Governor’s Proposed Cut for Mentally Ill Assailed

SACRAMENTO —  Thousands of mentally ill people, their relatives and health-care providers demonstrated outside the Capitol Monday, calling on Gov. George Deukmejian to abandon his threat to cut $200 million from the mental health budget.

“Are we being paranoid or is the governor really out to get us?” asked Jay Mahler, one of several former mental health patients who addressed the crowd. “We need to let the governor and the Legislature know that cutting the mental health budget by one-third and destroying the community mental health system is unacceptable.”

Deukmejian has pledged to reduce the mental health budget by $200 million if the Democratic-controlled Legislature insists on giving an annual cost-of-living increase to recipients of welfare and aid to the aged, blind and disabled.

The Republican governor contends there is not enough money in his proposed $47.8-billion budget to go around. Furthermore, he says he has little flexibility in preparing the spending plan because of Proposition 98, which requires that 40% of the state budget go to education.

But the demonstrators rejected Deukmejian’s logic and insisted that he should increase funds for both the mentally ill and recipients of state aid.

“It’s Crazy to Disregard the Mentally Ill,” said a sign carried by one protester. “George Deukmejian, What if Your Son Was Mentally Ill?” read another.

State police estimated that 2,500 people attended the demonstration, many of whom traveled by bus from as far away as Los Angeles and San Diego counties. Organizers of the protest insisted the crowd was closer to 5,000 and said that about a third of them were mentally ill people who depend on county mental health services.

Politicians at Rally

Dozens of speakers, including Assembly Speaker Willie Brown (D-San Francisco), Assembly Ways and Means Committee Chairman John Vasconcellos (D-Santa Clara), Senate Majority Leader Barry Keene (D-Benicia) and Assemblyman William J. Filante (R-Greenbrae), addressed the rally and called on the governor not to cut funds for mental health.

“A show of force like this will dissuade the governor from this ridiculous course of action,” Assembly Health Committee Chairman Bruce Bronzan (D-Fresno) told the crowd.

Democratic Lt. Gov. Leo T. McCarthy said the governor’s plan to slash mental health funds amounts to a 46% reduction in services. “His blue pencil will be as destructive as any assault weapon we’ve been reading about,” McCarthy said.

Other speakers charged that California’s mental health system is already in a serious state of collapse, with eight mental health clinics in Los Angeles County already slated to close because of a lack of money.

After the two-hour rally, hundreds of demonstrators stood peacefully in a long line that wound its way through the Capitol as they awaited a chance to deliver hand-written messages protesting the proposed cutbacks to the governor’s office.

Tom Beermann, Deukmejian’s deputy press secretary, said the governor is not eager to cut mental health programs but would find it necessary if the Legislature rejects his plan to withhold cost-of-living increases for those who receive welfare and aid to the aged, blind and disabled.

“What the governor has clearly indicated is that the proposal to reduce funding for mental health programs is something he would prefer not to do,” Beermann said. “The lack of flexibility created by Proposition 98 puts the governor in this position.”

Assemblyman Terry B. Friedman (D-Los Angeles), however, charged that the governor is “vindictive” and is “being a bully.” He said that 95% of those who receive help from the state’s mental health system also receive welfare or aid to the aged, blind and disabled. Either way the governor cuts the budget, he said, these people will suffer.

“The thought of pitting one group of sick and disabled needy people against each other is disturbing, but it’s also senseless, because (in many cases) they are the same people,” Friedman said.