Choice and charter schools shortchanged, school safety, our cultural future Viewpoint Why should food stamps be forever stamps? Wisconsin FoodShare increasingly detached from need By Mike Nichols and Patrick McIlheran It’s been over three years since the start of the pandemic, 28 months since the peak of Wisconsin COVID deaths, about a year since deaths dropped down to a mere fraction of what they once were, and more than six months since our president told everyone the pandemic was over. And all along, spending on what we used to call food stamps, the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) now known as FoodShare in Wisconsin, has gone up faster than the digits on the scale of a cheese curd addict.  Our most voracious appetite, yet again, appears to be for government spending. In February of this year alone, more than 376,000 Wisconsin households were issued $193 million in SNAP benefits — over three times the total amount issued in February 2020, just before the pandemic formally began. Average issuances per household are two and a half times what they were three years ago and up 10% just since President Biden’s pronouncement.  The trend is just now starting to turn downward because Congress has finally ended so-called “emergency” allotments and waivers that allowed many Americans to get more federal money for longer periods of time with fewer requirements. But rarely has there been starker evidence of Thomas Jefferson’s old adage from 1788 that “the natural progress of things is for liberty to yield and government to gain ground.” Read More Funding Gap Video: Wisconsin choice and charter schools shortchanged Parents and administrators at private choice and independent public charter schools start with the philosophical belief that all children have value and that their worth does not depend on the type of school they attend. Yet, these schools are starting from a financial deficit. The reality is they receive a fraction of the per-pupil funding compared to traditional public schools. Close the funding gap and, in the words of Kingdom Prep principal Kevin Festerling, “We could open up five more of these [schools] tomorrow. We could say yes to more parents and more students.” Watch the Video Badger Rewind The Badger State is looking at a budget surplus of billions of dollars, and both the Legislature and governor’s office have great incentive to improve the lives of Wisconsin families by working together for meaningful solutions. School choice advocate Jim Bender joins Badger Institute President Mike Nichols to discuss these dynamics in the Capitol, including opportunities to invest in student success through accessible and equitable school choice funding in the state budget cycle. Listen Now   1,000 Wisconsinites Surveyed Source: Wisconsin Professional Police Association 2022 Public Survey   Related Resource: Why Milwaukee Needs to Get Cops Back in Schools A chunk of the crime in Milwaukee is happening at high schools under control of a School Board that won’t allow cops to regularly walk the hallways or grounds. This isn’t principally a matter of hiring more police officers, although that could help. It’s a matter of using common sense to allow Milwaukee Police Department leadership to appropriately deploy the officers the city already has. Here, we lay out the facts regarding the lack of safety at schools in Milwaukee and what needs to be done about it to give the smart kids who strive for something better a fighting chance. We also propose a way of determining whether the problems in Milwaukee are unique or if other areas of the state also need to quickly redeploy officers in schools. Read the Report Weekly Survey: Do you think FoodShare benefits should be limited to healthy, nutritious food items? Answer below! Yes No   Previous Poll Results: What We’re Reading WILL: Wisconsin: A Broken Home for Home-based Businesses Washington Examiner: School choice primarily benefits students who weren’t already in private schools Benjamin Garbedian: Simple licensing change could help ease shortage of mental health professionals in Wisconsin AEI: How Religious Faith and a Sense of Agency Corresponds with Mental Health American Mind: Rebuilding Our Cultural Future Invest in the Badger Institute The Badger Institute, formerly known as the Wisconsin Policy Research Institute (WPRI), has long been at the forefront of the fight for school choice, right to work, welfare reform, tax restructuring, limited government, civil society and so much more. If you appreciate the Institute’s legacy and want to support free markets, opportunity and prosperity, please consider donating today. Your support will help the Institute continue to advocate for conservative principles now and in generations to come. The Institute never has, and never will, accept government funding. We gratefully welcome your online donation or email Angela Smith, Executive Vice President. The Badger Institute is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt nonprofit organization funded solely by the generosity of foundations, companies and individuals. Support Freedom   Badger Institute | 700 W Virginia St, Suite 301, Milwaukee, WI 53204 www.badgerinstitute.org Unsubscribe [email protected] Update Profile | Constant Contact Data Notice Sent by [email protected] in collaboration with Try email marketing for free today!