Editorial: Dix agreement beneficial but more work is necessary

The Greenville Daily Reflector had a strong editorial on the Dix campus transfer controversy this morning. It highlights two main points:

#1 – The plan is generally good for the public interest:

“Gov. Beverly Perdue brushed aside her critics’ concerns last week by pushing through a plan that leases the Dorothea Dix Hospital campus to the city of Raleigh for use as parkland. Some Republican leaders called on Perdue to defer a decision to Governor-Elect Pat McCrory, but the resulting agreement preserves that open space, serving that community and the long-term interests of residents.”

#2 – The plan, however, highlights once more the state’s abysmal failure to serve persons with mental illness and disabilities:

“The lease agreement over Dix Hospital is projected to create a net gain for the state, but it should benefit those who rely on mental health services for care. North Carolina cannot continue to neglect this area of need without harmful repercussions, and morality dictates that it should not. In light of this deal, the state should move to add funding to mental health so that the benefit of shuttering Dix is shared with those who were pushed out its doors.”