We are all presuming that block granting is going to be the hell of the
century. I sense a great deal of complacency. As long as someone else takes
care of things its a good idea but if we have to work hard at the local level
to reinvent government we don't care to. Is this the sttitude. From an
economics standpoint, it makes more sense for everyone to bring more control
back to the state level. Does that mean that we as lactation advocates have
some work to do to convince state government to do the right thing, yes it
does. Imagine how powerful you will now be at the local level when you are
able to demonstrate to your astate how you can help them save mony by
promoting and supporting breastfeeding!!

In my mind, block grants are not a good idea but they are a step towards
greater state responsibility and control. I see a future where block grants
will go by the wayside and states will truly involve themselves with health
prevention strategies to ease their budgets. Will your program be cut back.
Yes it will, temporarily. And because necessity is the mother of invention,
and because all of you are creative people, you will find creative,
constructive ways to make the new format work on behalf of lactating mothers
and breastfeeding babies.

I say forget lobbying the feds about forgetting the block grants, spend the
energy lobbying your local governement to put into place funding for
breastfeeding locally! That's what we're doing here.

Change is inevitable. If the only station you are tuned to is WIIFM, (what's
in it for me), the changes made will not meet the needs of the biggest number
of people possible.

Alison, still unconvinced in Ohio and the daughter of a PhD level economist.