Missouri Lawmaker Says Hunger Motivates Children!

What a moron. People like her just don't live in the real world. I remember trying to get a job when I was 16. Burger King and Wendy's wouldn't hire anyone under 18 and, odd as it may sound, there's a lot of competition for those McDonald's jobs from people with actual experience. I worked at Taco Bell back when I was 17. I can tell you, they don't feed their employees for free. It's 50% off. Either way, nobody wants to hire 16 year olds. They are the worst employees on the planet. The only places that do hire them do so out of desperation to save money and they pay the price in the long run. I can understand pushing adults to get jobs, but she's either forgotten, or never knew what it was like to be 16 and job hunting.

Glad to see she's a Republican. I'd be mortified if this idiot were a Democrat. Her statements remind me of all those romanticized notions of "starving artists". It's a crock but some people actually belive that starving somehow produces a higher degree of art just as some fools will believe this fools statements. Starving artists don't make good art and hungry kids are notoriously unsuccessful. Also, any kid who has to depend on a part time job at McDonald's is going to be obese as well as not well nourished. I've heard a lot of Republican objections to spending money but this is the first time I've actually heard of feeding children referred to as throwing money around. This woman needs to read up on the beatitudes...."Feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty" etc. If she were my representative, I'd be out there campaigning for the other candidate regardless of party.

Hunger CAN be a positive motivator. We could try denying Ms. Davis any food until she starts to feel a little compassion. I wonder how long it would take her to get motivated? Does McD's even give free meals any more for employees? Sounds like she's just trying to argue the age limit on the State's summer meal program should be lowered, probably to save her state a few bucks. She should remember, regardless of when a person could conceivably get a job, kids are not legally independent until 18. We are therefore talking about individuals who are at the mercy of their parent or legal guardian and not resposible for putting food on their own table: 3 or 17 makes no difference. Therefore, not only is this State Rep's humanity in question, her very understanding of law and/or logic are suspect.

I read that all and I am definitely shaking my head in disbelief....first of all she is dumb in just forgetting the fact that there are a lot of families out there who are in such dire situations that no, they cannot "pull it together" like she says, when my family was homeless, my brother and I were extremely thankful for the free lunchs that we qualified for,,,,this lady has on some rose tinted glasses when it comes to the economic crisis that many families find themselves in. her statement of "This program could have an unintended consequence of diminishing parental involvement. Why have meals at home with your loved ones if you can go to the government soup kitchen and get one for free? This could have the effect of breaking apart more families" is sooooo reaching and ridiculous, this is back to the stupid belief that all families can afford to feed their children, but her claim about it cutting into family time is just plain stupid because it DOESN'T, these are meals that the kids would already be eating at school, away from the parents....so her argument makes no sense and the "hunger can be positive motivation" is so idiotic and cruel, the thought that she is saying, basically "who cares if they are hungry? they can go get a job if they want" makes me mad because kids shouldn't have to work on top of trying to do well in school...and of course she forgets to acknowledge the fact about disabled children benefiting, yes lets send the kids with CP who can barely hold a pencil to go flip burgers and the last thing I have to say is how dumb she is in assuming that all families give their children nutrious meals, I cannot count how many parents I have seen give their BABIES pepsi or other soda, I'm talking kids under 18 months...so she is wrong in her assumptions

Hi, Annie! Hasn't the economy troubled Missouri? Joblessness is a major problem everywhere else. Hunger in times like this can be a major motivator -- to engage in crime for survival! If that's what the Committee on Children and Families is about, we certainly don't need them!

Are you friggin kidding me! Sounds like she was channeling Ebenezer Scrooge. My 16 year old has been looking for a summer job as have all of the other kids in the neighborhood. Guess what they are all taken by those millins of adults trying to not lose their houses. Shoot right now it's hard to find people with money enough to pay kids to cut the grass for them. People like that obviously have never had to really struggle and in my opinion should have no control over things that effect those that do struggle. There is a program here in Florida that is a day labor ran by ex homeless and the employees are people that are staying in their shelters. It is ran by peole that understand where the people they serve are coming from, this may be an example that other agencies should follow. I am not suggesting that we hire our goverment agency heads off the streets but we need to be sure they are people that understand what the people the serve are going through. Thank you for sharing this with us. Happy mylotting

http://www.cliffsnotes.com/WileyCDA/CliffsReviewTopic/Hunger-Motivation.topicArticleId-25438,articleId-25356.html http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/394212/motivation/12697/Hunger http://www.mjvalve.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2&Itemid=2 http://www.braingle.com/mind/746.html http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080306113754.htm http://articles.directorym.co.uk/Hunger_Motivation-a1077622.html http://allpsych.com/psychology101/motivation.html

I had to check to see what party Cynthia Davis belonged to, because I thought if Cynthia Davis was a Democrat, annipa would have said "Missouri Lawmaker encourages children to do better." But because Cynthia Davis is a Republican, anniepa writes a different title for the discussion that is insulting. Of course the premise is good, and hunger does motivate people. The trouble with it is that sometimes people take the first job and I am sure there are many waitresses or people working in the restaurant industry who regretted taking that job because they needed the money and wished they had gone on to college.

She doesn't look like she's missed any meals herself. I have to say I found it a bit perplexing what she meant by "It really is all about increasing government spending, which means an increase in taxes for us to buy more free lunches and breakfasts. Parents get the same food stamp allotment regardless of how many extra meals are being provided to their children over the summer. This equates to an increase in taxpayer funded food programs." Is she saying that if the kid gets free lunches the family should get less in food stamps? I don't get it.

Truly a class act, to be sure. Hunger is a motivator, true. But, until they have jobs? She is the US equivalent of "let them eat cake."

I have never liked Cynthia Davis and this attitude is just one more reason not to. Sure, kids can get jobs at 16...if there are jobs to get. You can't exactly pull one out of your ear just because you want one. Maybe someone needs to inform Ms. Davis about the unemployment rate in her state because apparently she doesn't have a clue.

Reminds me of the days when Ronald Reagan declared ketchup to be considered a vegetable in the children's lunch program. Hey tomatoes are considered a fruit anyhow technically.

LOL I can't believe that someone would suggest kids eat at McDonald's with all of the bad issues that come from eating fast food. The levels of salt, fat ect. From her comments, I don't believe that she has any business being on that committee. I would compare that to a Nazi running the Holocaust Museum.

hi annie, McDonald's......... it is the food of richest and cannot eat the poor childrens