Category: News Author : Kim LaCapria Posted: January 26, 2010
Tags : andre bauer, andre bauer for governor, andre bauer free lunch, andre bauer south carolina, south carolina governor, south carolina lt governor
South Carolina Lt. Gov. Andre Bauer, who hopes to take over for Gov. Mark “hiking the Appalachian Trail” Sanford, created a bit of a national stir with harsh judgements made on the working poor during a recent speech.
Bauer said:
“My grandmother was not a highly educated woman, but she told me as a small child to quit feeding stray animals. You know why? Because they breed. You’re facilitating the problem if you give an animal or a person ample food supply. They will reproduce, especially ones that don’t think too much further than that. And so what you’ve got to do is you’ve got to curtail that type of behavior. They don’t know any better.”
Interesting that Bauer would feel so comfortable making those comments in a state where roughly half the kids qualify for lunch subsidies. Perhaps Bauer is unfamiliar with that statistic? (Tsk, tsk, if that’s the case.)
Also interesting, though, is that it was revealed today that Bauer himself was a beneficiary of free lunches as a child. Bauer now says he regrets his comments, “because now it’s being used as an analogy, not a metaphor.” (Not because he could be seen as a big hypocrite, though.)
Bauer continued:
“Do I regret it? Sure I do. I wouldn’t have to be taking this heat otherwise.”
He did, however, try to clarify his remarks and provide context, saying the concept was more about penalizing adults:
“Look folks, if you receive goods or services from the government and you don’t attend a parent-teacher conference, bam, you lose your benefits.”
Bauer conveniently ignores that it’s difficult to make an impact on adults without also affecting kids. No additional information was immediately available about the circumstances of Bauer’s upbringing, but it’s profoundly sad that he can’t see the parallels between what was ostensibly not the easiest childhood thirty-odd years ago that brought him to his prestigious political position, and the children in similar circumstances- ones who may struggling at home because Mama or Daddy has to choose between attending a low paid job and not getting fired or keeping their supplemental food benefits.
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Jan 27, 2010
I think he said he had free lunch! there is nothing wrong with needing help until you get on your feet,i think what he is saying is It’s not the way of life that so many losers treat it!!!!
Jan 27, 2010
Proves his statement as UNTRUE!
Andre’ has not bred once!
Jan 27, 2010
I just there is nothing wrong with that and I feel that it was just misunderstood by others. After the Mark Sanford and Maria Belen Chapur affair, Lieutenant Governor Andre Bauer decided that it was smart to open his mouth and announce that poor children were just like stray animals, in that government handouts encourage dependency. Perhaps he’ll need payday loans after he gets voted out, if that’s the result. If you want to tackle serious issues, you have to take a more serious approach.
Jan 27, 2010
I went to the same schools as Andre. There was not such a thing as free lunch in elementary school at that time. You paid for your lunch in the fees you paid for the school. There were not cash registers at the beginning of the line. Man people will make up anything to attempt to destroy our Lt. Gov. Completely ignoring the fact that he is the only candidate on either side that has a charity exclusively directed towards helping the poor. Get a life you people!
Jan 29, 2010
He could have approached the subject of welfare in a more tactful manner, but I highly doubt these comments will “destroy” his political career, Jim. A CNN clip says that his comments will actually “resonate” with voters: http://tinyurl.com/yc9hcdh
Jan 30, 2010
I have a email from him where he specifically states “As a child, I was raised by a poor, single parent and was the recipient of free school lunch.” Clearly he’s a liar.
Jan 30, 2010
He gives ONLY to get elected! Just because people don’t agree with you doesn’t mean they “don’t have a life.” Your logic is as false as Bauer’s. Look at this videos and you can see clearly what he says and lies about, making false analogies. I also specifically have an email from him that states “As a child, I was raised by a poor, single parent and was the recipient of free school lunch.” The man is a liar and con artist trying only to get re-elected, as he accepts free meals from lobbyists and others every day. He also gets free healthcare at the public expense, the best in the world, while opposing it for others!
Jan 30, 2010
And how many “losers” did you survey? Just how much real research and evidence do you have on the subject? Thought so: no more than he does. And, btw, Ms. Compassionate, we’re talking about children. Why are you so against giving a hot lunch to children to improve their nutrition, their minds, and to help them grow up to be better citizens? Or do you actually think starving them makes them love America?! I served proudly in the Army and they gave us food. We had no choice. Where would we go to get it while on missions? What about these children? Do you think they can walk out and get better parents on their own? If so, look at the thousands in America who are not adopted by the supposed fundamentalist “right!” They sit without homes and families because the people who claim they care talk about taking food and healthcare from those poor who have families, and barely suvive as corporations supporting the politicians suck the profit and life out of America and take the money to off-shore accounts.