Mental health must be priority

I have heard the scuttlebutt about the psychiatric units at A.O. Fox Memorial Hospital closing and diminishing services in Otsego County. I have heard the excuse is funding.

Money never seemed to stop hospital expansion and all the new changes over the years at Fox. All the galas over the years seemed to be successes to the outside eye.

County priorities are very interesting. Tourism takes hold in Otsego County with new baseball ventures, and there is the Soccer Hall of Fame right in Oneonta. SUCO is in the business of image-changing. I wonder, are we trying to sweep the blight of mental illness out of Otsego County?

It seems when anything not-so-socially appealing, like a homeless shelter or mental health services, is at issue, the debate always errs on the side of fear with a whole host of excuses in tow.

Mental illness is not a crime, it is a disease. Get educated. When you close down mental health services, you will see homelessness go up, you will see untreated mental health issues turn into substance abuse issues and crime, you will see you and your family members shipped across the state because you do not have the backbone to provide the help they need at home.

Good luck!

I almost moved back to Oneonta. I am so glad I avoided making that decision. I wouldn’t want to have to ship out again.

Karen E. Stoeger
Owego
Stoeger says she is a recovering recipient of mental heath services.

As a flood victim from the devastating floods of 2006, I commiserate with all those who suffered from the flooding in Colchester. The loss of lives and property is shocking and shattering to those who experienced this flood.

Colchester, whether because of natural topography or the location of the Pepacton Reservoir, or both, has suffered at least five floods in the last four years. In addition, it has participated in two federal disaster area declarations in the last year.

Therefore, I have to ask _ is it worth allowing people to continue to live in the town? Might the interests of everyone be best served by either convincing the residents of the town to voluntarily sell their property to the DEP and to relocate, or to have the town (with DEP, state and federal financial assistance) take the property of those unwilling to sell by eminent domain, transfer it to the DEP, and then for the town to transfer ownership of the major roads to the county and state and then dissolve it?

How many more lives will be lost, and how much more property damage will the town and the people suffer, before those in authority finally decide that the cost of trying to maintain Colchester as a town and as a residential area is too high?

Jeffrey Harris
Davenport