Junk Food Subsidies Fuel Obesity

New Mexico Public Interest Research Group Citizen Update: A Report For Members Of NMPIRG Summer 2011 • Vol. 37, No. 2 Find links to resources and actions at www.nmpirg.org/newsletters Flickr User donbuciak Tax & Budget Policy Junk Food Subsidies Fuel Obesity Nearly one in three kids in New As a result, in the last 20 years, Mexico are overweight or obese, the price of soda has gone down and our taxpayer dollars are subsi- by more than 20 percent while the dizing unhealthy food—to the tune price of fresh fruits and vegetables of $245 billion over the last 15 years. has increased 40 percent. Of course, the epidemic of child- These subsidies overwhelmingly hood obesity is a complex problem benefit big agribusiness. More that won’t be solved by cutting than 60 percent of direct payments subsidies alone. But at the very in 2009 went to just 11 percent of YOUR TAX DOLLARS AT WORK—Taxpayer subsidies have driven down least, the government should not recipients. n the cost of unhealthy food over the last 15 years. be helping to saturate the market with cheap junk food. NMPIRG is calling for reform. Thanks to the tremendous influ- Public Health ence of the powerful agribusiness lobby, the U.S. Department of Agriculture spends billions of dollars directly subsidizing corn, soy, wheat and rice—key ingredi- USDA Mandates Safer ents in unhealthy food. It makes almost no direct subsidies to fruits and vegetables. School Lunches For years, New Mexico’s school- Some of the chicken schools have Member Resource We Are What We Grow children ate beef, chicken and other served was of such poor quality Over the next year, Congress will foods that would have been rejected that one University of Washington VISIT OUR WEBSITE decide whether and how to in- as substandard even by fast-food study found that it was four times where you can take vest in the food we grow and eat. chains. Now, thanks in part to our more likely to have salmonella than action to stop subsidies NMPIRG has launched a campaign advocacy, the USDA has set stron- other readily available meat. that fuel obesity. to end subsidies for unhealthy food. ger standards for school lunches, www.nmpirg.org including a ban on low-grade meat. NMPIRG’s federal public health This summer, we’ll knock on thou- This move is an important step advocate, Elizabeth Hitchcock, sands of doors across the state, toward decreasing the risk that lobbied the USDA for higher stan- talk face to face with people about kids could contract a dangerous dards. And in federation with state this issue, and build a network of foodborne illness at school. PIRGs in 19 other states, we spoke supporters who are calling on our to hundreds of thousands of people elected officials to demand change. More than half of all foodborne about this issue and contributed to illnesses affect children under the more than 20,000 petition signatures Agribusiness subsidies are un- age of 18, and more than 30 mil- to the USDA. In 2010, they acted— derwriting the obesity epidemic lion children depend on the school banning low-grade meat from by making junk food and highly- lunch program for meals. schools and implementing stricter Page 1 processed food extremely cheap. testing and safety standards. n Summer 2011 News Briefs High-Speed Rail financial aid for college students As Higher Education Advocate and funding for clean drinking Rich Williams told The New water and food safety inspectors, York Times, failing to fund Pell Mad Men Pitch while continuing to spend tens grants would be “the worst pos- of billions of dollars in taxpayer sible scenario” for avoiding major Fast Trains money on BP and big banks. disruptions in financial aid. n President Obama has set a goal of connecting 80 percent of the country With the National Taxpayers with high-speed rail within 25 years, Union, NMPIRG identified $600 Toxics & Public Health but that future has become less billion the government could save certain since governors in Florida, by cutting spending that benefits Ohio and Wisconsin rejected funds special interests at the expense Keeping The Lead Out Of for projects in their states. of the public—instead of cutting Children’s Toys Tiffany Roohani Tiffany important public priorities. Lead is a potent neurotoxin that Thirty-seven groups spanning the can cause a lower IQ, attention ideological spectrum signed onto deficit hyperactivity disorder and our plan, and we organized emails learning disabilities in children. and public comments to call on Yet as recently as 2008, millions of House Speaker John Boehner to cut toys and children’s products were special interest subsidies instead of recalled for lead contamination. public interest priorities. n There is currently a ban on lead in children’s products—which Higher Education NMPIRG helped win in 2008. The National Association of Man- NMPIRG Protects Student ufacturers and the Toy Industry Association are now urging Con- Financial Aid gress to “reform” that law and Pell grants provide 9.4 million allow lead back into toys. They low- and moderate-income college would also limit the ban on toxic students with as much as $5,550 in phthalates in toys and limit testing GUESS WHO’D RATHER RIDE HIGH-SPEED RAIL—Actors Vincent aid—making a college education an requirements. Kartheiser and Richard Sommer from the hit TV show Mad Men teamed option for millions of Americans. up with NMPIRG to pitch high-speed rail. Some members of the House Com- This past winter, the program faced merce Manufacturing and Trade Member Resource To bring a little humor to a heated a $5.7 billion shortfall that, if not Subcommittee signaled they are debate and raise public awareness, funded, would cut the maximum open to rolling back these rules CATCH THE MAD MEN NMPIRG worked with two actors grant by 15 percent, which 7.5 mil- and limiting the law’s protection Watch two stars of the hit from the hit TV show “Mad Men” lion students receive each year. to children under six years of age. show Mad Men pitch high- to produce a video pitching high- speed rail at: speed rail. In the video, Richard Every penny counts, so NMPIRG NMPIRG is working with public www.madfasttrains.com Sommer, in character as Harry worked to make sure the Senate health, consumer and parent groups Crane, tells Vincent Kartheiser included full funding for Pell grants to make sure that the law continues (Pete Campbell), “America always in the budget, which they did in a to protect America’s children from makes the right investments. Trains compromise deal. toxic chemical hazards. n are the most efficient, most economi- cal, best investment. Honestly, I think you can relax on this whole thing. I read that in 40 years, gas is going to be almost a dollar a gallon.” While the statement is amusing, the sad reality is that gas is ap- proaching $4 a gallon, yet funding for rail continues to be cut. n Tax & Budget Policy Budget Priorities All Wrong Page 2 This spring, Congress tried to bal- Summer 2011 ance the federal budget by slashing Staff Health Care Reducing High Health Care Bills More than a year since Congress deal and provide clear options and passed the new health care law, easy comparisons for consumers. NMPIRG is moving beyond last year’s political fights to make The exchange could provide a progress on lowering premiums safety net for people who are be- for New Mexico families. tween jobs, and eventually open up to allow some individuals who Health InsurancE EXchanges TO Lower Costs—In Washing- receive insurance through work ton, D.C., Health Care Advocate Mike Russo met with Joel Ario, the to shop for better plans through new director of the Office of Health Insurance Exchanges, appointed Fighting Premium Hikes by President Obama. It’s time to ask tough questions the exchange. about rising health insurance rates. Consumers are already struggling But the insurance industry is directly to decision-makers. We’re to pay for health insurance, and trying to reduce the exchange’s also mobilizing consumers and in this economy we can ill afford ability to strike a hard bargain building strong coalitions of small the skyrocketing cost of care. Re- and put insurance industry ex- business owners. We’re bring- cently, insurers have tried to force ecutives in charge. ing the stories of consumers and unjustifiable double-digit premium small businesses to lawmakers increases on enrollees—sometimes NMPIRG is educating lawmak- and the media, and organizing based on dubious calculations or ers on the best policies to rein in grassroots support in an effort to inflated estimates. costs through a series of briefing get a strong exchange enacted by papers and by making our case the legislature. n NMPIRG is working to help state officials challenge unjustified rate hikes and find ways to reduce costs. NMPIRG To Our Members Citizen Update Other states have already seen success—in Oregon, advocates This newsletter is have pushed regulators to lower Dear NMPIRG member, published three unjustified increases. They’ve times a year by helped knock back rate increases Right now, hundreds of young people are heading the New Mexico and save some insurance custom- out into neighborhoods across the state on behalf of Public Interest ers more than $5 million altogether NMPIRG to have face to face conversations with Research Group. this year. And in California, they New Mexicans about critical issues, raise funding You can receive the for our work, and mobilize grassroots support for used public pressure to convince newsletter through ending taxpayer subsidies of junk food.

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