Disir
Platinum Member
- Sep 30, 2011
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On March 3, Mental Health Movement members Debbie Delgado and Matt Ginsberg-Jaeckle confronted Emanuel during a neighborhood campaign stop in Wicker Park. Delgado stood up in front of the gathered audience and related her experience with the Northwest Mental Health Clinic. After losing one son to gun violence, she and her other son received what Delgado described as invaluable support at the city clinic, which closed in 2012. Ginsberg-Jaeckle filmed the encounter.
While Delgado told part of her story, she and Ginsberg-Jaeckle were nearly escorted out of the meeting by the mayor's staff. Mayor Emanuel began responding by saying that “to govern is to choose” and quickly pivoted to speak about neighborhood playgrounds. Later in the meeting, he referenced his own congressional actions on mental health parity but never publically addressed the clinic closures.
After the public meeting, Emanuel spoke with Delgado and Ginsberg-Jaeckle in a brief, closed-door meeting. Ginsberg-Jaeckle described what happened next.
....When the Mental Health Movement filed Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests with the Health Department, they say they discovered that Emanuel’s $2.3 million mental health budget cut did not lead to the expansion of services, as the mayor has asserted.
“Of that $2.3 million, he took $500,000 and gave it in small grants to private providers,” explained Ginsberg-Jaeckle. He says that information from city documents released through FOIA requests have not revealed how many city clinic consumers were able to receive mental health services from the private providers. Since the day Emanuel announced the clinic closures, he says, the city’s mental health client rolls were reduced by 3,000.
After Rahm Emanuel s Alleged Explosion Mental Health Activists Demand Respect - In These Times
Ok, for those of you that don't know there is a run off between Chuy Garcy and Rahm Emanuel. Just so you know the bias going in.
That said, I want to point out that this is a problem with many of the elected Democrats. Don't listen to what they say, watch what they do.
Many Democrats are neoliberal. They like to keep the focus on social ills (both real and imaginary) so that you don't pay attention to the policies. You see this with immigration. The Republicans are only too happy to do the same with fictitious culture wars. You see this with immigration.
While Delgado told part of her story, she and Ginsberg-Jaeckle were nearly escorted out of the meeting by the mayor's staff. Mayor Emanuel began responding by saying that “to govern is to choose” and quickly pivoted to speak about neighborhood playgrounds. Later in the meeting, he referenced his own congressional actions on mental health parity but never publically addressed the clinic closures.
After the public meeting, Emanuel spoke with Delgado and Ginsberg-Jaeckle in a brief, closed-door meeting. Ginsberg-Jaeckle described what happened next.
....When the Mental Health Movement filed Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests with the Health Department, they say they discovered that Emanuel’s $2.3 million mental health budget cut did not lead to the expansion of services, as the mayor has asserted.
“Of that $2.3 million, he took $500,000 and gave it in small grants to private providers,” explained Ginsberg-Jaeckle. He says that information from city documents released through FOIA requests have not revealed how many city clinic consumers were able to receive mental health services from the private providers. Since the day Emanuel announced the clinic closures, he says, the city’s mental health client rolls were reduced by 3,000.
After Rahm Emanuel s Alleged Explosion Mental Health Activists Demand Respect - In These Times
Ok, for those of you that don't know there is a run off between Chuy Garcy and Rahm Emanuel. Just so you know the bias going in.
That said, I want to point out that this is a problem with many of the elected Democrats. Don't listen to what they say, watch what they do.
Many Democrats are neoliberal. They like to keep the focus on social ills (both real and imaginary) so that you don't pay attention to the policies. You see this with immigration. The Republicans are only too happy to do the same with fictitious culture wars. You see this with immigration.
