unwillingness to accept any
advice, or to be accountable to the Minister of Education. He claims
to have been keeping the Prime Minister informed, which has just
confirmed that Luxon is equally useless in assessing basic management
issues, let alone showing any leadership. Seymour is again effectively
say f. you to parliament and to the people of New Zealand. Hopefully
Luxon will decide that as Deputy PM, Seymour will not have time to
take any portfolio - the two of them can then sit and do nothing, to
the benefit of all of New Zealand.

[Crash]

Post by Rich80105
https://norightturn.blogspot.com/2025/03/fixing-school-lunches.html
"The free school lunch program was one of Labour's few actual
achievements in government. Decent food, made locally, providing local
employment. So naturally, National had to get rid of it. Their
replacement - run by Compass, a multinational which had already been
thrown out of our hospitals for producing inedible slop - has been a
disaster. Inedible food, which does not meet dietry requirements, and
which is sometimes contaminated with plastic or causes severe injury.
The only thing we haven't seen yet is a mass-poisoning, but that's
probably only a matter of time. And now the primary subcontractor has
gone bankrupt as a result of lowballing the bid, putting the whole
scheme in doubt.
The good news is that the former providers are ready to step up and
fix things. It would be a popular move: a Talbot Mills poll released
today shows that 60% of people want the old system restored. A
sensible government responsive to voters would recognise this, and do
it. But for National, it would mean admitting that they made a
mistake. And rather than do that, they'll likely just cancel the
entire system out of spite, having set it up for failure in the first
place. Because when faced with a choice between feeding kids, and
admitting they fucked up, they’d rather let kids starve. It’s just the
sort of monsters they are."
______________

I agree that the school lunches program has been an omni shambles. It
should be cancelled and replaced with measures to ensure all parents
provide adequately for their children.

Yeah I know this will be too hard.

Post by Rich80105
There have now been numerous people from the industry expressing
concern at the incompetence of Seymour - his inability to take into
account anything but price, and his unwillingness to accept any
advice, or to be accountable to the Minister of Education. He claims
to have been keeping the Prime Minister informed, which has just
confirmed that Luxon is equally useless in assessing basic management
issues, let alone showing any leadership. Seymour is again effectively
say f. you to parliament and to the people of New Zealand. Hopefully
Luxon will decide that as Deputy PM, Seymour will not have time to
take any portfolio - the two of them can then sit and do nothing, to
the benefit of all of New Zealand.

It is ironic Rich that your only comment has nothing to do with school
lunches as covered in the article you cited. The point of this post
is therefore is purely anti-Seymour political rhetoric using the
school lunch program as cannon-fodder.

[Rich80105]

Post by Crash

Post by Rich80105
https://norightturn.blogspot.com/2025/03/fixing-school-lunches.html
"The free school lunch program was one of Labour's few actual
achievements in government. Decent food, made locally, providing local
employment. So naturally, National had to get rid of it. Their
replacement - run by Compass, a multinational which had already been
thrown out of our hospitals for producing inedible slop - has been a
disaster. Inedible food, which does not meet dietry requirements, and
which is sometimes contaminated with plastic or causes severe injury.
The only thing we haven't seen yet is a mass-poisoning, but that's
probably only a matter of time. And now the primary subcontractor has
gone bankrupt as a result of lowballing the bid, putting the whole
scheme in doubt.
The good news is that the former providers are ready to step up and
fix things. It would be a popular move: a Talbot Mills poll released
today shows that 60% of people want the old system restored. A
sensible government responsive to voters would recognise this, and do
it. But for National, it would mean admitting that they made a
mistake. And rather than do that, they'll likely just cancel the
entire system out of spite, having set it up for failure in the first
place. Because when faced with a choice between feeding kids, and
admitting they fucked up, they’d rather let kids starve. It’s just the
sort of monsters they are."
______________

I agree that the school lunches program has been an omni shambles. It
should be cancelled and replaced with measures to ensure all parents
provide adequately for their children.
Yeah I know this will be too hard.

Post by Rich80105
There have now been numerous people from the industry expressing
concern at the incompetence of Seymour - his inability to take into
account anything but price, and his unwillingness to accept any
advice, or to be accountable to the Minister of Education. He claims
to have been keeping the Prime Minister informed, which has just
confirmed that Luxon is equally useless in assessing basic management
issues, let alone showing any leadership. Seymour is again effectively
say f. you to parliament and to the people of New Zealand. Hopefully
Luxon will decide that as Deputy PM, Seymour will not have time to
take any portfolio - the two of them can then sit and do nothing, to
the benefit of all of New Zealand.

It is ironic Rich that your only comment has nothing to do with school
lunches as covered in the article you cited. The point of this post
is therefore is purely anti-Seymour political rhetoric using the
school lunch program as cannon-fodder.

It is all about the school lunch programme. In any previous government
a new Minister (for that is what Seymour is) would not have been left
to flounder on such a visible and costly project - there would have
been a team of politicians and public servants discussing options and
how a new system was to be implemented; because Seymour is Leader of
the ACT party he was left to his own counsel with no oversight. I
would be upset by any project as badly handled as this one - and I
agree that it would be preferable to go back to not needing a school
lunch programme for 20% of schools - but as you say this need has
been growing for some time. Labour did improve the purchasing power of
the lowest income earners, but not by enough and that has been
reversed in the half term of this government.

Your suggestion will be too hard, but at least in part because the
government, far from ensuring that more parents can provide adequately
for the children is doing the opposite by reducing wages to the lowest
earning workers for government by reducing pay from the "living wage"
to the minimum wage, which has itself not kept pace with rising costs
over the last year. Now whether you regard that as anti-Seymour or
anti- current government does not change anything - but a management
disaster such as the current lunches project is a fairly good
indication of the incompetence of Seymour in relation to both policies
and project management, and poor practice in relation to running a
government.