A public safety net
Published: Wed, Feb. 13, 2008 12:30AM
Modified Wed, Feb. 13, 2008 07:12AM
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closeRegarding the Feb. 6 article "Mental health provider cutting service," the writing has been on the wall since the Department of Health and Human Services slashed service rates for community support services in March 2007. This was a hasty and foolish attempt to correct overspending that resulted from the department's failure to plan effectively and to listen to concerns that were raised when the original plan was being formulated.
Given the real suffering and financial waste the department's poor leadership has caused, there is no pleasure in saying "we told you so."
Secretary Dempsey Benton has injected some hope into the system and is making a real effort to pull the reform effort out of the ditch. Let's hope that both he and the legislature are willing to acknowledge the fact that private providers will not save this system.
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It is long past time to rethink the idea that there is no place for a public safety net for our most vulnerable citizens.
Mark Sullivan
Carrboro
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