DEAR MR. BERRY: I appreciate the information copy of your grant number CG8153 A/O to Corpus Christi Jobs for Progress. Inc.. to conduct migrant education and training in the Corpus Christi area. We have conducted a study of this package. and I feel compelled to bring certain questions to your attention. Our first concern is that the services provided under this plan closely duplicate those currently being provided throughout South Texas by this office. through the Texas Education Agency. but at approximately three times the cost per enrollee of the state operated project. The immediate result. since our proposal was drastically reduced. is to deprive approximately 120 migrants of much needed education. counseling and job placement. The second basic question would concern the advisability of superimposing this project squarely on top of those projects being operated by this office in the same geographic area. and without any consultation with this office. the area Community Action Agency. employment security. or local education agencies. This can only result in confusion and friction at the local level. reduced utilization of the tax dollar. and in my judgment. cannot even be justified as a demonstration. since the similar privately operated project in Mathis. only a few miles away. has already demonstrated that some success can be achieved. but at a higher cost and with the result of further alienating the migrant from the public institutions that can draw him into th larger society. I realize that this grant has already been made. and that there is no way to reclaim these much needed dollars. However. I am concerned as to whether there will be a continued siphoning of funds from the state project into these new duplicative experimental projects such as the one in Beaumont where no migrants reside and labor is at a premium. In developing our state migrant plan for this year. which also involves a massive effort by the Texas Employment Commission. and includes such promising features as the LingTemcoVaught migrant employment project. we consulted closely with Mr. Tom Karter. head of your migrant division. He assured us that our basic program had met all tests. and that this was the year to "go all out" in numbers of enrollees. development of training programs. and jobs. Now. a few months later.
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