TEFAP Alliance Blog

Foodlinks America - July 6, 2007

In this issue:

• Funding Concerns Alter Farm Bill Strategies
• Suburbanites Aging in Place
• Food Stamp Facts
• Proposed Legislation
• Obesity Round-Up
• Reports from the Field
• Small Bites

Foodlinks America is published 24 times a year by California Emergency Foodlink in Sacramento, CA and distributed by Weinberg & Vauthier Consulting, 6412 CR 116, Burnet, TX 78611; Zy Weinberg and Barbara Vauthier, Editors; email: bvauthier@tefapalliance.org.

Foodlinks America is not copyrighted, so the information can be freely shared with colleagues and friends, though attribution for reprinted articles is appreciated. For archived issues of Foodlinks America, go to: www.tefapalliance.org. To request a free subscription to the newsletter or to submit story ideas, contact Barbara Vauthier at: bvauthier@tefapalliance.org.

Funding Concerns Alter Farm Bill Strategies

The absence of new funding for Farm Bill initiatives has spurred House Agriculture Committee chair Collin Peterson (D-MN) into changing his tactics on the bill. When the Committee meets on July 17 to draft a Farm Bill, Peterson will present two bills; one that includes all the programs that fit within the budget of the current farm bill and another that will include items to be funded contingent on offsets – from new revenues or cuts in other programs –yet to be identified.

The Agriculture Committee has been allocated a $20 billion reserve fund to enhance programs if resources can be found, but so far efforts to make changes that would free up funds have been shot down. Reserve fund actions left pending include important nutrition program expansions, such as increasing food stamp benefits, buying more food for The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP), and boosting the Community Food Projects program.

Negotiations in the House to design a Farm Bill that satisfies the preferences of various legislators are complicated. Representative James McGovern (D-MA), who is sponsoring a bill to increase food stamp benefits alone by $20 billion, is pushing for a package that meets most of his goals. “I want to be able to vote for a Farm Bill, and I want to do it enthusiastically,” said McGovern. “I’m just not there yet.”

Anti-hunger activists are leery, however, of the new approach the House Agriculture Committee is planning. “New investments in the Food Stamp Program and the emergency feeding system depend on Hill leaders identifying financing mechanisms (or waiving “pay as you go”) budget rules,” commented the Food Research and Action Center (FRAC) in Washington, D.C., which stated that putting those changes into a separate bill “puts at great risk the new investments in the nutrition title.” Peterson still expects to take a bill to the House floor for debate before the end of July.

Across the aisle, Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) has yet to schedule a mark-up session in the Senate Agriculture Committee; he is reportedly discussing funding options with the leadership and other committee chairs in order to have off-sets in place before the Committee meets. Harkin has said that if the full $20 billion can be found, it would be enough for “a bill I can guarantee you will pass the Senate and be widely supported.” Without the funds, however, “I’m not certain we’ll ever get a bill passed,” he added.

Harkin, a champion of conservation as well as nutrition programs, is trying to advance his view of farm programs, noting “We have a responsibility to write a Farm Bill that looks to the future, not in the rearview mirror. It’s an ideal time to do some reform, to rearrange our priorities, and to look ahead,” Harkin said.

Although Harkin would also like to get a bill moving before the August recess, the likelihood of completing committee and floor action this month is rapidly diminishing, as the reality of the time crunch is setting in. It is becoming increasingly likely that the current Farm Bill, which expires at the end of September, will have to be extended for some months, or even into 2008, where the outlook is even dicier, given that is a presidential election year.

But Harkin believes that taking the time needed to craft a new Farm Bill should not be compromised. “I’m not going to be rushed into doing something just because of a September 30th date,” he said. “It looks like we’re going to be here this fall, so if we have to go over a little bit, we can do that.”

Suburbanites Aging in Place

America’s suburbs are aging more rapidly than its cities, as the first generation of suburban residents grows older. The suburbs, historically a refuge for young families and children, are graying as a result of baby boomers already living there rather than retirees relocating. For example, the population of people over 65 in Georgia is expected to increase by 40 percent between 2010 and 2020, but only three percent of the rise will be from migration.

“Suburbs, which previously were considered youthful and family-friendly parts of America, will, as more seniors age in place, become a fast-graying part of our national landscape,” noted William Frey, a demographer at the Brookings Institution, a Washington, D.C. research organization. The huge growth in the number of Americans between 55 and 64 in the next few years will create a “senior tsunami,” Dr. Frey predicted.

The Sun Belt and the West will see the largest growth of the 55-64 age group, with the metropolitan areas of Atlanta, Austin, Las Vegas, Phoenix, and Raleigh, experiencing the greatest increases. The changing demographics will present both challenges and opportunities for the elderly and their communities, Frey said. The demand for elderly services in the suburbs will tax housing, health care, transportation, and social service delivery systems.

Food Stamp Facts

Excellence in running the program earns rewards: The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has awarded $30 million to states that demonstrated exceptional administration of the Food Stamp Program last year. Nebraska and Vermont were singled out for recognition, as they both reported a zero percent negative error rate – meaning every eligible individual in the quality control sample who applied for benefits was served. Nationally, the overall payment accuracy rate (measuring both overpayments and underpayments) for fiscal year 2006 was 94 percent.

USDA is giving out $24 million to 10 jurisdictions, including seven – South Dakota, Missouri, Washington, Mississippi, North Carolina, Hawaii, and the Virgin Islands – with the best payment accuracy rates, and three – Rhode Island, Idaho, and New York – with the most improved payment accuracy rates. Another $6 million is being divided among four states with the lowest negative error rates. They are, in addition to Vermont and Nebraska, Pennsylvania and South Dakota. Awards ranged from about $148,000 to over $9.8 million. For additional information, go to: http://www.fns.usda.gov/cga/PressReleases/2007/PR-0188.htm.

Proposed Legislation

Among bills recently introduced in the 110th session of the U.S. Congress are the following:

House Resolution (H.R.) 2720: Introduced by Representative Ron Kind (D-WI) and 18 bipartisan co-sponsors, the Food and Agriculture Risk Management for the 21st Century (FARM 21) Act would reform commodity programs to increase spending on nutrition, conservation, and energy programs, including the Food Stamp Program, The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP), Community Food Projects grants, and transportation programs.

For bill summary and status information, along with the text of legislation, visit: http://thomas.loc.gov and enter the bill number.

Obesity Round-Up

Accounting for a hefty share of Medicare costs: The latest analysis by a federal advisory group shows that obesity has significantly increased spending in the Medicare program while simultaneously increasing the prevalence of chronic health conditions. “The share of Medicare spending attributable to obese beneficiaries nearly tripled from 9.4 percent in 1987 to 24.8 percent in 2002,” the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission noted in its June 2007 report to Congress.

“Increased obesity rates among the Medicare population have not only increased the treated prevalence of chronic conditions, they have likely played a role in the spending increase over the last two decades because many obese people have multiple conditions such as hyperlipidemia, diabetes, and hypertension,” the Commission added. Review the 279-page report at: http://www.medpac.gov/documents/Jun07_EntireReport.pdf.

Information on Native obesity presented: A wealth of data and information on obesity among American Indians and Alaska Natives is included in a 169-page study released recently by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS). The study includes a literature review of the subject with listings of publications on prevalence, contributing factors, the consequences of obesity, and intervention research, along with the activities of four federal agencies, a report on a site visit to the Gila River Indian Community in southern Arizona, and a section on directions for future research. The study may be found at: http://www.fns.usda.gov/fdd/programs/fdpir/DHHS_obesityreport.htm.

Reports from the Field

There is trouble in paradise. The number of food insecure people may be smaller in Hawaii than in other states, but the impact of hunger is just as severe, as reported in the Honolulu Advertiser of June 18, 2007:

Hawaii’s largest Meals on Wheels program expects to cut 233 Oahu senior citizens from its home-delivery food service in three weeks because extra state money it has relied on for years will dry up next month. Lanakila Meals on Wheels already has a waiting list of 269 senior citizens, which is certain to grow next month when it starts reluctantly eliminating people from the program, said Remy Rueda, Lanakila Meals on Wheels’ director.

“We really haven’t had to make these kinds of cuts before,” Rueda said. “The need is already great so we’ll be having even more seniors who don’t eat.” Instead of serving 727 clients, Lanakila instead will deliver food to only 494 low-income senior citizens, Rueda said. Clients in dire situations will be eliminated from Lanakila last, Rueda said, such as those with medical conditions who live alone and with incomes below $1,000 per month. Those in the best financial and physical shape, living with a spouse and with other means of support are the most likely to be dropped first, Rueda said.

Starting July 1, Lanakila will no longer receive $238,000 in so-called “carryover” funds it gets from other state-financed programs that didn’t use the money each year, said Karen Miyake, who administers state and federal funds to Lanakila Meals on Wheels as the county executive on aging for Honolulu’s Elderly Affairs Division. “It’s like having a savings account,” Miyake said. “When you don’t have enough money, you keep using your savings account until it’s gone. Well, now we no longer have the state carryover funds to sustain us.”

Similar programs on the Neighbor Islands receive most of their funds from their counties and don’t face the same kind of budget cut next month and have no plans to eliminate clients, they said.

Oahu’s other major program, Hawaii Meals on Wheels, will see a similar but much smaller funding drop next month. It delivers meals to 250 to 300 seniors each day and expects to lose $3,084 in carryover funds in three weeks, which translates into 643 meals over the course of a year, said Claire Shimabukuro, Hawaii Meals on Wheels’ executive director. “Three thousand dollars doesn’t seem like a lot of money,” Shimabukuro said, “but it is when it affects seniors. Many of the people we see will only eat that one meal that we provide.”

Unlike Lanakila, Hawaii Meals on Wheels does not plan to eliminate clients and hopes to make up the difference through donations and fundraising. “We’re going to have to do a lot more scraping for money,” Shimabukuro said. “It’s definitely going to affect us. But we have no plans to turn anybody away.”

Senate Bill 1916, which passed the Legislature and sits on Governor Linda Lingle’s desk, would release $500,000 to the state Office on Aging for various programs. The non-profit Lanakila Meals on Wheels program would be eligible for some of that money. Once that money comes in, Lanakila will be able to resume meal service to 61 of the 233 senior citizens cut off on July 1, Rueda said.

“Hawaii’s senior population continues to age faster than the Mainland,” Rueda said. “For some of our clients, the only well-balanced meal they receive all day comes from us.” Yesterday, 91-year-old Edna Franken took a tiny bite of a barbecued chicken meal delivered to her Liliha apartment by Lanakila Meals on Wheels and in a small, halting voice declared it “delicious.” “I don’t know what we’d do without them,” Franken said of Lanakila and the people who bring her food each week.

But next month Franken and her 88-year-old husband, Ernest, may be forced to find out.
“He used to do all of the cooking,” Edna said. “But now he can’t see anymore.” She then looked over a tray filled with chicken, rice, salad and an orange, surrounded by bread, butter and milk provided by Lanakila. “This is our whole big meal,” she said. “I really thank them for the good meals they bring.”

Robert Fraser, 65, lives alone and relies on the five hot meals he receives Monday through Friday from Lanakila and the two delivered frozen meals that carry him through the weekends. “It’s really been a blessing,” said Fraser, who has been on disability for 25 years because of scoliosis that forces him to walk with a cane. “I eat once per day and this is it.” Fraser lives alone and, like other Lanakila clients, looks forward to his daily visitor from Lanakila. He learns about their lives and loves to share his. “I delight in talking,” Fraser said. “I love the sound of my voice.”

Lanakila’s drivers do much more than just deliver food, Rueda said. They monitor clients’ overall well-being, make mental notes about their appearance and hygiene, look for possible signs of abuse and frequently refer people to social service agencies for a range of needs, from financial to physical. “It’s not just the meal,” Rueda said. “We link them to food stamps, Social Security, social services and report suspicious activity to the police.”

The food deliveries often are the only social contact that a person has each day, said Shimabukuro of Hawaii Meals on Wheels. “Food is so basic, and bringing it to people who need it the most affects people emotionally,” Shimabukuro said. “A society that can’t provide that really needs to look at its priorities.”

Small Bites

Who’s minding the store?: There are currently seven square feet of commercial storage space available for every American.

Miles of piles: Nationwide, self-storage units now cover 72 square miles of the U.S., an area the size of San Francisco and Manhattan combined.

A nation of packrats: One of every 11 American households rents storage space.

No parking: Most two-car garages have one or no car in them.

Reduced activity: American women prefer organizing their closets to losing weight.

Disappearing acts: Americans spend nearly an hour a day looking for things they know they own but cannot find.

mvauthier :: Jul.06.2007 :: Foodlinks America :: No Comments »:: Print This Post

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