Hi Folks ~ Below is an exact copy of a form letter I received today from our own representative Boucher. Thanks to George W., we continue to lose the important funding needed most in this country at present. Below Mr. Boucher's response to the people of Virginia, is the letter which many of our mental health consumers throughout the state, signed and sent to Mr. Boucher's office. Perhaps you want to read that letter first, and then scroll back to Mr. Boucher's response. This original format would not allow me to copy and paste the letters in proper order here, for some reason unknown to me...

April 16th marked the year anniversary of the tragic murders at the Virginia Tech. campus in Blacksburg, Virginia. Really smart move George; to cut funding for the mentally ill.

I am blessed with coverage for my medical needs, under my husband's insurance policy; however, so many people who suffer with very severe illnesses and/or substance abuse problems, do not have insurance coverage; except that which they manage to have through medicaid. Many of these people would love to work, but are not in a position to work at this time. Many may never be able to work a public job. What indeed should we do with these people? New programs are beginning, in order that we may keep people like Cho (who murdered the Tech. students and faculty members) from slipping through the cracks. With these enormous cuts in funding, the mental health systems in this state, and across the country will never be able to see them through properly.

Thanks to our "let's go get 'em boys" president, the United States Embassy building which was recently completed in Iraq, houses an olympic-sized swimming pool for the embassy guys and gals who may be there for the next hundred years or so.....and they only need upwards of $35 million per year, to pay the security people they will hire to watch over them so they may swim in safety.

Here are the letters:

    Congress of the United States  

House of Representatives

Rick Boucher

9th District, Virginia

April 18, 2008

Thank you for contacting me to express your support for increased funding for federal programs which provide mental health care services.

I appreciate your taking the time to write, and I assure you that I share your views.  

You and I agree on the importance of ensuring access to mental health care services in underserved and rural communities like Southwest Virginia.  Throughout my service in Congress, I have strongly supported measures to provide rural hospitals and mental health professionals with subsidies and funding opportunities to improve access in rural areas like Southwest Virginia.

 As you mention, Medicaid provides many essential mental health care services to low-income individuals. Unfortunately, the President’s budget proposal for FY 2009 calls for reductions of $17 billion in Medicaid expenditures over the next five years. You can be assured that I will make every effort to defeat the President’s proposal which would have a devastating effect on the delivery of health care and mental health care services in our region and across the nation.    

Ensuring that Southwest Virginians have convenient access to the health care they need, including mental health services, is a high priority of my office.

You can be assured of my continued support for increased federal funding of mental health initiatives as the House of Representatives considers appropriations legislation for FY 2009.

Thank you again for contacting me.  With kind regards and best wishes, I remain,     

Sincerely,

Rick Boucher, Member of Congress

 RB/cd

-----Original Message-----

Representative Rick Boucher

Independence Avenue and 1st Street, SW

Washington, DC 20515-4609

Dear Representative Boucher,

The federal budget should mirror our nation's priorities. Surely one of those is health-security for the most vulnerable in this country, particularly those with or at risk of mental illness. But given a budget that proposes further deep cuts to Medicaid and drastic funding reductions in a wide-range of programs critical to a sound health policy, Congress must reject this plan and substitute new priorities.

I urge that those priorities include fostering health promotion and prevention of mental illness, integration of recovery-focused mental health care with general health care, and behavioral health research.

Regrettably, the President's budget will hurt vulnerable Americans, especially those with mental illnesses. Among its most troubling targets exacerbating earlier reductions -- is the Medicaid program, which currently funds over 50 percent of state and local spending on mental health. On the heels of already-launched regulatory efforts to cut billions in Medicaid services, the budget would shrink Medicaid funding by another $18 billion over five years, and in doing so would further weaken and even destabilize the program. Particularly troublesome are cuts of more than $1 billion in case-management services, a repeal of special protections for children with special needs and Medicare beneficiaries at a "savings" of more than $2 billion, and slashing more than $5 billion in "streamlined" state Medicaid financing. These and other Administration proposals would abandon many low-income Americans who need the critical support Medicaid provides, and would likely induce states to take up even sharper Medicaid reductions as they face an economic downturn. It is the wrong target and would worsen already-building economic problems.

In addition, the Administration's plan seeks to drastically cut funding of a wide range of other federal programs critical to people with or at risk of mental health problems. To illustrate, it slashes by 14% support for the sole federal agency devoted to promoting effective mental health services, the Center for Mental Health Services. Percentages or even dollars don't capture the impact of a budget that would abruptly wipe out or decimate funding for more than 20 highly effective programs ranging from youth suicide prevention to supporting the mental health needs of seniors to ending the use of seclusion and restraints. The impact of the budget plan would be cumulative, though, with cuts to multiple departments and agencies across a wide range of program areas vital to mental health and wellness.

We stand on the threshold of achieving monumental changes in the lives and futures of people with or at risk of mental health problems, but such achievement requires dedicated commitment to areas ranging from research, health promotion, prevention services, public health, workforce development, housing, education, and employment. These must be areas of robust investment, not fiscal retreat.