Comments on: Action: MH/DD Services To Be Decimated, and There Is No Safety Net http://scrutinyhooligans.us/2009/06/02/shortsighted/ If ye love wealth better than liberty, the tranquility of servitude better than the animating contest of freedom, go home from us in peace. We ask not your counsels or your arms. Crouch down and lick the hands which feed you. May your chains set lightly upon you, and may posterity forget that you were our countrymen. — Samuel Adams Fri, 10 Feb 2012 17:18:32 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Kai Schwandes http://scrutinyhooligans.us/2009/06/02/shortsighted/comment-page-1/#comment-30870 Kai Schwandes Wed, 03 Jun 2009 19:51:00 +0000 http://scrutinyhooligans.us/?p=8155#comment-30870 WooHoo!Change is happening all over the place .... maybe not quite the change we thought we worked for?????? All the phone calling and protesting will never make true change happening .... is it time to admit that our 2 party system is broken???? And who is willing to really work for change?(don't answer that one hahaha) WooHoo!Change is happening all over the place …. maybe not quite the change we thought we worked for??????

All the phone calling and protesting will never make true change happening …. is it time to admit that our 2 party system is broken????

And who is willing to really work for change?(don’t answer that one hahaha)

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]]> By: Mortise Tortoise http://scrutinyhooligans.us/2009/06/02/shortsighted/comment-page-1/#comment-30859 Mortise Tortoise Wed, 03 Jun 2009 03:35:27 +0000 http://scrutinyhooligans.us/?p=8155#comment-30859 People in postions of power who make wrong decsions that affect the powerless have poisoned minds. The poisons of the mind are ignorance, anger, attachment, jealousy and pride. True peacemakers have made peace with these poisons and will act accordingly to combat poisoned proposals peacefully. Power to the peaceful! People in postions of power who make wrong decsions that affect the powerless have poisoned minds. The poisons of the mind are ignorance, anger, attachment, jealousy and pride. True peacemakers have made peace with these poisons and will act accordingly to combat poisoned proposals peacefully.

Power to the peaceful!

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]]> By: Doug Gibson http://scrutinyhooligans.us/2009/06/02/shortsighted/comment-page-1/#comment-30853 Doug Gibson Tue, 02 Jun 2009 23:49:28 +0000 http://scrutinyhooligans.us/?p=8155#comment-30853 <i>Thank you, Heath Shuler, for being a principled voice against providing aid to states in this financial crisis. Had it not been for your leadership, and the leadership of other centrist Democrats on this issue, North Carolina might have had an easier time providing mental health services to its neediest citizens. And we certainly wouldn't have wanted that to happen.</i> Okay, snark aside, the current cutting frenzy was totally predictable. In addition, folks like Paul Krugman were warning about this precise scenario - the counter-stimulus of cutting state jobs and putting independent providers out of work. I don't doubt for a moment that Shuler thinks of human services as an important part of what the government does. But I do think that his prejudice against <i>funding</i> human services through the stimulus bill, and his prejudice in favor of giving big companies big money to build big things (my translation of "we should spend more on infrastructure and renewable energy") - these prejudices were incredibly short-sighted. Thank you, Heath Shuler, for being a principled voice against providing aid to states in this financial crisis.

Had it not been for your leadership, and the leadership of other centrist Democrats on this issue, North Carolina might have had an easier time providing mental health services to its neediest citizens.

And we certainly wouldn’t have wanted that to happen.

Okay, snark aside, the current cutting frenzy was totally predictable. In addition, folks like Paul Krugman were warning about this precise scenario – the counter-stimulus of cutting state jobs and putting independent providers out of work.

I don’t doubt for a moment that Shuler thinks of human services as an important part of what the government does. But I do think that his prejudice against funding human services through the stimulus bill, and his prejudice in favor of giving big companies big money to build big things (my translation of “we should spend more on infrastructure and renewable energy”) – these prejudices were incredibly short-sighted.

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]]> By: Gordon Smith http://scrutinyhooligans.us/2009/06/02/shortsighted/comment-page-1/#comment-30849 Gordon Smith Tue, 02 Jun 2009 20:38:24 +0000 http://scrutinyhooligans.us/?p=8155#comment-30849 Audio from the Tuesday, June 2, meeting of the House Health and Human Appropriations Committee is available at: http://ncmentalhope.org/HouseHHSAp060209.mp3 or download (10 mb and preferable for less bandwidth use and greater flexibility in listening) at: http://ncmentalhope.org/HouseHHSAp060209.mp3.zip (Double click on the downloaded zip file to produce the mp3 file on your desktop.) The committee will be meeting again Thursday after the general session of the House to make provisions to its budget recommendation. Email addresses of committee members as well as a written report on the committee meeting will be circulated via this newsletter by tomorrow morning. The meeting today is well worth listening to because it gives insight into the complexity, confusion and frustration of committee members over the budgeting process. Most of the first part of the audio is legislative staff reporting on the differences in the budget recommendations passed Friday and the budget figures presented today (I and some members of the committee don't really understand). The second half of the audio is committee members' thoughts on the recommendations. At this point the audio can only be accessed by the links above and not yet posted on the NC Mental Hope website. As usual, quality of the recording is inconsistent. David Cornwell Executive Director North Carolina Mental Hope Audio from the Tuesday, June 2, meeting of the House Health and Human Appropriations Committee is available at:

http://ncmentalhope.org/HouseHHSAp060209.mp3

or download (10 mb and preferable for less bandwidth use and greater flexibility in listening) at:

http://ncmentalhope.org/HouseHHSAp060209.mp3.zip

(Double click on the downloaded zip file to produce the mp3 file on your desktop.)

The committee will be meeting again Thursday after the general session of the House to make provisions to its budget recommendation. Email addresses of committee members as well as a written report on the committee meeting will be circulated via this newsletter by tomorrow morning.

The meeting today is well worth listening to because it gives insight into the complexity, confusion and frustration of committee members over the budgeting process. Most of the first part of the audio is legislative staff reporting on the differences in the budget recommendations passed Friday and the budget figures presented today (I and some members of the committee don’t really understand).

The second half of the audio is committee members’ thoughts on the recommendations.

At this point the audio can only be accessed by the links above and not yet posted on the NC Mental Hope website. As usual, quality of the recording is inconsistent.

David Cornwell
Executive Director
North Carolina Mental Hope

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]]> By: Linda http://scrutinyhooligans.us/2009/06/02/shortsighted/comment-page-1/#comment-30844 Linda Tue, 02 Jun 2009 18:03:51 +0000 http://scrutinyhooligans.us/?p=8155#comment-30844 I just made these calls. It literally took less than 5 minutes. I got two message machines and one live person at the Speaker's office. He says the phones are ringing off the hook. I just made these calls. It literally took less than 5 minutes. I got two message machines and one live person at the Speaker’s office. He says the phones are ringing off the hook.

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]]> By: Bryan Freeborn http://scrutinyhooligans.us/2009/06/02/shortsighted/comment-page-1/#comment-30842 Bryan Freeborn Tue, 02 Jun 2009 17:43:45 +0000 http://scrutinyhooligans.us/?p=8155#comment-30842 Dave, Check out conversation on firings over at my FB links. http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/posted.php?id=663973141&share_id=86078793961&post_id=86078793961&comments Dave,

Check out conversation on firings over at my FB links. http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/posted.php?id=663973141&share_id=86078793961&post_id=86078793961&comments

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]]> By: Gordon Smith http://scrutinyhooligans.us/2009/06/02/shortsighted/comment-page-1/#comment-30839 Gordon Smith Tue, 02 Jun 2009 13:41:04 +0000 http://scrutinyhooligans.us/?p=8155#comment-30839 Dave, I'm more intimately acquainted with the mental health field by virtue of my profession, but the education cuts exhibit the same sort of shortsighted, generational mistake that could portend dark days for North Carolina. Dave,

I’m more intimately acquainted with the mental health field by virtue of my profession, but the education cuts exhibit the same sort of shortsighted, generational mistake that could portend dark days for North Carolina.

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]]> By: Linda Cloud http://scrutinyhooligans.us/2009/06/02/shortsighted/comment-page-1/#comment-30836 Linda Cloud Tue, 02 Jun 2009 13:24:42 +0000 http://scrutinyhooligans.us/?p=8155#comment-30836 I'll make the calls, and pass the word in this part of the state. This is important. I’ll make the calls, and pass the word in this part of the state. This is important.

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]]> By: bobaloo http://scrutinyhooligans.us/2009/06/02/shortsighted/comment-page-1/#comment-30835 bobaloo Tue, 02 Jun 2009 13:19:56 +0000 http://scrutinyhooligans.us/?p=8155#comment-30835 Thanks for highlighting this Gordon. The cuts basically translate to sacrificing the weakest members of our society to save money. It's absolutely horrific. I hope all hooligans will take the few minutes needed to contact the House leadership. It really does mean a lot. Thanks for highlighting this Gordon. The cuts basically translate to sacrificing the weakest members of our society to save money. It’s absolutely horrific.

I hope all hooligans will take the few minutes needed to contact the House leadership. It really does mean a lot.

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