Mental Health Measure: Healing or Hurtful?

Proposition 63, the mental health initiative, is designed to correct California’s inhumane, penny-wise/pound-foolish policy of underfunding mental health treatment for its citizens, even during times of budget surpluses. During the last 35 years, we have emptied our psychiatric hospitals, trans-institutionalizing, at the cost of hundreds of millions, many of our mentally ill in prisons and jails.

Thousands more are now on the streets. Ironically, approximately 40,000 people were discharged into the community after 1987, and 40,000 is the current estimate of our mentally ill prison population.

I regret that in the face of this serious failure of public policy toward our most vulnerable citizens, The Times saw fit to stand on the principle of refusing to support a tax by initiative. Even in economic terms, it makes little sense. The legislative analyst projects total taxpayer savings resulting from Proposition 63 improvements in mental health services would be hundreds of millions of dollars annually from reduced costs for state prison and county jail operations, medical care, homeless shelters and social services programs.

Jan Winter

Santa Barbara

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I am the founder of Dome Village, a cluster of dome dwellings established in Los Angeles for the homeless. I have lived with the homeless for 20 years, and have been an advocate for them. The supporters of Proposition 63 tell us they want to tax rich people and then help the homeless. This simply shows an ignorance of homelessness.

The homeless I have met do not want further torment and abuse at the hands of the mental health system. They do not want additional false promises of help from it. About 70% of the homeless I have met are suffering from the effects of mind-numbing psychiatric drugs given them, or that they are still required to take. A large percentage of them were disabled by the mental health system and then turned out onto the streets.

The homeless need programs based on a philosophy of responsibility, self-government and respect for individuals and the community. Proposition 63 will not provide such programs.

Ted Hayes

Los Angeles