HomeMy WebLinkAboutE-mail from Jerry Gilstrap - B.H. Budget Cuts Page 1 of 1
Moghannam, Kathleen
From: Condon, Meegan
Sent: Friday, August 15, 2008 3:03 PM
To: Moghannam, Kathleen
Subject: FW: Butte County Behaviorial Health budget cuts
From: Jwg3426@cs.com [mailto:Jwg3426@cs.com]
Sent: Thursday, August 14, 2008 7:47 AM
To: Connelly, Bill; Josiassen, Curt; Dolan, Jane; Yamaguchi, Kim; Kirk, Maureen
Subject: Butte County Behaviorial Health budget cuts
Dear supervisors; This email is to address the cuts to services at Butte County
Behavioral health. As intelligent people you are all aware that the quality and mercy
of leadership is defined by their passion for those who are in most dire need whom
they serve.
Our government's failure to balance the budget, then attempting to do so on the backs of the most vulnerable, the
least able to fight back, and the ones with no
rich lobbyists is breaking the morale of the country, and your constituents.
I am one of several individuals who avail themselves of a service at Butte County
Behavioral health in a weekly meeting under the heading "Codependents".
Our numbers vary weekly from 3 to 15, but we have faithfully attended, some for over
5 years without missing a meeting. There was no charge for this meeting, so it has
been axed unceremoniously. No regard for the devastation to those of us who rely
on the leadership of Mary Ann and Dan to help us be productive people.
The bottom line of this cut is pure and simple. Money. No consideration for the
angst of the victims.
I, and the others in our codependent group who are outraged, have decided to voice
our unhappiness.
You are our elected leaders. You and our senators and congress persons have failed
in being good stewards, and we, the poor and the defenseless are being forced to
pay the price, and we have no say in the matter, except for maybe in the next elections. The problem is, because
the people who must use Butte County Behavioral health are for the most part more dysfunctional and unable to
contribute
to the political process and of course we do not have rich lobbyists.
Cutting this group is like cutting an arm off. I have noticed that few administrative
positions have been eliminated, no politicians are taking cuts in pay or having their
daily per diem reduced, but you all are quick to cut the life blood of those of us who
seriously need assistance.
With Medi-Cals share of cost program those of us in the codependent group could
not be reassigned to other programs, so we have lost 100%with no chance of
recovery. This group has been in existence for over 15 years with a statiscally
high success rate, but by your actions you have removed a support system from
some truly wonderful people.
I feel sorry for you that you have to make these decisions. I do not feel sorry for you
that you make the wrong decisions for the wrong reasons. Cancelling this group
was a mistake.
Jerry Gilstrap, jwg3426@cs.com
AUG 19 ��-J ,
�_ r RIO ILLE,CAL- - ,_:
8118/2008