Editorial: Miller gives pardon to cupcakes

Texas’ new Ag Commissioner Sid Miller made headlines last week when, as his first official act in office, he granted amnesty… to cupcakes.

Miller’s bold move was, he said, to let Texans know that rules passed in 2004 that prevented cupcakes, cookies, and other snacks from being brought to public schools had been repealed.

“We want families, teachers and schools in Texas to know the Texas Department of Agriculture has abolished all rules and guidelines that would stop a parent from bringing cupcakes, cookies or snacks to school,” said Commissioner Miller. “This act is about providing local control to our communities. I am evaluating agency policies and procedures to ensure we are in touch with Texas consumers, while also decreasing state regulation and expanding local control.”

It all sounds good, but the fact is that the cupcake rule was already repealed… almost as soon as it was passed.

The Texas Tribune reported two days after Miller’s amnesty award: “In August 2004, then-Agriculture Commissioner Susan Combs issued a clarification to a new statewide policy restricting junk food in schools. The “cupcake clarification” said that cakes and cupcakes could be brought to school for birthdays. In 2005, state lawmakers passed Lauren’s Law, which guaranteed that right.”

Combs herself was labeled many times by this column as a Health Nazi for her rabid war on junk food to fight the supposed increasing mass of school children across the state.

Miller said the repeal – which, again, happened ten years ago – was “to allow for greater control and decision-making at the local level,” but his agency’s press release went on to note that “Federal guidelines still regulate food sold during the day at schools that participate in the National School Lunch program.”

According to Miller’s office, there is a lot of confusion about what is and isn’t allowed in schools; and I think they are probably right about that. When my son started school, we were given a list of what was and wasn’t allowed for snack time. I’m not sure what they would have done if we had sent him with Cokes and Oreos for everyone, but we usually just opted for applesauce or Cheez-Its.

Miller’s political theatrics aside, he does bring attention to the larger issue of government involvement in our school lunch program. Rules passed down by the imperial dietitians and busybodies in Washington, DC, have succeeded in making school lunches so “healthy” that no one wants to eat them.

While I admit that our Cub Reporter is a picky eater, when he started school three years ago, he liked some of the school menu. But with new restrictions in place, he takes his lunch every day. Granted the majority of kids are still getting a tray every day; but if you sit and watch during lunchtime, you’ll see a lot of kids just picking around the food. And the amount of food that goes straight in the trash has you make you wonder if the “guidelines” are counterproductive.

Why do school districts put up with the meddling of the government in their cafeterias? It comes down to money. Our schools have for a long time now been addicted to the federal teat and will do whatever it takes to get that government money. It would be interesting to see if the cost of compliance is worth the gain or better yet worth the cost of kids still being hungry at the end of the day.

If making sure kids don’t go hungry is the goal, then let’s spend a little more time making sure kids will eat what we’re serving. Surely it is better that a kids eats a homemade cinnamon roll than that he doesn’t eat at all.

Personally, I think the government has bigger issues than the nutritional value of school nachos. If they want to pare down some fat, I’d suggest they start with federal agencies, bureaucratic salaries, and programs. Parents, administrators, school board members, and cafeteria managers can handle their own affairs. The politicians need to just mind their own business.