Hochul’s budget does too little to address hunger
Hardworking New Yorkers who struggle to put food on their tables can only be disappointed in Gov. Kathy Hochul’s executive budget proposal unveiled Feb 1. The state has an opportunity this year to make three key investments to reduce hunger — and none of them found support in the executive budget.
First, at a time when 726,000 school children in New York lack access to state-funded universal school meals, the executive budget offers no relief. Hungry children cannot learn. Universal school meals are proven to cut administrative costs at schools while providing substantial educational benefits. Neighboring states with fewer resources than New York have funded this program. New York can do it also.
Second, during a supply chain crisis that has heavily impacted New York farmers, the executive budget offers no additional funding for Nourish New York, a highly successful and productive program that enables farmers to get food to food banks and feed hungry families. More than 4,000 New York farms, and millions of our hungry neighbors, have benefited from this program. Flat-funding this program at a time of continued hunger and farm hardship is unwise. We call on the state to increase aid for this program from $50 million to $75 million this year.
Third, and most seriously: We are experiencing 11 percent food inflation that has left millions struggling to feed their families — and yet the executive budget would cut $22 million from the successful, well-proven Hunger Prevention and Nutrition Assistance Program. This program has been a vital resource for food banks and food pantries for more than 30 years. During the pandemic, when food pantry lines stretched for hours, the program’s funding was increased. The executive budget does nothing to shorten the food pantry lines, and now reduces funding to serve those lines. In March, when Federal SNAP (food stamp) benefits are scheduled to decrease, these
Who among us can imagine a higher priority in public policy that to support hungry children and hardworking farmers?
food lines will be even longer.
We are realistic. There are limits on the financial resources of the state, and we recognize that the state cannot fund everything that every citizen or advocate wants. We are all compelled to make tough decisions and prioritize needs. It is precisely because we must prioritize that these investments make sense. Here we are in one of the wealthiest states in the nation. Surely we can afford to ensure that our most vulnerable neighbors have enough to eat, that farmers have markets for their food, and that schoolchildren can pay attention to their lessons rather than their growling stomachs.
Who among us can imagine a higher priority in public policy that to support hungry children and hardworking farmers?
The executive budget does not prioritize these needs. Fortunately, we are lucky to have many excellent elected representatives in the state Senate and Assembly. Now is the time for our lawmakers to provide the needed resources for our schools, farms and food banks. Now is the moment for the Senate and Assembly to be champions of the people by standing up and acting decisively to reduce hunger in the Empire State.