UPDATE:I’ve just published a new blog post – MORE ON STACEY CAMPFIELD’S PLAN TO HAVE POOR CHILDREN PAY THE RENT
+++++
UPDATE to my original post from earlier today:
Upon closer read, Mr. Campfield’s proposed legislation does not pull only food assistance. What Mr. Campfield actually wants to do is take away the minimal and time-limited subsidy that struggling Tennessee mothers and fathers can depend on during the hardest of hard times to pay not only for food, but also for other non-food necessities such as heat, water, transportation and shoes for their kids.
Specifically, he wants to yank Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF – called “Families First” in our state) when, per the language in his legislation, children fail to maintain satisfactory progress in school.” And in case you are wondering how Mr. Campfield intends to define “satisfactory progress in school ” for purposes of enforcement of his proposed law, he states that:
If your child is failing their classes, if your child is not showing up to school, if your child has quit school. That is unacceptable.
(Unfortunately, the irony of the fact that Mr. Campfield’s own writing in explaining his legislation falls below the proficiency expectations for a standard 10th grade English essay can’t be left unmentioned. In general, I try to never nitpick the grammar or punctuation in other people’s blog posts. I certainly make my own writing mistakes when I blog – all the time. “Just because” criticism of this type is unkind and rude, in my view. However, in the context of what Mr. Campfield is blogging about, I believe that pointing this out is fair and appropriate.)
For clarity, here is a description of the TANF program targeted by Mr. Campfield, published on the website of the state of Tennessee’s Department of Human Services:
Families First provides temporary cash benefits to families who have children, and are experiencing financial difficulties. These benefits are time-limited to 60 months in a participant’s lifetime.
The Families First program emphasizes work, training, and personal responsibility. To be eligible for the program, participants must agree to follow a Personal Responsibility Plan (PRP). As part of the PRP, the participant agrees to keep immunizations and health checks up to date for their children, keep their children in school, co-operate with Child Support Services to establish paternity, and participate in a work/training program for at least 30 hours per week.
Unless a participant is exempt from the 30-hour work requirement, he/she will develop, with the assistance of a work activity contractor, an individualized career plan (ICP). This plan is based on the participant’s needs and skills. The ultimate goal of the ICP is to provide a work and training guide that will result in financial independence for the family.
Clearly, TANF recipients are already required to do all they reasonably can to be sure that their kids do – as Mr. Campfield’s legislation states – “maintain satisfactory progress in school.” So what is the point of Mr. Campfield’s bill? Did he even read the current requirements for Tennessee TANF recipients before wasting our tax dollars to write and propose this junk legislation? It certainly appears not.
Additionally, if Mr. Campfield’s goal with his proposed legislation is, as he wrote on his blog today to “break the cycle of poverty,” it’s hard to imagine how he thinks removing low-income adults from accountability to TANF’s remarkably stringent work and parenting requirements will support that goal.
Again, one has to question whether Mr. Campfield ever took the time to review the specifics of this federal/state program before he created this latest piece of legislative offal. Or maybe he read it but didn’t understand what he was reading. And I’m not sure which is worse.
++++++
I wish very much that I were making this up. Or that I’m just doing a bad job trying to write absurd political headlines like the folks at The Onion.
Alas, it is true that Tennessee State Sen. Stacey Campfield has now reached a low beyond which I wouldn’t have believed even he could sink – both as an elected official who continues to waste tax dollars with his continual “stunt” legislation, as well as a human being.
Mr. Campfield has introduced a new bill which slashes Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) payments for parents or caretakers of TANF recipients whose children fail to maintain satisfactory progress in school.
Mr. Campfield is an increasingly disturbing embarrassment to his party, his constituents, and to our state. Getting this man out of office for good in the next election has to be something that people of good conscience from both political parties work together to do. As a Democrat in heavily Republican East Tennessee, I will actively and publicly support the legitimate GOP candidate of good character who looks to have a reasonable shot at ousting Mr. Campfield, if that’s the best way to get the job done.
+++++
PS: Mr. Campfield has his own blog, and he’s just published a new post there in which he enthusiastically rationalizes his latest cruel, ridiculous and bizarre legislative proposal. I don’t know if he accepts comments, but any of y’all with an opinion to share with him could at least try leaving one.
+++++
UPDATE:I’ve just published a new blog post – MORE ON STACEY CAMPFIELD’S PLAN TO HAVE POOR CHILDREN PAY THE RENT
This man has issues…
Taking away ones meal when it could be the only meal one gets that day will decrease the learning ability. Why? because one that is hungry is trying to survive and not thinking of learning what is being taught. Breakfast and lunch needs to stay in school for all children and never be taking away.
Curious as to why YOU don’t leave him a comment instead of sending your readers over to his blog.
I sent him an email and called his office. Leaving him a comment on his blog isn’t something I feel like doing. However, I suspect many other people may very much feel like doing it.
You are polite, Katie. Very polite.
I left him the one I posted on here. He probably won’t publish it.
You might want to take a look at Brian Stevens, an announced candidate for Stacey’s seat.
He has my vote!
@George -
Thanks! I sure will.
Katie
I have been following Brian Stevens. I wish him all the best. I no longer live in Knoxville and so cannot run against Sen. Campfield myself, but I encourage all my family and friends to look at the alternatives.
Wow. I didn’t think there were kookier state legislators than ours, but you’re sure giving us a run for our money!
It would seem to me that the kids getting the worst grades would need the food assistance the most. . . . .
My thoughts exactly…
I used to be on the food program. Sure, I was a GT student with a 4.3 GPA after the credit offset– but that food made you bloated and docile. Seems like Monsanto has the food chain cause and effect scheme down. More farm slaves for them. Nom nom nom.
…Because slow starvation is better?
Loathsome idea. He also spelled necessarily wrong on his website.
Let’s address the cycle of poverty by making these families hungry as well.
@antonia
His blog post about his legislation is riddled with major punctuation and grammar errors. Normally, I would never be impolite and mention this, but given his subject matter, it’s ironic and really sad.
In other words, grown men who support themselves at taxpayer expense (government salary), and who themselves don’t know how to use an apostrophe in their basic written communications shouldn’t be trying to deny food assistance to provably needy kids who can’t write at grade level.
-Katie
Agreed. His writing is atrocious.
this is the only comment on his post along with his reply..
“AnonymousJanuary 25, 2013 at 1:30 PM
Is it true that you are pushing to end food assistance to those families who have children who are failing school? That’s what’s being reported.
Just trying to get the facts…
Tom Cogburn
Reply
The Sen.January 25, 2013 at 1:43 PM
No, the bill will not remove benefits from anyone as long as their kids don’t quit school, skip a ton or just start failing most of their classes.”
So, in other words, the answer is yes? Does he not know the difference between the words yes and no? It boggles the mind!
I don’t think he’s approving the replies. His message was put up at 10 something, one person asked a question and he replied in the responses… but nothing since then. I sent a message about 5 minutes ago, though, so let’s see if it’s approved.
His blog is accepting comments. I don’t know if mine will be published after review, but here it is:
If the kids are failing their classes, withholding food will not help. Many kids fail because they are living with violence, living in poverty, or are simply hungry. There are families in Tennessee who have no idea where their next meal is coming from. Sometimes, this assistance is the only source of nourishment. This can cause academic failure. If the point is not to punish, it certainly seems that would be the result.
More compassion is what’s needed in this country, not less. Who will be the judge as to why the child is failing? A politician? Not a good choice of tasks.
As an aside, there are multiple misspellings and cases of fragmented sentences on your blog. With all due respect, if you are representing the state, you might want to get a copy editor to review your work.
Thank you,
A Tennessee Voter
Claire Ryan
“The third leg has shown to have a greater impact on the children performance then the school, then the teacher, then race of the child, then the income of the parent, then the location of the student.”
“Then” should be “than” in ever instance it’s used in this sentence. I’m SO happy this guy is pushing for better education. I posted this in his comments. Let’s see if he approves the comment or just changes his spelling.
Ever should be every, it’s should be its. Something about casting the first stone. Best to proofread before tossing another one.
I don’t think Stacey can write at grade level.
Comments on his blog are moderated, but it was worth a shot.
/”No one will necasarily or instantly lose benefits because of this bills passage.” Perhaps you should proofread before you hit the “Post” button. Or spend more time in school. Do you understand the area population at all? Removing nutritional options from a child who is doing poorly in school is not likely to improve their scores. It is far more likely to negatively impact them. You also might find yourself on a bit of a slippery slope if you deny a federally funded program to a child based purely on academic standards. What scoring system would you use to determine failing? What classes would count toward this? Art? What standardized measure would determine how a child with a learning disability was scaled against a mainstreamed child?/
How do these people get into office?! This is absolutely ridiculous. Perhaps we should starve him until he comes up with better legislation.
That’s a suggestion I can get behind. Here’s a guy who probably would describe himself as in favor of “less government.” But his proposed legislation would require an hefty new set of rules and the bureaucrats to administer/enforce them.
I used to work in Special Ed (and I still substitute teach in it occasionally). I spent hundreds of dollars out of pocket every year on food for my students, many of whom were still hungry even after eating the free school breakfasts and lunches. I was expert at buying instant oatmeal at the lowest possible price! This man is criminally stupid.
So, let me get this straight. If these children, who are already at risk, do not do well in school you are going to starve them until they do. WOW! What a brilliant idea. OOOh, better yet, why don’t you just put them in jail. That way they will be punished, but at least they will be fed. Absurd!!!
Mr. Campfield, as a mother, and a born Tennessean (with a college degree), I can say without a doubt that you are one of the biggest idiots I have ever come across. Do us all a favor. Stop making Tennessee and Tennesseans look bad, and go back home to New York!
Children are shown to perform much better in the classroom when they have a balanced diet. Most of the kids on the program here have parents who cannot afford to feed their children, even with both parents working full-time.
How do you think it will help these children to punish them with starvation? How well did you do in your schoolwork when you went to school hungry? OH, that’s right, you have NEVER been hungry!
I don’t know, Andrea. Based on his spelling and grammatical errors, maybe he did go hungry in a few of his English classes. ;-o
New Rule: The beatings shall continue until morale improves.
The only time I generally agree with Democrats in Tennessee is on issues regarding Stacey Campfield.
He’s an embarrassment to the TN GOP. Thanks for posting this.
It’s five hours after he posted this drivel and seven comments have been posted, three replies from and one request that people read the rules for posting to his blog. When I went to http://lastcar.blogspot.com/2011/04/rules-for-comments.html?m=1 I saw the following:
“If you want to crack on my spelling, grammar or other things that I am sure drives the seventh grade English teacher in you crazy, go ahead, I am not offended and some times I appreciate it. I may correct my errors, or not, but if that is all you got, odds are it won’t go up.”
Can we take away his food, then? SHEESH. And no, he didn’t let my post go through. I didn’t break any of his rules but the first still applies.
It saddens me to hear of such happenings.. I am a single father who has 2 of my 3 children, the other is living with my parents due to my youngests’ mother. However, I maintain a full time job and full time school while doing my best as a single parent. My middle child will be in Kindergarten soon but has already been scoring high on pre-K assessments. If it wasn’t for assistance, we might not be doing as well as we are.. (“As well as we are” being defined as income of less than 18k last year, living in a friend’s basement paying a small amount for rent while I bust my ass to provide and to better our circumstances.. And this entails many nights of lost sleep for myself)
But back to the point at hand… Let these people walk in my shoes and see how the legislature changes.. Even the courts, DHS, and DCS needs some overhauling, of which I am an activist in waking everyone up to see how things are done and why in our system. And most often than not the why is lack of funding. Funny how our government is making so much for themselves but strangling the very people they are suppose to “represent”…
Okay, this set me off.
I read his post. My understanding of it is that his goal is to end generational poverty. Cutting the benefits of the children whose parents aren’t making them attend school or helping them get good grades is his way of motivating the kids to stay in school and get good grades so they can get jobs that pay well – BY STARVING THEM?? Awesome. Yeah, because learning is so much easier when you’re hungry, have nutritional deficiencies right, and your parents CAN’T help you with your homework because they’re working two or three jobs just to keep you clothed and fed? BEEN THERE. At one point, I had three part-time jobs because I couldn’t find a full-time job at all – and I have a bachelor’s degree! What a blithering idiot!
That’s all fine and dandy, but where are the high-paying jobs??? I live in Bristol, TN, just two hours from you, and my husband works in Lenoir City. The “good” jobs certainly aren’t here! And, I don’t think Knoxville is faring much better. I know, because I looked for a job down that way some time ago, and there was nothing but minimum wage or sales jobs. Tell me, how the heck are you supposed to get out of poverty when businesses are either not hiring or not willing to pay much more than minimum wage?
Up here in Bristol, SOME of the problem MIGHT be that the parents aren’t making their kids go to school or helping with their homework. However, what I see as the real problem – I’m not claiming to be an expert – is that there are no jobs available that pay enough to get our graduates out of poverty, even with a bachelor’s degree. Not if they want to stay here, anyway.
Sorry, I’m getting wordy. I think it’s great that he’s trying to do something about generational poverty, but I don’t think he’s addressing the real issue – JOBS.
So sorry to rant, but my god, I’m so mad.
No sense what so ever.
Let me get this straight, Stacey Campfield’s paycheck comes from the government. I’m sure this money places food on his family’s table. Let’s start by taking away his check, and any food purchased for his family and see how well they all do when they are hungry and tired, not know what their next meal is. IF they get a meal.
For some kids, the free/reduced breakfast and lunch they get at school via TANF are the only meals they get during the week. Many working families rely on that assistance in order to feed their children. It’s one less meal they have to worry about, meaning they can concentrate on their job…..if they have one.
This guy is an idiot and I’m grateful not to be in his jurisdiction.
WOW!! Just WOW!! Fathom the stupidity it took to make a comment like this. In most cases, if you have a student on a food assistance, with bad grades, it is a reflection of their poverty and home life. So yeah, it makes great sense, let’s starve them and their families a little, that’ll fix them. Yeah, because everyone knows kids always preform better academically when they are hungry. Mr. Campfield are you kidding me? Have you been in a poverty stricken town? Have you placed one foot inside a school where these kids attend? Have you even considered going to a school with a free/reduced lunch rate of 50% or higher. Teachers are killing themselves just to get these kids to be able to concentrate long enough to learn one lesson. On top of the state adding more and more to the curriculum, on top of the state expecting our children to memorize and regurgitate for some stupid test instead of actually teaching them to learn, on top of all the problems teachers in our school system deal with at this time, you want to add some hungry kids to the list? Do you realize than many of the older children quit school to help feed their families? Do you realize that a two income family bringing home 45k (well above minimum wage) a year with 2 or 3 children still qualifies for free and reduced lunch and still can’t always afford groceries. Sure there is abuse of the system, however many of these families have two working parents and can’t afford groceries and gas in the same month. It is a crying shame, that in the middle of our in debt, over budget economy that you are suggesting cutting food off from kids.
How about instead of cutting off food assistance for bad grades, why not hire a few “enforcers” to go out and find the real criminals who are playing the system. Get those moms who are sitting at home, taking Douglas Cherokee and sending their kids to daycare while they go home, sell their food stamps for cigarettes and drugs? Or let’s work on catching the ones who are saying Daddy lives somewhere else just to qualify for free housing, free utilities, free phones, and free food, while Daddy goes out and makes 45k or more a year? What about drug testing for recipients? Let’s take care of the frauds and give more help to the families who are TRYING to work and be honest, but simply can’t with our over inflated gas prices and grocery prices.
Can’t we please give these guys a long time out? They are seriously unfit to serve. This one clearly has no education or knowledge regarding human learning, no Christian (or otherwise) moral principals, and no intellect. Wait. Let’s deny him government assistance in the form of his government paycheck. I’d rather feed the hungry kids, bad grades or no, as this yuck.
As many before have stated,this man is an embarassment to any and all East Tennesseeans with an intellect..I’ll even go so far as to paint with broad,sweeping strokes,venture out on a limb,and say he embarasses ALL East Tennesseeans,even those posessing no intellect whatsoever….Mrs. Granju,I applaud your good manners !! They say it takes a village to raise a child…but I would hope that this village is tired of raising this idiot !!!
By logical extension, anyone who receives money from the state (including Mr. Campfield) should have their pay determined by their children’s academic performance.
Like many other readers I’m outraged by this proposal. For the record, I’m a registered Republican who won’t let party affiliation give this dope a pass. Applying a standard of personal responsibility to a helpless and improverished child represents a failure of the most basic human decency. Having a child bear the responsibility of decisions made by an adult who has already placed them in a precarious enough position to rely on public assistance is insane. Tying the academic performance of a child in a home headed by an adult who is struggling with intellectual impairments, substance abuse, unemployment or financial hardship to the actual aid that child receives saddles these children with yet another burden. So a child with a learning disability, or a child who is too hungry to concentrate is penalized because they aren’t at the top of their class? Instead of school offering possibility or respite it is now another burden for these children? Another place they might be found wanting? And the penalties are harsh indeed. Did this man think what the ramifications of a denial of aid might be for the child who failed to deliver to a demanding adult? That that child might be held accountable by their “parent” for failing to deliver additional support to the “family”?
I hope a lot of other readers keep an eye on this race, I’m not from TN, but I’ll send my dollars to support anyone resonablie enough other than this absolute ignorant jerk. I hope both major parties condem this guy and field reputable and smart alternatives.
Well said!! I am so outraged and PO’d at this guy – I’m not from Tennessee either, by the way – I can hardly think of the WORDS!! A very, very sick man. He should be brought up on child abuse charges.
Just commented about this at knoxnews.org. I am Squeazley! Stacy Campfield is a disgrace to Knoxville regardless of political stance. HE IS AN IDIOT!!!
I continue to be amazed that Campfield can show his face in public. When Brian Stevens met him on UTK campus and asked to debate the issues, Campfield accused him of STALKING! I’ve met and talked with Brian J Stevens. He is only interested in bettering the community and is a teacher at UTK.
He is spot on ! I REALLY like the principle; the idea of accountability for money spent from the public purse.
I agree entirely with him, that we should have annual report cards for people who have been paid from the public purse, that is, people such as politicians, and if the report card is unfavourable, then yes their payments should be withheld.
How can one argue with that logic ? At last a politician who is prepared to put his salaray on the line. That IS what he is saying yes ?
This man makes me ashamed to be from Tennessee! What an idiot!
Pingback: TN’s Stacy Campfield Wants to Take Let Struggling Children Go Hungry | W. Thomas Adkins
Pingback: TN’s Stacey Campfield Wants to Take Let Struggling Children Go Hungry | W. Thomas Adkins
Thanks for posting this! I’ve been following Campfield’s idiocy for a while (being an East Tennessean who has since escaped to NYC) but hadn’t yet caught this latest “moment of greatest” from Campfield. I’ve shared my own thoughts on my blog and have some other “can he be serious?” posts from his other antics. Just wanted to give thanks and credit where it is due!!
http://wthomasadkins.wordpress.com/2013/01/26/tns-stacey-campfield-wants-to-take-let-struggling-children-go-hungry/
Dems ougth to introduce a bill making private tutoring part of the TANF benefits package then. See how quickly Campfield’s bill disappears after that. Don’t call Campfield an idiot –just outsmart him.
“Campy’s” proposed bill is based on the underlying immorality of supply-side economics/Reaganomics. In his argument that wealth should flow upward in order to reduce poverty, George Gilder, in his 1981 book “Wealth and Poverty,” argues that “the poor most of all need the spur of their own poverty” in order for the “culture of welfare” to end. Gilder was Reagan’s most oft-quoted author.
I actually relish the fact that “Campy” has made explicit what usually remains unsaid about ‘trickle down’ economics. It is an immoral and faulty theory used to justify ‘punishment’ of the poor because they deserve it for not thriving in the corporate-driven and -controlled system we call ‘capitalism.’ They are poor because they are immoral. The breakdown of the 50s-style nuclear family led to their situation. Single-female headed households are the most to blame for perpetuating the ‘fatherless’ families that suffer the most from poverty. And the women are to blame. Gilder is a staunch anti-feminist, something else he and “Campy” have in common.
My grad-school peers (economics, UTK) laughed at me when I cried during Reagan’s first State of the Union Address. Sadly, many of them are probably still laughing. And teaching supply-side economics to yet another generation of students who will become similarly misguided economists.
One of the requirements for becoming a republican is being a thoroughly detestable human being.
I Think With holding food from kids is alful! The Man Is Crazy!
Pingback: More on Stacey Campfield's Plan to Have Children Pay The Rent | mamapunditmamapundit
Pingback: Tennessee Legislator: Cut Food Assistance to Kids With Bad Report Cards | Politics & Policy | Scoop.it
Pingback: Tennessee state lawmaker wants to cut food assistance to kids with bad report cards. | Knitting and Sljivovica
Thank you for sharing this with us all. I have never heard anything so garbled before in my life. It’s as if he’s purposely disregarding a slew of socioeconomical factors that may play into how well a child will perform in the school system. The fact that punishment for falling behind would be taking away necessities for survival made me angry enough, I wasn’t sure I could think through anything after that.
What I was wondering though was in regard to Campfield’s new bill. Many commenters on his own blog were asking some very good questions and the only response they received was “it’s in the bill.” Excuse me for being a bit ignorant of the way bills are passed and such, but is there a public domain one could look for those answers apparently hiding in the bill? Thank you so much, I realize that’s probably a lot to ask.
Cut his salary first, test him to prove he will respond to pain and send him for a rectal-encephalo-ectomy!
Exactly what is considered satisfactory grammar? “I were” is not correct either. I, he, she, it WAS (which is singular); they, we WERE (plural). I’m no English scholar but, when correcting someone, at least yourself be correct.
Exactly what is considered satisfactory grammar? “I were” is not correct. I, he, she, it WAS (which is singular); they, we WERE (plural). I’m no English scholar but, when correcting someone, at least yourself be correct.
@Kasandra
To which sentence are you referring? I’m not clear.
Additionally, as I noted, his writing proficiency is only worth mentioning because of what it is he’s writing about. However, you may disagree, and I respect that.
Katie
I am a senior citizen. All I get is my Social Security… No food stamps or government assistance. For you to deprive families of food is so inhumane..What the hell are you thinking?? You are as bad as the other politians. This will not affect you. You have deep pockets.. Someone is feeding you.. YOU PEOPLE MAKE ME SICK!!!!
First of all, making the family’s food supply dependent upon the CHILD is too much for any kid. It’s beyond ridiculous and probably traumatizing. The man is sick. Putting pressure like that on any kid might actually CAUSE him/her to do badly in school. And what about kids with learning difficulties? What about kids who are just not academically inclined? This is outrageous. I hope he gets voted out in the next election. Or can he be removed now? He has no business holding any kind of office.
Using this man’s “logic”, with apologies to very meaning of the word, I suppose his next legislation would be to bring back the buggy whip for disobedient students, stocks for public intoxication, painting a large “A” on the clothes of women accused of adultery, placing prisoners in sweat boxes for the slightest violation of prison rules, leg irons for inmates, child labor, involuntary servitude, slavery and work houses for the poor just to mention a few! He being the good Republican he is probably thinks such measures are “American and Christian”! God help the Republic!
Wow, that guy is… brilliant.
“Anyone basketball player who turns the ball over will have his/her hands removed. That will break the cycle of turning the ball over.”
if this creep is married and has children I would have someone from social services check up on them–he sounds like a malicious SOB
I thought the goal was to get people to put an end to Starvation and Poverty in America, not aid it.
Like so many Liberals, you don’t hold your self up to the same standards of those you criticize. That is the definition of Hypocrite. Now, while I don’t agree with Mr. Campfields’ solution, I do understand his motivation. If there were a requirement to collect public assistance, such as making sure your kids attend school, I think more parents would try to make sure that they can meet that requirement. A better proposition on his part would be to have student’s lunches provided to them on school grounds, and not in the form of food stamps or vouchers, but, instead as attendance. If you are here, in school, you’ll be fed. The goal of this legislator isn’t to starve kids, but to educate them, so that they can go on to more productive lifestyles, like, journalists.