President Obama Proclaims September "National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month"

"Everyone has a role to play in preventing and reversing the tide of childhood obesity," President says...
President Obama calls childhood obesity "one of the most urgent health issues we face in this country" in a Proclamation issued Wednesday that deems September as National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month. Writing about the importance of "stopping the epidemic in its tracks," the President praises First Lady Obama's Let's Move! campaign as he urges citizens to learn about healthier eating and exercise.

President Obama notes that "a third of American children are overweight or obese" and those born in the year 200o are on track for developing devastating obesity-related diseases, including Type II diabetes, heart disease, and cancer.

"Childhood obesity cuts across all cultural and demographic lines, so Let's Move! has started initiatives to reach every cross-section of America, from urban and rural areas to schools, health clinics, and child care homes and centers," President Obama writes.

The President ticks off the impressive slate of "groundbreaking partnerships" Mrs. Obama has garnered since launching the Let's Move! campaign in February of 2010, bringing together "Federal agencies and some of the biggest corporations and nonprofits from across our country." The President cites successes that include the pathbreaking school nutrition legislation he signed in December of 2010; the private sector commitment from major grocery chains to build stores in food deserts; Let's Move Childcare, launched in June; the launch of the MyPlate initiative and the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans; and meeting the goal of enrolling 1,250 schools in the HealthierUS School Challenge, which he calls a "cornerstone" of the campaign. (Above: Mrs. Obama speaking in Georgia in February 2011, for the first anniversary of Let's Move!)

The 1,250 schools that have completed the HealthierUS School Challenge are about 1% of US schools that can potentially qualify, but it's a good start. In October, Mrs. Obama will welcome school officials and cafeteria managers from across the US to the White House to celebrate their success.

"These programs touch everyone, from faith-based communities to Indian Country, empowering kids and their families to discover the fun in healthy eating and exercise," President Obama writes.

Let's Move in Indian Country, launched in May, is the only component of the campaign that is focused on a specific racial or cultural minority, and has gotten major attention from the White House in recent months, with a special planting event in Mrs. Obama's Kitchen Garden in June, and a South Lawn Series event in July focusing on lacrosse. Mrs. Obama launched Let's Move Faith and Communities in November of 2010, which focuses on religious and community organizations.

"I invite all Americans to visit LetsMove.gov to learn more about this initiative and how to help children eat healthy and stay active," President Obama writes.

"During National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month, we recognize the outstanding work our businesses, communities, and families are doing to help us meet our responsibilities to our children. I urge all Americans to help us meet our goal of solving the problem of childhood obesity within a generation," President Obama concludes.

The President's Proclamation makes no mention of the importance of school and community gardens for combating obesity, though Mrs. Obama has called her Kitchen Garden the inspiration for the Let's Move! campaign, and will publish a book in April of 2012 about the project. The tome will be her first outing as an author.

The full text of the President's proclamation:

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

_________________________________

August 31, 2011

Presidential Proclamation
National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month

Since the 1970s, the rate of childhood obesity in our country has tripled, and today a third of American children are overweight or obese. This dramatic rise threatens to have far‑reaching, long-term effects on our children's health, livelihoods, and futures. Without major changes, a third of children born in the year 2000 will develop Type 2 diabetes during their lifetimes, and many others will face obesity‑related problems like heart disease, high blood pressure, cancer, and asthma. As a Nation, our greatest responsibility is to ensure the well-being of our children. By taking action to address the issue of childhood obesity, we can help America's next generation reach their full potential.

Together, we can stop this epidemic in its tracks. Over the last year and a half, the First Lady's Let's Move! initiative has brought together Federal agencies and some of the biggest corporations and nonprofits from across our country, working to meet our national goal of solving the problem of childhood obesity within a generation. Let's Move! aims to help ensure we can make healthy choices about the foods we eat and how much exercise we get, while building the habits necessary to tackle one of the most urgent health issues we face in this country. I invite all Americans to visit LetsMove.gov to learn more about this initiative and how to help children eat healthy and stay active.

Everyone has a role to play in preventing and reversing the tide of childhood obesity. This year, we announced groundbreaking partnerships with grocery stores and other retailers to increase access to healthy food in underserved areas. These stores have pledged to increase their fruit and vegetable offerings and to open new locations in communities where nutritious food is limited or unavailable.

Childhood obesity cuts across all cultural and demographic lines, so Let's Move! has started initiatives to reach every cross‑section of America, from urban and rural areas to schools, health clinics, and child care homes and centers. These programs touch everyone, from faith‑based communities to Indian Country, empowering kids and their families to discover the fun in healthy eating and exercise.

Schools also have an important role in ensuring our children live full and active lives. Last December, I signed the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act into law, enacting comprehensive change that will allow more children to eat healthier school lunches. One of the cornerstones of Let's Move! is the HealthierUS School Challenge. This year, America met the goal of doubling the number of schools meeting the Challenge's requirements for expanding nutrition and physical activity opportunities. These 1,250 schools have shown that together, we can go above and beyond to give our kids the healthy future they deserve.

We are coordinating across the Federal Government to make our goal a reality. This year, the Federal Government released updated Dietary Guidelines for Americans, providing a science‑based roadmap for individuals to make healthy choices, and emphasizing the importance of good nutrition and an active lifestyle. We adapted the food pyramid to a new design ‑‑ MyPlate ‑‑ to encourage balanced meals. And our Healthy People 2020 initiative incorporates childhood obesity prevention in its goals for increasing the health of all Americans.

Across our country, parents are working hard every day to make sure their kids are healthy, and my Administration is committed to supporting families in their efforts. During National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month, we recognize the outstanding work our businesses, communities, and families are doing to help us meet our responsibilities to our children. I urge all Americans to help us meet our goal of solving the problem of childhood obesity within a generation.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim September 2011 as National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month. I encourage all Americans to take action by learning about and engaging in activities that promote healthy eating and greater physical activity by all our Nation's children.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this thirty-first day of August, in the year of our Lord two thousand eleven, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-sixth.

BARACK OBAMA

####

In the photo at top, President Obama talks with kids attending a Let's Move! tennis clinic on the South Lawn of the White House, Aug. 3, 2010. Photo by Pete Souza/White House.

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Big Ag Companies Join White House Project

ConAgra, Beyer AG & 43 industry leaders will double engineering internships...
Agriculture giants ConAgraFoods Inc. and Bayer AG, which both do a huge global business in crop science products, are among a coalition of 45 industry leaders that have committed to double the number of engineering scholarships they offer as part of a project created in concert with President Obama's Council on Jobs and Competitiveness. The White House announced the initiative today. The press release:

THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
____________________________

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 31, 2011

President’s Council on Jobs and Competitiveness
Announces Industry Leaders’ Commitment to Double Engineering Internships in 2012
Commitments will add over 6,000 additional opportunities for hands-on, technical job training for future engineers

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, the President’s Council on Jobs and Competitiveness, in partnership with the Business Council, Business Roundtable, U.S. Chamber of Commerce, National Association of Manufacturers and the American Chemistry Council, announced that 45 industry leaders have committed to double the engineering internships available at their companies in 2012. Five companies have also committed to increase their internships for a total of 50 committed to this effort. These commitments are part of a greater Jobs Council effort to help address America’s engineering shortage by graduating 10,000 more engineering students from U.S. colleges and universities each year. These commitments will add approximately 6,300 additional opportunities for hands-on, technical job experience for engineering students.

“For America to stay competitive in the global market, we must train and retain the world’s best engineers,” said U.S. Secretary of Energy Steven Chu. “Working together, private industry and the public sector can position the U.S. to continue to lead in science and innovation in the 21st century, creating good jobs and laying the foundation for a robust economy.”

“Looking forward, this nation is at risk of a significant shortfall of qualified experts in science and math to meet the country’s needs,” said Intel President and CEO Paul Otellini. “Today’s announcement is about inspiring and encouraging our next generation of engineers. It’s a private sector commitment working arm and arm with the government to accelerate the specialized skills needed for America to retain its technological pre-eminence.”

Co-chaired by Intel CEO and President Paul Otellini and Permac Industries CEO and President Darlene Miller, the Jobs Council’s High Tech Education working group has made this issue a critical priority because the engineering gap threatens our role as the world’s leading innovator and hinders our ability to create jobs and compete in a global economy. From 1990 to 2010, overall college graduation levels in the United States have grown about 50 percent, but during that same period the number of engineering graduates has stagnated at around 120,000. By contrast, roughly 1 million engineers a year graduate from universities in India and China. This disparity hinders our global competitiveness and threatens our ability to both retain and create high-tech, good-paying jobs here in the United States.

Today’s announcement comes as Secretary of Energy Steven Chu joins Jobs Council Members Otellini and Miller, business leaders and the Deans of the Engineering schools at Georgia Tech, Portland State University, Purdue and the University of California-Berkeley in Portland, Oregon for a regional Listening and Action session to discuss steps the private sector can take to help the United States graduate more engineers every year.

Companies committing today to double their internship opportunities in 2012 are:

Alcoa Incorporated
American Express Company
AT&T
Bayer AG
BNSF Railway
Boeing
Broadcom Corporation
Cardinal Health
Carus Corporation
Caterpillar
Conductix-Wampfler
ConAgraFoods Inc.
Dell Inc.
Duke Energy Corporation
DuPont
Eaton
Facebook
Fluor Corporation
FMC Technologies
General Electric
Intel Corporation
JPMorgan Chase & Co.
Kawasaki Motors Corporation, US.
Longview Fibre Paper and Packaging Inc.
Lubrizol Corporation
Mastercard
McKesson Corporation
MeadWestvaco Corporation
Nalco Company
NextEra Energy Resources, LLC
Nordson Corporation
Power Cubers Inc.
Simon Property Group Inc.
Spectra Energy Corporation
Special Products and Manufacturing Inc.
Sprint Nextel
Suffolk Construction
Sungard
Sunoco Inc.
Symantec
TE Connectivity, LTD.
Tektronix
Textron Inc.
Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc.
Xerox Corporation

In addition, five companies are committing to increase their internship opportunities in 2012. These include:

Bechtel Corporation
Chevron Corporation
PCC Structurals Inc.
Johnson and Johnson Inc.
Texas Instruments Inc.
##

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Farmers, Ranchers Call For USDA To Extend Comment Period For Animal ID Proposal

49 advocacy groups question USDA decision to schedule public comment period during Fall harvest and record-breaking drought; ask for new deadline in Jan. 2012...

Citing drought, bad timing, and a lack of internet access, forty-nine advocacy groups representing family farmers, ranchers, and consumers from across the US have sent a letter to Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack requesting an extension for the public comment period for the “Traceability for Livestock Moving Interstate” proposal. The comment period opened in August and is scheduled to end on November 9, 2011, but the groups say they need an additional sixty days to lodge their opinions, and want the Department to immediately announce an extension to January 8, 2012. (Above: President Obama met with livestock owners on Aug. 17th during his Rural Bus Tour)



The USDA proposal calls for IDing animals with brands, ear tags, and other "low tech" devices, and keeping complicated records for livestock moving across state lines in order to trace disease outbreaks. Stakeholders have criticized it as burdensome from both privacy and economic standpoints, and they need more time to understand the full ramifications of the current proposal, the letter says.



"No traceability program can succeed without the cooperation of animal owners," the Aug. 26th letter warned. "Failure to provide this time will both further alienate animal owners and deprive the agency of useful input."



The groups have good reason for calling for the extension of the comment period.



"The period for public comment coincides with the fall harvest and comes during the worst drought ever recorded in some major livestock production regions,” Judith McGeary, Executive Director of the Farm and Ranch Freedom Alliance and vice-chair of the USDA Secretary’s Advisory Committee on Animal Health, said in a statement.



Texas, Oklahoma, and Kansas have been hardest hit by the drought, which has caused crop losses, a spike in prices, and devastating wildfires.



“Our farmers and ranchers are struggling to get their crops in and save their animals, and they need more time to assess the impacts of the proposed rule,” McGeary said.



The letter to Vilsack also points out something USDA is well aware of: Many farmers and ranchers are not online, which makes commenting difficult. “According to the 2007 Census of Agriculture, more than 40% of farms do not have internet access,” the groups wrote. The Secretary touted USDA's ongoing efforts to bring broadband to rural America during President Obama's recent three-day bus tour through Minnesota, Iowa, and Illinois, but this is a long-term project.



Many Menonnite and Amish farmers, who will be impacted by USDA proposal--and who have long opposed it--do not use the internet at all, and their comments must come by mail.



The current proposal comes after after USDA held public meetings over the last two years in which Vilsack and other officials were beset by outraged livestock owners and other stakeholders. The proposed rule also creates new requirements for businesses associated with livestock; veterinarians and auction barns will be required to keep records on every tagged animal for a minimum of five years.



Download USDA's proposal for Traceability For Livestock Moving Interstate [PDF]



The groups that signed the letter:

American Agriculture Movement

American Grassfed Association

Ashtabula-Lake-Geauga Counties of Ohio Farmers Union

Buckeye Quality Beef Association

Carolina Farm Stewardship Association

Cattle Producers of Washington

Citizens for Private Property Rights (MO)

Colorado Independent CattleGrowers Association

Contract Poultry Growers Association of the Virginias

The Cornucopia Institute

Dakota Resource Council (ND)

Dakota Rural Action (SD)

Empire State Family Farm Alliance (NY)

Family Farm Defenders

Farm and Ranch Freedom Alliance

Farm to Consumer Legal Defense Fund

Food and Water Watch

Freedom21

Idaho Rural Council

Independent Cattlemen of Nebraska

Independent Cattlemen of Wyoming

International Texas Longhorn Association

Kansas Cattlemen’s Association

Land Loss Prevention Project

Mississippi Livestock Markets Association

Missouri Farmers Union

Missouri Rural Crisis Center

National Association of Farm Animal Welfare

National Family Farm Coalition

National Farmers Organization

Nebraska Sustainable Agriculture Association

North Country Sustainability Center (MA)

Northern Plains Resource Council (MT)

Oglala Sioux Livestock and Landowners Association

Organic Consumers Association

Organization for Competitive Markets

Peach Bottom Concerned Citizens (PA)

Powder River Basin Resource Council (WY)

R-CALF USA

Rocky Mountain Farmers Union

Rural Coalition/ Coalicion Rural

Rural Vermont

Rutland Area Farm and Food Link (VT)

Socially Responsible Agricultural Project

South Dakota Stockgrowers Association

Sovereignty International

Virginia Independent Consumers and Farmers Association

Western Organization of Resource Councils

Weston A. Price Foundation



*Photo of President Obama at Whiteside County fair in Morris, Ill, by Pete Souza/White House

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New Video: Executive Chef Cris Comerford On Working At The White House

The Top Toque talks about her high-pressure job, and says all kids should learn to cook...but reveals that she didn't plan to be a chef...
White House Executive Chef Cris Comerford stars in a new video on the federal Kids.gov website, as part of a series on government careers. A native of the Philippines, Comerford, 48, has worked at the White House since 1995. On August 14th, she marked her sixth anniversary as head of the most high-profile kitchen in America: President Obama and First Lady Obama kept Comerford as their Top Toque on the advice of former First Lady Laura Bush.

In the new video, Comerford preps Italian eggplant ("a wonderful staple") from Mrs. Obama's Kitchen Garden as she discusses her "high pressure" responsibilities, talks about the importance of kids learning to cook, and reveals that in her younger days, she actually had no plans to be a chef. (Above: Comerford in action at the President & First Lady's 2011 Governors Dinner in February)


It's high pressure working for President Obama...
"My main responsibility as the Executive Chef at the White House is taking care of the First Family, foremost and all," Comerford explains onscreen. "Just their daily meals, and of course if they have any social functions, or State Dinners, or any kind of entertaining, we take care of everything in the kitchen."

"Definitely it's high pressure, because first and foremost, it's only for the President of the United States," Comerford says, laughing, and notes that she has to keep dietary restrictions as well as protocol in mind when foreign dignitaries visit the White House.

"There's a lot of things to learn," Comerford says.

Let's Move! and the Kitchen Garden...
Comerford gets in a pitch for Mrs. Obama's signature Let's Move! initiative without actually mentioning the campaign by name. All kids should learn to cook, Comerford says. (Above: Comerford, center, with the First Lady at the veggie weighing station during the Fall 2010 Kitchen Garden Harvest. Assistant chef Sam Kass is at left)

"If you really make the food yourself, you could control the taste, you could control the fat that's in there, you could control the salt, you could control the sugar, and at the end of the day its very rewarding because it's your own hand that made it," Comerford says.

"Be hands on, work really hard," Comerford adds. "Help out your mom and dad in the kitchen."

She also discusses the wonders of Mrs. Obama's 1,500-square foot Kitchen Garden.

"We have harvested so much in that little garden," Comerford says. "And in the span of like 2 1/2 years, I mean there's like three hundred at least pounds of produce that we have harvested throughout the years."*

The road to the White House...
Though she's been a professional cook since she was 23, Comerford says that being a chef was not in her life's plan--at first.

"I didn't know I wanted to be a chef growing up. It was definitely not on my top list," Comerford says. "I wanted to be a scientist."

Still, Comerford, 48, started to study food technology while attending the University of the Philippines. Her father, Comerford said, asked her why she didn't just go to the legendary Le Cordon Bleu to study. Though she'd been helping her mother cook for the family's eleven children at home in Sampaloc, Manila, Comerford says being a chef "wasn't what I was gearing up for."

"I just laughed at him," Comerford says of her father's query. "But it was very, very right."

"You should listen to your parents," Comerford adds.

She emigrated to the US before finishing her degree at the University, and went to work in hotel kitchens in Chicago, Illinois. The rest, as they say is history: Comerford is the first female and first minority to be Executive Chef at the White House.

*Note: The actual poundage of the vegetables that have come out of the very productive Kitchen Garden is actually closer to 3,000 lbs at this point, just for the record.

*White House video. Top photo by Pete Souza/White House. Kitchen Garden photo by Eddie Gehman Kohan/Obama Foodorama

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Statement By President Obama On The Occasion Of Eid ul-Fitr

"Eid Mubarak..."

President Obama hosted an Iftar Dinner for Ramadan in the State Dining Room at the White House on August 10th. Today he issued a statement for Eid ul-Fitr, the holiday that marks the end of Ramadan, the holiest month on the Islamic calendar. The President's Iftar Dinner was the third he has hosted since taking office. The guest list is here, but no menu was released for the dinner.



The President's statement:



Michelle and I would like to send Eid greetings to Muslim communities in the United States and around the world. Ramadan has been a time for families and communities to share the happiness of coming together in intense devotion, reflection, and service. Millions all over the world have been inspired to honor their faith by reaching out to those less fortunate. This year, many have observed the month while courageously persevering in their efforts to secure basic necessities and fundamental freedoms. The United States will continue to stand with them and for the dignity and rights of all people, whether a hungry child in the Horn of Africa or a young person demanding freedom in the Middle East and North Africa.



As Ramadan comes to an end, we send our best wishes for a blessed holiday to Muslim communities around the world. Eid Mubarak.



##

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Obama Blogs About Jobs & Rural America

Lawmakers who won't "put country before party" are to blame for America's stalled economic recovery, the President writes...
"I want more products sold around the globe stamped with three words: Made in America," President Obama writes in a new guest post on the Department of Agriculture's official blog. The post was published on Friday, Aug. 26th, just as the President's vacation on Martha's Vineyard was coming to an end. It's a follow up to his Aug. 15th-17th bus tour through Minnesota, Iowa, and Illinois, and the President declares that while he has done plenty to boost the economy, "we need to do more to create jobs" with rural America as a focal point.

"We...know what it’s going to take to get America going again," President Obama writes. "And we know it’s going to start with helping families in the heartland and across the country feel like they’re moving forward."

As he did throughout his rural trip, President Obama blames the partisan stalemate that has marked the 112th Congress for a lack of federal programs that could create jobs. He urges Americans to pressure Congress to put "country ahead of party," and rapidly enact his legislation for things such as payroll tax cuts, foreign trade deals, and road construction. Or as the President calls these, "commonsense ideas."

"The only thing preventing us from passing these bills is the refusal by some in Congress to put country ahead of party. That’s the problem right now," President Obama writes. "That’s what’s holding this country back. That’s what we have to change."

"Some in Congress" is thinly veiled code for "Republican," in case that isn't clear. And any lawmaker who won't vote for the President's legislative agenda is not a patriot, is the implication. With the substitution of a few paragraphs, the blogpost is almost identical to the President's weekly address from August 20th. Shortly after Labor Day, the President will unveil a new jobs package, according to the White House.

The full text of President Obama's blogpost:

Getting Rural America Back To Work
By President Barack Obama

Earlier this month, I had the opportunity to get out of Washington, DC and travel to small towns and farm towns in the heartland of the country. I sat down with small business owners, farmers and ranchers in Iowa; I had lunch with veterans in Cannon Falls, Minnesota; and I talked to plant workers at a seed distributor in Atkinson, Illinois.

I made the trip because I think the rest of this country can learn something from Rural America. The heartland is central to the economic health and prosperity of our nation. Rural communities provide us with affordable agricultural products, competitive manufacturing capabilities, and an independent, renewable energy supply. And you’re also stewards of America’s great outdoors—an important source of jobs and an incredible treasure for all Americans.

Now we all know times are tough for many Americans – and Rural Americans in particular. Some of you may have been struggling for a long time. But we also know what it’s going to take to get America going again. And we know it’s going to start with helping families in the heartland and across the country feel like they’re moving forward.

That’s why, over the last two years, we’ve been focused on improving infrastructure - building roads and bridges and providing broadband access to millions of rural Americans. We’re expanding educational opportunities and helping more Americans get access to affordable health care. We’ve made historic investments in innovation and clean energy. And we established the first-ever White House Rural Council to promote economic growth in rural America – and to do it in a faster and more coordinated way.

But even with the progress we’ve made, it’s also clear the pace of our recovery is still not fast enough. We need to do more to create jobs.

That starts with getting your elected officials in Washington to put their differences aside and take steps right now to help businesses get more customers and create more jobs for Americans. We can cut payroll taxes again, so families have an extra $1,000 to spend. We can pass a road construction bill so construction crews – now sitting idle – can head back to the worksite. Let’s connect the brave Americans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan with businesses to use their skills. And let’s pass trade deals to level the playing field for our businesses, because I want more products sold around the globe stamped with three words: Made in America.

These are commonsense ideas – ideas that have been supported by both Democrats and Republicans. The only thing holding them back is politics. The only thing preventing us from passing these bills is the refusal by some in Congress to put country ahead of party. That’s the problem right now. That’s what’s holding this country back. That’s what we have to change.

You deserve representatives who show the same kind of discipline and integrity and responsibility that most Americans demonstrate in their lives every day – leaders who can put their differences aside to help grow the economy and put this nation back to work. Because, for all the knocks we’ve taken, despite all the challenges we face, this is still the greatest country on earth. We still have the best workers and farmers, entrepreneurs and businesses, students and scientists in the world.

Getting out of Washington and spending time with folks like you reminds me why I got into public service in the first place. Your work ethic; your creativity; your determination only makes me more hopeful about our future. And it only makes me more confident that if we come together, there is no stopping the United States of America.
## ## ## ##

The President's three-day swing through Minnesota, Iowa, and Illinois, included four town halls and one Rural Economic forum, and he unveiled both a new small business support initiative to create rural jobs, and a $510 million initiative to boost rural industries for advanced biofuels. The President, his Cabinet Secretaries, and the senior officials traveling with him heard plenty about the needs of farmers during the trip; they were told that land is too expensive; agriculture subsidies need to be eliminated or at least capped, and other regulations--such as those for water runoff, noise, and dust--are something farmers don't want. Estate taxes also came under fire, and there was a plea from the grandson of a farmer with an interest in a corn ethanol plant for the President to preserve the business. The President, during his last town hall in Alpha, Illinois, explained the Let's Move! campaign as an economic boon for family farmers.

Driving through the heartland on his high-tech black bus, the President made stops five kinds of pie, for ice cream, and for popcorn, and visited a County Fair in Illinois. The President had lunch with veterans and breakfast with small business owners. He was gifted with pie, and brought home gifts for Mrs. Obama.

*The President's post is here on USDA's blog.

*Photo of President Obama at the Country Corner Farm in Alpha, Illinois, was taken on Aug. 17th by Pete Souza/White House.

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Obama And Biden Catch Up Over Lunch

After being apart for two weeks, President Obama and Vice President Joe Biden will have a private luncheon today at the White House. The two typically have a closed-press lunch each week, but their mid-day power tête-à-tête is usually at the end of the week, not the beginning.

"The President and I have a routine -- we get lunch together almost every Friday," Biden wrote in a June e-mail to 2012 campaign supporters.

Today's lunch, as is also typical, is in the Oval Office Private Dining Room, at 12:45 PM, according to the President's schedule. There will be a lot to talk about: Beginning on August 15th, the President was away from the White House for three days during his Rural Bus Tour, and then on vacation until last Friday night in Martha's Vineyard. Biden, meanwhile, was home in Wilmington, DE, during the same time, and then on a nine-day tour through China, Mongolia, and Japan. This weekend, Biden was hunkered down in Delaware for Hurricane Irene.

The rest of President Obama's Monday schedule is also closed to press: In the morning, he will receive the Presidential Daily Briefing in the Oval Office. Right before lunch with Biden, he'll meet with Senior Advisors, also in the Oval Office.

*The photo of the President and Vice President lunching in the Oval Office Private Dining Room on Nov. 5, 2009, is by Pete Souza/White House.

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More Than 15% Of Texans Use Food Stamps

GOP presidential hopeful Rick Perry blasts President Obama for Food Stamp numbers, ignores Texas statistics...

Food Stamps have become a political hot potato for President Obama, thanks to the fact that a record number of Americans--more than 45.7 million, according to the latest figures available--are enrolled in the federal nutrition program. In May, GOP stalwart Newt Gingrich dubbed Mr. Obama "the Food Stamp President," and on Saturday, Texas Governor Rick Perry also waved the Food Stamp flag. At a presidential campaign event at the Polk County GOP summer picnic at the Iowa State Fairgrounds, Perry told a crowd of about 400 that President Obama has "driven the economy into a ditch," resulting in one in eight Iowans being forced to use Food Stamps, and Iowa losing 12,100 jobs since President Obama’s Stimulus package was approved in February of 2009.  (Above: Perry at the event)

“That is a testament to the widespread misery created by this administration, that the state known for feeding the world has so many residents now dependent on their government just to pay for food, " Perry said, according to the Des Moines Register.

But while Perry credited the "misery" to Mr. Obama, the Register--as well as many other commercial media outlets reporting the story, including Fox News, Washington Post, and the massively syndicated AP--failed to point out that Perry, since 2000, has been in charge of a state that has plenty of its own "misery." Texas is historically one of the top three states in the US for Food Stamp usage. As of February of 2011, 3,482,601 Texans used Food Stamps, which is 15.4% of the state's population, or about one in seven Texans. That number was more than an 11% increase from the previous year.

Iowa had 12% of its population enrolled in the federal program in the same time period, with an increase of 8.5% from the year before.

Lest there be quibbles about scale--tiny Iowa vs. giant Texas--the Longhorn State is beating America's most populous state, California, for Food Stamp usage. Texas has over 25 million residents, while California has over 37 million residents. But California has 3,185,154 citizens who use Food Stamps (13.6% of the population), which is 297,447 fewer beneficiaries than in Texas.

Perry also told the crowd that it was "shocking" that their state's former two-term Governor, U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, recently referred to Food Stamps as an economic stimulus.

“Food stamps are not the solution. They’re a symptom of the problem that 2 million people are without work," Perry said, as the crowd booed.

"Every dollar of SNAP benefits generates $1.84 in the economy in terms of economic activity," Vilsack said during an MSNBC interview from Iowa on Aug. 16th. "If people are able to buy a little more in the grocery store, someone has to stock it, package it, shelve it, process it, ship it. All of those are jobs. It's the most direct stimulus you can get in the economy during these tough times."

Perry said he's more qualified than President Obama to hold office, pointing to his job creation record as Governor of Texas to prove his point. But perhaps in Texas, creating jobs has little to do with keeping citizens off Food Stamps.

*AP photo

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Martha's Vineyard 2011: Obama Dining Report

Local, organic and fried: President, First Lady re-visit favorite eateries during island vacation...

During a summer vacation cut short by a day thanks to Hurricane Irene, President Obama and First Lady Obama had just three public dining excursions while relaxing on Martha's Vineyard. The President and Mrs. Obama have summered on the tony island off the coast of Massachusetts for fifteen years, and they visited all three eateries during their 2010 vacation, too.



The outings included dinner at State Road restaurant in West Tisbury last Thursday; a visit to Nancy's Restaurant & Snack Bar in Oak Bluffs to get takeout last Sunday; and a date night dinner at the Beach Plum Inn in Menemsha, on the first full day of the vacation, on Friday, Aug. 19th. (Above: Leaving Nancy's; the visit was the only dining excursion that was photographed by the press)



The dinners were sprinkled between a rare 5.8 magnitude East Coast earthquake felt from Virginia to Massachusetts (though not by the President, who was golfing at the time); regime change in Libya; and a major effort to coordinate the federal hurricane response. But there was also time for First Family beach outings, a trip to Bunch of Grapes bookstore; a reception thrown by Harvard professor and close friend Charles Ogletree; a cycling excursion; and plenty of golf. The President played all three of the island's courses, including a game at Mink Meadows Golf Club with Sam Kass, Senior Policy Advisor for Healthy Food Initiatives. (Above: The President and daughter Malia cycle through Manuel F. Correllus State Forest in West Tisbury on Aug. 23rd)



State Road: Deval Patrick, Vernon Jordan join First Couple

The President and First Lady's last public dinner on island came on Aug. 25th at State Road, after a day enjoying the sun at a private beach. At close to three hours, the meal was their longest dining excursion of the holiday. Shortly after 7:00 PM, the First Couple were joined by close friends including Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick and his wife Diane Patrick; senior advisor Valerie Jarrett and her daughter Laura; and Washington attorney and powerbroker Vernon Jordan (who also golfed with the President during the vacation) and his wife Ann Jordan. The Jordans and Valerie Jarrett were at the Obamas' State Road dinner in Summer 2010, too. (Above: The President with Jordan at Farm Neck Golf Club on Aug. 23)



President Obama went to bat for Governor Patrick during his 2010 re-election campaign. "When Deval speaks, I listen,” he told a crowd of Patrick supporters last October during an appearance at the Westin Copley Place hotel in Boston. Mrs. Obama is also a major Patrick fan: She last visited Massachusetts on June 30th for a fund-raiser for Mr. Obama at a private residence in Chestnut Hill. She told the avid crowd that the Governor is “one of my favorite people in the whole wide world," and described Patrick as “your fabulous governor.” At the 2011 Governors Dinner at the White House in February, Patrick sat at the Head Table with the President and Mrs. Obama (Above: Toasting after the President's remarks)



State Road calls itself as "a contemporary American tavern," and features a seasonal menu with vegetables plucked from its own garden as well as sourced from local organic purveyors. The menu specials for the evening included "Morning Glory Farm sweet corn soup, Good Farm roasted chicken, Menemsha fluke, and steamed local clams.” The eatery notes the 2010 Presidential dinner on its website.



Takeout from Nancy's...and regime change in Libya

The President and First Lady's visit to Nancy's Restaurant & Snack Bar on Sunday, Aug. 21 to grab some takeout could not have been more different from the white-tablecloth experience at State Road, though it, too, included Valerie Jarrett: She joined the President at the ordering window. Chicago pal Dr. Eric Whitaker was also at the restaurant. (Above: Jarrett is in the floral dress as the President waves to fans)



Nancy's is a Vineyard institution, known for its wide range of fried seafood---clams, oysters, shrimp, calamari--and excellent cocktails, and has been open since 1960. Hundreds of well wishers lined the streets of Oak Bluffs and hung out of windows as the President and Mrs. Obama arrived and departed. At 8:25 PM, they decamped to Jarrett's home--three minutes away by motorcade--to enjoy the feast. (Above: The President places his takeout order at Nancy's)



"The First Family went to the home where Valerie Jarrett is staying to have dinner with friends," White House spokesman Josh Earnest told the press pool.



Only later did the White House reveal that the President, while at Jarrett's, had a conference call with his senior advisors about the evolving situation in Libya, where protesters were massing in the capitol, and it looked like the rebels would shortly be triumphant. The President also crafted a statement calling for Muammar Gaddafi to step down, which was released that night. (Above: Jarrett with the President in his limo on Aug. 20th)



"The people of Libya are showing that the universal pursuit of dignity and freedom is far stronger than the iron fist of a dictator," President Obama said.



The 2010 Presidential visit to Nancy's was during the day, when the First Family had lunch with a huge group of friends. The Obamas ordered fried takeout at Nancy's during their 2009 vacation, too.



Beach Plum Date Night...

On Friday, Aug. 19th, the first full day of the vacation, the President and Mrs. Obama enjoyed a two-hour dinner at the restaurant at the Beach Plum Inn in Menemsha. The lovely, intimate eatery has a menu that spotlights locall, organic and sustainably sourced foods. It is perched atop a cliff with a stunning, panoramic view of Menemsha Harbor. The First Couple arrived at 7:38 PM, just in time for sunset. A post about the visit is here. Mr. and Mrs. Obama dined at the Beach Plum last summer, too. Beach Plum also features the 2010 Presidential visit on its website.



Working vacation...

The President's vacation began on Aug. 18th against a backdrop of media and GOP criticism that he was relaxing while the economy was flailing--and the White House was quick to push back against this. Seven different official photos of the President hard at work at Blue Heron Farm, his 28.5 acre rental estate in Chilmark, were released--including a photo taken in the morning on the first full day of the vacation. The White House also posted a photo gallery on the official blog of other Presidents on vacation, to make the point that all who hold the nation's highest office do, in fact, take a break. The President and Mrs. Obama arrived in Massachusetts hours apart in separate planes late on Aug. 18th, and this also led to criticism. (Above: One of the official photo releases showed the President receiving an economic briefing from aide Brian Deese, Deputy Director of the National Economic Council on August 24th)



The First Family returned to Washington, DC on Friday, Aug. 26th, and arrived back at the White House shortly before midnight. (Above: Walking across the South Lawn)



Restaurant info...

State Road is at 688 State Road, West Tisbury, Martha's Vineyard, MA 02575. Phone: 508-693-8582.



Nancy's is at 29 Lake Avenue, Oak Bluffs, Martha's Vineyard, MA, 02557. Phone: 508-693-0006.



Beach Plum Inn is at 50 Beach Plum Lane, PO Box 98, Menemsha, Martha's Vineyard, MA 02552. Phone: 508-645- 9454.



*Photos by Getty, AFP and AP, except for Deese photo; that's by Pete Souza/White House

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A Different Kind Of Slicing For Sam Kass

When the assistant chef golfs with his boss on Martha's Vineyard...who wins?
During more than two and a half years at the White House, assistant chef and Senior Policy Advisor for Healthy Food Initiatives Sam Kass has rarely appeared in photos with President Obama. In fact, there's not a single photo in the official White House Flickr of Kass with his boss. But during the Presidential vacation on Martha's Vineyard, Kass was photographed golfing with the President on Wednesday, Aug. 24th, at Mink Meadows Golf Club (above). Coincidentally, both are lefties, but are their skills on the greens equivalent?

The game on the nine-hole course in Vineyard Haven lasted about 2 1/2 hours, but the only photos of Kass that were snapped by pool photographers were rear views, and they give no indication of skill. President Obama's close Chicago friend and confidante, Dr. Eric Whitaker, and White House trip director Marvin Nicholson completed the foursome. Whitaker is at left in the photo at top.

Do knife and baseball skills translate to the links?
The President plays golf regularly, but Kass has been noted as part of a Presidential foursome only once before, in a game that was also at Mink Meadows, in August of 2009 (above). The chef might be as good with a 9 iron as he is with a knife: The architect of First Lady Obama's food policy was a baseball star in high school and college. Kass was wickedly hot with a bat, and held a handful of Illinois state high school and college hit records. He was actually so good that he aspired to join the Major Leagues before discovering his true calling, and said recently that being a pro player would be his "dream job" if he wasn't a chef. Golf Digest has estimated the President's handicap at 17, but no such estimate exists for Kass. (Above: The President, Kass and Nicholson during the 2009 golf outing)

Unfortunately, there's no way of knowing if Kass' sensational baseball swing translates to the links because the White House declined to say if anyone in the President's game was, er, slicing banana balls into the cabbage. And the President's pool, as is typical, was held far away from the action, so couldn't report details. For the record, Nicholson is a frequent golf companion for the President, as is Whitaker, when he's in Washington.

Related: The Obama Vineyard dining report is here. The President's 2011 Summer Reading List is here.

*AP photos

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Dear Readers,

Obama Foodorama will have no new publicly viewable posts until after Aug. 28, when President Obama returns to Washington from vacation. Check Twitter for news on topics regularly covered here: @ObamaFoodorama.

--EGK

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A Martha's Vineyard Party For President Obama

Harvard professor Charles Ogletree hosts a "social event" for the President...

President Obama took a break from his summer vacation reading list for a fete at the Martha's Vineyard home of Harvard professor Charles Ogletree on Saturday. The late afternoon shindig at Ogletree's Oak Bluffs home was closed to press, but White House spokesman Josh Earnest described the outing as a "social event." Ogletree was mentor to Mr. Obama when he was President of Harvard Law School's Law Review while earning his degree. (Above: President Obama in the motorcade on the way to Ogletree's home; Senior Advisor Valerie Jarrett, who also owns a home on the Vineyard, is in the foreground)



Among the guests were former Massachusetts Chief Justice Margaret Marshall and her husband, Anthony Lewis; film director Spike Lee; political power broker Vernon Jordan and his wife Ann Jordan; Harvard professors Henry Louis Gates Jr., Alan Dershowitz, and Rosabeth Moss Kanter; author Rose Styron; fishing guide Buddy Vanderhoop; and singer Kate Taylor.

During the party, President Obama’s daughters, Malia, 13, and Sasha, 10, visited the Martha’s Vineyard Agricultural Fair with friends. Trailed by Secret Service, they went on rides and sampled the local delicacies, according to local media.

Oak Bluffs is home to a large African American community, particularly in the summer. Ogletree is the founder and director of the Charles Hamilton Houston Institute for Race and Justice at Harvard Law School. First Lady Obama also earned her law degrees at Harvard. The event was the second evening social outing of the ten-day vacation: On Friday night, the President and Mrs. Obama dined at Beach Plum Inn and Restaurant in Menemsha, which is located close to their 28.5-acre rental estate. (Above: The President's motorcade on the way to Ogletree's residence)



The pool report:



At 5:20pm, POTUS arrived in Oak Bluffs for what principal deputy press secretary Josh Earnest described as a “social event” at the home of Professor Charles Ogletree. It is a quiet neighborhood of shingled homes near the intersection of Alpine Ave and California Ave. Small crowd with lawn chairs has gathered along Alpine Ave. At least one of the homes along Alpine had a white tent in the backyard. Many of the homes were shingled cottages in the classic Vineyard style. In some cases, porches were decorated with pots of hanging petunias and other flowers.



Near the event, which appeared to be between Hudson and California Ave on Alpine Street, one group had set up a sign that said: “Welcome Mr. President to Alpine Street.” Past Ogletree's home, closer to Hudson Ave, larger crowds had gathered to try to take pictures from a distance.



The motorcade left Blue Heron Farm at 5:03 PM, heading east in the direction of Oak Bluffs. No members of the family were visible as the motorcade passed or at any point during the trip. There was at least one van marked “Guest” in the motorcade.



The early part of the drive was mostly along the rural and wooded stretch in the middle of the Island so there weren’t many people along the route. After the motorcade turned on Barnes Road traffic held by police at the four way stop, at least one woman craned her neck out the window as the motorcade passed.



Earlier the pool was swept at one of the nearby farms in a barn area that housed some enormous John Deere tractors. Dutch Belted cows grazed in the distance (they are black and white with a distinctive white stripe). Lots of swooping birds (that appear to be swallows) between the barn and the herd.



Larger crowds along the route as the motorcade left the Oak Bluffs neighborhood.



At 6:27pm, the President's motorcade left the home of Professor Charles Ogletree in Oak Bluffs, and returned to Blue Heron Farm.



##



*Pool was Maeve Reston of Los Angles Times. Pool photos.

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President Obama's 2011 Summer Reading List

White House releases the titles: Books about epic journeys, coming of age in unfamiliar lands, and hardboiled crime...

A White House official today announced President Obama's summer reading list for his ten-day vacation on Martha's Vineyard. The five books are about epic journeys, both real and imagined. They include crime, heartbreak, and high drama. On Friday morning, President Obama visited Bunch of Grapes bookstore in Vineyard Haven, accompanied by daughters Malia and Sasha. He purchased two of the books there, and brought three with him to the island, according to the official. Four are novels, and one is a massive, critically acclaimed work of African American history. The President will be enjoying his books in between ice cream runs, golfing, and working. (Above: At Bunch of Grapes on Friday)



At Bunch of Grapes, the President purchased:



The Bayou Trilogy, three novels by Daniel Woodrell. Collected in a single volume for the first time, Woodrell's stories are about "the adventures of Det. Rene Shade, an ex-boxer turned cop."



Rodin's Debutante, by Ward Just. The author's 17th novel is the tale of a boy who "comes of age in mid-20th-century Chicago and tries to find a way to create art in the face of the world's harshness."



President Obama brought these books with him:



To The End of The Land, a novel by David Grossman. Originally published in 2008 in Hebrew as A Woman Fleeing the News, the book tells the story of living in Israel during the era of terrorism and the occupation.



The Warmth of Other Suns, by Isabel Wilkerson. The author is a Pulitzer Prize winner, and the tome, published in 2010, is described as the "epic" story of America's Great Migration, documenting "the sweeping 55-year-long migration of black Americans from the South."



Cutting For Stone, a novel by Abraham Verghese. The author's first novel is about Marion and Shiva Stone, twin brothers "born of a secret union between a beautiful Indian nun and a brash British surgeon." They are orphaned, and the novel follows their triumphs and tribulations as they journey to America.



The President purchased several books for Malia and Sasha during the Bunch of Grapes visit, but there was no word from the White House on what these titles are. On Friday night, the President and First Lady Obama dined out for the first time during their vacation, visiting Beach Plum Inn and Restaurant in Menemsha, which is located close to their rental estate.



*Getty photo

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Home In The Heartland: Obama's Weekly Address

Video from Illinois: "Putting country ahead of party"
President Obama filmed his weekly video/radio address on August 17th, while at Country Corner Farm in his adopted home state of Illinois, the final stop on his three-state rural bus tour.

The President reiterates the themes of his trip in his remarks, hailing rural America as a model for economic growth, and calling on Congress to quickly enact his legislative priorities--or as Mr. Obama phrases it, "putting country ahead of party." The President hosted a town hall at Country Corner, an agritourism venue located in the tiny town of Alpha. The farm grows and sells fifty kinds of vegetables and features an annual holiday corn maze. (Above, a White House photo from inside the bus; the President waves to locals as he drives through Alpha)

The Alpha town hall was notable primarily for the Q & A that followed, in which the President answered a question about First Lady Obama's Let's Move! campaign, speaking about its impact on family farmers. The President returned to Washington, DC, after his visit to Alpha, and is currently in Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts, for a ten-day vacation.



The transcript of the President's remarks:
Hello from the Country Corner Farm in Alpha, Illinois! For the past few days, I’ve been traveling to small towns and farm towns here in the heartland of this country. I sat down with small business owners in Gutenberg, Iowa; and ranchers and farmers in Peosta. I had lunch with veterans in Cannon Falls, Minnesota; and talked to plant workers at a seed distributor in Atkinson, Illinois. And to the girls volleyball team at Maquoketa High School, let me just say one thing: Go Cardinals.

Now, I’m out here for one reason: I think Washington, DC can learn something from the folks in Atkinson and Peosta and Cannon Falls. I think our country would be a whole lot better off if our elected leaders showed the same kind of discipline and integrity and responsibility that most Americans demonstrate in their lives every day.

Because, the fact is, we’re going through a tough time right now. We’re coming through a terrible recession; a lot of folks are still looking for work. A lot of people are getting by with smaller paychecks or less money in the cash register. So we need folks in Washington – the people whose job it is to deal with the country’s problems, the people who you elected to serve – we need them to put aside their differences to get things done.

There are things we can do right now that will mean more customers for businesses and more jobs across the country. We can cut payroll taxes again, so families have an extra $1,000 to spend. We can pass a road construction bill so construction crews – now sitting idle – can head back to the worksite, rebuilding roads, bridges, and airports. We’ve got brave, skilled Americans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. Let’s connect them with businesses that could use their skills. And let’s pass trade deals to level the playing field for our businesses. We have Americans driving Hyundais and Kias. Well, I want to see folks in Korea driving Fords, Chevys and Chryslers. I want more products sold around the globe stamped with three words: Made in America.

These are commonsense ideas – ideas that have been supported by both Democrats and Republicans. The only thing holding them back is politics. The only thing preventing us from passing these bills is the refusal by some in Congress to put country ahead of party. That’s the problem right now. That’s what’s holding this country back. That’s what we have to change.

Because, for all the knocks we’ve taken, despite all the challenges we face, this is still the greatest country on earth. We still have the best workers and farmers, entrepreneurs and businesses, students and scientists. And you can see that here in Alpha. You can see it along the country roads that connect these small towns and farmlands.

These past few days, I’ve been seeing little kids with American flags and grandparents in lawn chairs. I’ve shaken hands with folks outside machine shops and churches, corner stores and farms. It reminds me why I got into public service in the first place. Getting out of Washington and spending time with the people of this country – seeing how hard you’re working, how creative you are, how resourceful you are, how determined you are – that only makes me more determined to serve you as best I can as President. And it only makes me more confident in our future.

That’s why it’s so important that folks in Washington put country before party. That’s why it’s so important that our elected leaders get past their differences to help grow the economy and put this nation back to work. Because here in Alpha it couldn’t be more clear: if we can come together, there’s no stopping the United States of America. There’s no doubt that our future is bright.

Thanks, and have a great weekend.
##

The President's three-day swing through Minnesota, Iowa, and Illinois, August 15th-17th, included four town halls and one Rural Economic forum, and he unveiled both a new small business support initiative to create rural jobs, and a $510 million initiative to boost rural industries for advanced biofuels. The President, his Cabinet Secretaries, and the senior officials traveling with him heard plenty about the needs of farmers during the trip, being told, among other things, that land is too expensive, agriculture subsidies need to be eliminated or at least capped, and other regulations--such as those for water runoff, noise, and dust--are something farmers don't want. Estate taxes also came under fire, and there was a plea from the grandson of a farmer with an interest in a corn ethanol plant for the President to preserve the business.

Driving through the heartland on his high-tech black bus, the President made stops five kinds of pie, for ice cream, and for popcorn, and visited a County Fair in Illinois. The President had lunch with veterans and breakfast with small business owners. He was gifted with pie, and brought home gifts for Mrs. Obama.

*Photo by Pete Souza/White House

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USDA Rejects New York's Proposed Sugary Drink Ban For Food Stamp Recipients

If obesity is a crisis that threatens national security, why does the federal government expect taxpayers to subsidize junk food and soda?

The Obama Administration, through First Lady Obama's Let's Move! initiative, is running a national, multi-agency campaign against obesity, calling it an "epidemic" and a "crisis." But there are limits to what federal officials consider viable options for battling the disease-causing bulge. After ten months of deliberation, the US Department of Agriculture on Friday rejected the request of New York's Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg for a waiver that would allow the city to prohibit the purchase of sugar-sweetened beverages by those who receive federal Food Stamps, otherwise known as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.



In October of 2010, Bloomberg and then-Governor David Paterson requested that USDA give permission for a two-year pilot program in which sugary drinks, including sodas, sweetened juices, sports drinks and teas, be removed from the list of allowed Food Stamp purchases, arguing that these contribute to a high rate of obesity and diabetes in low-income populations. The project in de-junking the Food Stamp program was designed to see if New York could move the needle on diet-related disease. No can do, said the USDA.



The White House says that one in three children in America is overweight or obese. Only one US state, Colorado, currently has an adult obesity rate under 20%. Numerous studies on the causal link between obesity and sugary drinks, especially soda, have found that regular consumption increases the likelihood of obesity. "Today, kids think nothing of drinking 20 ounces of sugar-sweetened beverages at a time," notes the Let's Move! blog, when explaining how Americans have hit what the Administration identifies as epidemic rates of obesity.



But a letter denying New York's proposal, written by Jessica Shahin, an associate administrator in the Agriculture Department, said USDA has serious concerns about the potential viability and impact of banning Food Stamp users from purchasing sugary beverages.



“After carefully and extensively considering your original proposal…we have decided to deny the waiver request," Shahin's letter said. She noted practical concerns about the ban, saying that the proposal was “too large and too complex." She added that it would be difficult to determine which beverage products would be eligible under the proposed ban, as would identifying the impact on a reduction in obesity rates. Forcing compliance from retailers that sell sugary beverages was also cited as a difficulty. Shahin said the federal government is willing to work with New York on other efforts to encourage consumers to make “healthy choices.”



In a statement about the denial of New York's waiver, Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack said that instead of a sugary beverage ban, USDA would prefer "incentive-based solutions that are better suited for the working families, elderly and other low-income individuals” who rely on Food Stamps.



New York City has more than 1.8 million of America's 45.7 million Food Stamp beneficiaries. USDA had long been expected to reject the request, which was being viewed by nutrition advocates as a test case for bans in other municipalities. The New York proposal caused an outcry from hunger action groups and Food Stamp users. Beverage companies lobbied vigorously against it, of course, as did those who grow sugar crops. Food and beverage corporations want the profits from the billions of dollars taxpayers spend on Food Stamps monthly. In May, that was $6.1 billion.



Sugary beverages are not the only low-nutrition foods that Food Stamp users can purchase with benefits. Candy, cookies, snack crackers, potato chips, "bakery cakes" and ice cream are also on the list of allowed foods. Beneficiaries in some states can also use their Food Stamps to purchase meals at fast food restaurants--McDonald's, Pizza Hut, KFC.



Still, while allowing 45.7 million Americans to use their Food Stamp benefits to purchase the kind of foods that can lead to obesity, the Obama Administration uses catastrophic language to describe the "crisis."



"This generation of children may be the first to die younger than their parents," Mrs. Obama has said.



"It's not just a health issue for children, it's a national security issue," Mrs. Obama has also said of America's obesity rate, pointing out that a large percentage of military recruits can't qualify for service due to obesity.



Both statements are a standard part of the Let's Move! rhetoric, being repeated by many Administration officials, including Vilsack, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, Defense Department officials, and Sam Kass, the White House's Senior Policy Advisor For Healthy Food Initiatives.



"About a third of our increase in health care cost is directly attributable to obesity and illnesses like diabetes that are entirely preventable and curable," President Obama told a crowd at a town hall in Alpha, Illinois, on Wednesday, as he discussed the Let's Move! campaign. The Administration has pegged this number at $149 billion annually.



Taxpayers fund the national security threat: Every Food Stamp dollar spent on junk food won't be spent on fruit and vegetables...

But while spending $6.1 billion monthly on Food Stamps benefits sounds like a huge sum, it affords individuals an average monthly payment of just $133.80. USDA hasn't ever issued a report on what foods Food Stamp recipients actually purchase with their benefits, so it's unknown how much of the relatively small personal sum each Food Stamp user spends on sugary beverages or junk food.



What is known: Every Food Stamp dollar that's spent on a can of soda, cookies, or a bag of chips is a dollar that isn't spent on an apple, on broccoli, on spinach, on healthy protein. The Administration recently spent millions of dollars to develop and launch the MyPlate campaign, a multi-tiered initiative to raise Americans' awareness about the importance of eating according to the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Citizens are being encouraged to fill half their plates with fruit and vegetables at every meal, at a time when the prices of these items remains stubbornly high.



So allowing Food Stamp users to purchase foods that have no or low nutritional benefit is a curious decision for a program that was designed to boost access to healthy foods when it was authorized as a permanent program in 1964. Despite the Let's Move! goal of ending childhood obesity within a generation, the government is willing to have taxpayers subsidize high-calorie drinks and junk foods. This does nothing to achieve the goal of ending obesity, but could undermine it. The federal government is having Americans pay for their own national security threat. And for their ballooning health care costs.



Vilsack made headlines earlier this week when he said in an interview that Food Stamps are a job-creating economic stimulus.



"Every dollar of SNAP benefits generates $1.84 in the economy in terms of economic activity," Vilsack said. "If people are able to buy a little more in the grocery store, someone has to stock it, package it, shelve it, process it, ship it. All of those are jobs. It's the most direct stimulus you can get in the economy during these tough times."



The Administration seems to be more interested in the economic stimulus angle of Food Stamps than in using the benefits to help Americans eat nutritious foods. The junk foods allowed in the Food Stamp program are in direct contrast to the healthier foods that are required in the federal National School Lunch and Breakfast Programs, as well as in the WIC program, for mothers and children. The Obama Administration passed historic legislation in 2010 to retool the nutrition requirements in the school feeding programs, which will eventually make school cafeteria offerings far healthier. By denying New York's request, USDA dropped the ball on an experiment that could have led to more historic, healthy change.



White House won't lead soda ban, either...

The White House is committed to the idea that sugary beverages can be part of a healthy diet, if the diet is based on moderation and balance. Speaking at the 6th Biennial Childhood Obesity Conference in June, the nation's largest such gathering, Senior Policy Advisor Kass told his audience not to expect a White House-led ban on soda as part of Mrs. Obama's anti-obesity crusade.



“This issue [obesity] is not caused by one drink,” Kass said. “It’s about a much broader food landscape.”



Bloomberg's response...

In a statement, Bloomberg said he was disappointed by USDA's denial.



“We think our innovative pilot would have done more to protect people from the crippling effects of preventable illnesses like diabetes and obesity than anything being proposed anywhere else in this country--and at little or no cost to taxpayers,” Bloomberg said.



“We’re disappointed that the Federal Government didn’t agree and sorry that families and children may suffer from their unwillingness to explore our proposal,” Bloomberg said.



“We are confident that we can solve the problem of obesity and promote good nutrition and health for all Americans and stand ready to work with New York City to achieve these goals," Vilsack said.

_____________

UPDATE: Vilsack called Bloomberg to personally deliver the news that New York's proposal was getting the ax, mayoral spokesman Stu Loeser told New York Post.



*A note on the soda can images: PepsiCo retooled its logo while Mr. Obama was running for president in 2008. Observers couldn't help but notice the *similarity* to the Obama campaign logo, created by graphic designer Sol Sender of Chicago firm "Mode," and came up with the co-soda can image.



PepsiCo is also among the many major food corporations that have vowed support for the Let's Move! campaign, participating in a pledge to "dump" trillions of calories from the US food chain.

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