Published: October 28, 2009 11:22 pm         

Discretionary funds should be used for senior nutrition program

We have to respectfully disagree with Gov. Brad Henry’s refusal to use discretionary funds to help out nutrition programs feeding senior citizens in the state.

Those programs, which are funded through the Department of Human Services, are facing $7.4 million in cuts starting Sunday. DHS, like every other state agency, has been forced to endure budget cuts because of declining state revenue.

Sen. Patrick Anderson, R-Enid, has tried to get the governor to use some of the $105 million in discretionary funds at Henry’s disposal to replace some of the cuts in nutrition programs.

He didn’t ask for enough money to fund the nutrition programs in their entirety. He only asked for enough money so the programs could provide daily meals for seniors through the winter.

The governor’s office responded by saying those discretionary funds are for one-time expenditures and already have been committed.

Wheatheart Nutrition Project, which is in Anderson’s district and has sites in Alfalfa, Grant, Kay, Garfield, Noble, Blaine, Kingfisher and Major counties, has had to cut its budget by $230,000, or 38 percent. Wheatheart provides daily meals to 970 people at sites in Billings, Blackwell, Cherokee, Enid, Garber, Helena, Kingfisher, Medford, Newkirk, Perry, Ponca City, Pond Creek, Ringwood, Tonkawa, Watonga and Waukomis.

During these tough economic times, we’ve all had to tighten our belts, and the state definitely has not immune to cuts. But, this is not the time to hurt some of the most needy people in the state: the elderly.

Frankly, it is unconscionable to cut these nutrition programs now. The governor is wrong to deny a small part of his discretionary funds to provide daily meals to the elderly.

A rally is planned for 11 a.m. Wednesday at the state Capitol to protest the cuts. We urge everyone who can’t make it to the rally to contact their representatives and senators, as well as the governor’s office, and tell them to please not hurt some of our most needy people and restore funding to these nutrition programs.