By now, we all know that the area's libraries, senior citizen centers and other state programs were "cut" by millions of dollars at the last minute of the recent Legislative Session.
We know that these cuts were made to give out tax cuts to the wealthiest of the state's citizens and to also re-instate a promised tax cut made in the previous 89th General Assembly.
We also know that some temporary General Improvement Fund sources were used after these 'cuts' were made to restore temporary funding to these agencies.
But what we do NOT know is WHEN and IF these funds will be restored back to these agencies in the future.
A temporary fix to a permanent cut to an agency's budget does not mean in the upcoming 91st Legislative Session that the funds will be reinstated to the levels before the cuts were made.
The state AARP, an all-volunteer group, is not standing by and simply hoping these funds will be restored to the state's Division of Aging and Adult Services Senior Citizens Budget.
They are taking action.
The AARP volunteers are mailing out empty white paper plates emblazoned with a message of our state Representatives, state Senators and yes, even Gov. Asa Hutchinson.
The message is pretty simple: Support Funding for Senior Meals.
If the support for funding senior meals is not reinstated, state wide, there will be 127,000 empty plates.
That is 127,000 fewer meals for Arkansas' Senior Citizens than were filled in 2014.
These 127,000 meals will be lost unless the $1 million is restored to the budget of the Division of Aging and Adults Services Senior Centers.
The false and misleading promise of continuing to tap GIF monies -- which are funds left over after all the state's obligations are met -- is unsure year to year.
And all GIF funds, administered by the state's nine Economic and Development Districts, are subject to political pressures to be directed in other areas if expended at all.
Arkansas is No. 1 in the nation in senior citizen hunger.
What a ranking to have of all 50 states. Arkansas is No. 1 in senior citizens going hungry in their own homes.
A local director of one of the area's senior centers in Northwest Arkansas told me on most of the "home visits" there is simply not enough food in the home to sustain the senior for the entire week.
If you have been on a recent grocery shopping trip lately, you know that the cost of groceries has gone up and gone up far faster than the economy.
The message AARP chapters all over Arkansas are sending to state lawmakers is simple and direct.
Temporary use funding was used for the current year. Those cuts will be sustained in the future and adequate funding must be restored to the base. If not restored there will be, at first blush, 127,000 fewer meals served to senior citizens in future budget years.
Do not be fooled, Mr. And Mrs. Taxpayer when the elected officials tell you this "has been corrected and take care of..."
It has not.
There is also no "magical" federal funding match or federal program which can fill this gap.
Stare at these 'empty plates' pleas and wonder why no one but the AARP is talking about senior hunger.
Yes, there are area food pantry programs plus church and community programs for feeding the needy, poor and children in need of proper nutrition. These are fine programs, but not geared to seniors as the Division of Aging and Adult Services Senior Centers are established to do.
It is time we ask all these candidates running for re-election and getting on this early in-state ballot what they are going to do to restore these funds for senior hunger?
We await their answers.
-- Maylon Rice is a former journalist who worked for several northwest Arkansas publications. He can be reached via email at [email protected]. The opinions expressed are those of the author.
Editorial on 09/30/2015