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David Stanley Ford

Oklahoma senior program cutbacks decried
Democrats seek nutrition funds

BY MICHAEL MCNUTT    Comments Comment on this article3
Published: October 30, 2009

Flanked by more than 30 older Oklahomans, leaders with the Oklahoma County Democratic Party called on state leaders Thursday to restore money for Oklahoma’s senior nutrition programs.

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"We are likely to see more cuts. What we’re trying to do with the selective cuts is cut things where we lose the fewest number of federal dollars."
 Howard Hendrick
Department of Human Services Director


"If there’s any group that needs to be protected from budget cuts, it would be seniors who need to eat to sustain their own livelihoods."
 Tom Guild
Oklahoma County Democratic Party secretary

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"If there’s any group that needs to be protected from budget cuts, it would be seniors who need to eat to sustain their own livelihoods,” said Tom Guild, secretary of the Oklahoma County Democratic Party.

All state agencies have been ordered to make across-the-board 5 percent cuts in state allocations since August. Those monthly cuts will continue through June, the end of the fiscal year.

The Department of Human Services cut $7.4 million from the senior nutrition program.

Most of the money is used by area aging agencies across the state to pay for senior nutrition centers and home-delivered meals.

The funding cuts take effect Sunday.

Some centers affected by the cuts are planning to close facilities, limit services or furlough employees, a legislator said.

Plea to governor
Guild called on DHS to reverse its decision and put back the money, and asked Gov. Brad Henry either to call a special session so legislators can consider funding the nutrition program or use some of his $105 million discretionary federal stimulus funds.

Interviewed later, DHS Director Howard Hendrick said the funding being reduced is not matched by federal funds.

Most of the other programs in his department are matched by federal funds, and he said he picked a part of his budget that would have the least economic impact.

"This is very frustrating for us also,” Hendrick said.

"We are likely to see more cuts. What we’re trying to do with the selective cuts is cut things where we lose the fewest number of federal dollars. ... We have not cut any of the state funding for nutrition sites that are federally matched.”

More cuts expected
Henry’s spokesman, Paul Sund, said the nutrition program’s financial problems "are just the tip of the iceberg and that many, many other crucial services will soon be facing similar cuts, if they are not already.”

The governor is working with legislative leaders on the budget crisis, Sund said. The stimulus funds are for one-time projects and were committed early in the summer before the latest revenue shortfalls occurred, he said.

Supporters of restoring the funding to the senior citizen nutrition program are planning to hold a rally at 11 a.m. Wednesday on the second-floor rotunda.

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David Stanley Ford


Related Topics: U.S. State Government, U.S. Government, Public Finance, Domestic Policy, Federal Budget, Political Policy, Politics, Economic Policy, Government Spending, Economic Stimulus


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Hey c, can I borrow a G?
John, Oklahoma City - Oct 30, 2009 at 12:17 pm
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Many people would be shocked to find out how much our hard-earned paychecks are WASTED by these people. Thank you for the littany of how I am supposed to feed and clothe people who did not plan for their retirement and just expected everyone else to take care of them. But you and I both know that CHURCHES are where this kind of care REALLY happens, not in the hands of wasteful, mindless bureaucrats.
c, Oklahoma City - Oct 30, 2009 at 7:28 am
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Many people would be shocked to find out how many seniors are going hungry and going without medications. SSI usually is less than $1000 permonth, and then they have to pay Medicare $97 Per month. The rest goes to bills and medical deductibles. Senior need these meals and all the help they can get. We owe them much more than that for raising us all and doing the work that paved the way for us to grow and prosper...
willis, oklahoma city - Oct 30, 2009 at 1:54 am

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