June 12th, 2008

The Times Leader editorialized today asking why our state budget process always seems to hurt those that need help the most.  They are referring to the flat-funding given to mental health and mental retardation agencies.

Mental health agencies asked this year for a mere 3% increase in funding to keep up with inflation.  They say that basically, “the governor’s administration told them: Get in line and ask for it.

Oh, and be prepared to do the same thing next year.”

Advocates for these facilities that treat the mentally ill, ask why they should be required to hold rallies and lobby days every year to ask for funding?  Rallies take resources, time and money and often aren’t guaranteed success.  In those years when these facilities aren’t given a cost-of-living adjustment the programs suffer, employees suffer, and patients who need help are put on wait lists.

The Times-Leader asks, “Why should the region’s mentally disabled individuals and their parents be rounded up each year, transported to Harrisburg and paraded before legislators and the news media to state their case for additional funding?

The Times-Leader finds something very wrong with the current budget process and asks that local legislators lead the way to change the way it  works.