To the editor:

I wish to offer some feedback regarding Thursday’s Journal-World article, “Jenkins cut list would affect Kansans.” For perspective, I have worked as a consultant to government programs for 23 years.

The link listed is a White House information page. The Heritage Foundation is noted to be a “conservative think tank”; that also describes the current administration. Thus, the “facts” are derived from conservatives agreeing with conservatives.

I will address one program referenced as “ineffective,” TEFAP (Temporary Emergency Food Program). TEFAP is a federal program that supplements the diets of needy persons, including elderly people. The program provides foods from government surplus. The program has almost no administrative costs; the food is distributed by volunteer organizations including veterans groups and churches.

In 1985, the Reagan administration tried to cancel TEFAP stating it was ineffective. Congress demanded a study of the program to determine its real worth first.

I personally was involved in that study. We found TEFAP overwhelmingly served the elderly. Most were eligible for other programs such as food stamps but participated only in TEFAP; getting peanut butter from their church did not carry the stigma of receiving assistance from “welfare.” Most importantly, TEFAP provided as much as 70 percent of these elderly recipients’ recommended daily values for food intake.

Congress denied Reagan’s request to cancel TEFAP. Jenkins’ “plan” again tries to eliminate valuable programs in the public health safety net. In these times, that is the last thing we need. Do we wish to starve our elderly?

Doug Burger,
Lawrence