Tag: mental illness

The sudden conservative concern for persons with mental illness

April 1, 2013 at 8:34 amCategory:Uncategorized

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One of the most frustrating parts of the General Assembly’s ongoing move to renege on the Dix Park deal has been the out-of-the-blue concern that has materialized from conservatives for persons with mental illness. After working for years to underfund and privatize essential services (often, admittedly, in tandem with shortsighted Democrats), all of a sudden, these folks are desperate to sell off Dix for condos to get money to fund services for persons in need.

Conservative State Rep. Jim Fulghum of Raleigh wrote a letter to Raleigh’s News & Observer over the weekend, however, protesting that he was no Johnny-come-lately to the cause of helping people with mental illness and that he both supported the Dix park and somehow restructuring the lease to help persons with mental illness. Let’s hope he’s sincere.

The problem, of course, is that even sincerity of this kind isn’t gonna’ solve the state’s mental health challenge. As veteran lobbyist Paula Wolf noted in a “letter” to Fulghum on her “Paulatics” blog yesterday, Read More…

Editorial: Dix agreement beneficial but more work is necessary

December 10, 2012 at 12:22 pmCategory:Uncategorized

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

Good news on the post-rest home era for persons with mental illness

September 5, 2012 at 3:52 pmCategory:Uncategorized

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Craig Jarvis at Under the Dome has an encouraging story on today’s meeting of a special “blue ribbon” commission. The commission is dealing with the issue (highlighted here at NC Policy Watch on multiple occasions) in which the state has been unlawfully warehousing people with mental illness in adult care homes. 

“The 32-member Blue Ribbon Commission on Transitions to Community Living met for the first time and spent the day at the Legislative Office Building in Raleigh getting up to speed on several pressing issues.

The state is working toward that goal in an agreement with the federal Department of Justice in order to avoid being sued under the Americans with Disabilities Act. A federal investigation alleged that the state wrongly confined thousands of people in adult care homes and institutions. Read More…

Sister of death row inmate Danny Hembree speaks out

January 26, 2012 at 5:12 pmCategory:Uncategorized

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Kathy Hembree Ledbetter, sister of death row inmate Danny Hembree released a statement today about here brother’s controversial letter  to The Gaston Gazette, which has been quoted extensively in media outlets around the state. Let’s hope people listen to her simple, plainspoken and heartfelt words. 

I’m so very sorry for any hurt or anger that was caused by my brother Danny Hembree’s letter to The Gaston Gazette. He is a very depressed man and in his hopelessness, he lashed out. I am sharing a letter (attached) he wrote recently to me in order to try to reveal the truth about his mental and emotional state which was brought out at his trial. He has had severe mental illness for over 35 years of his 50 years of life.  He is not happy, he is not comfortable and he is not well. He is being punished for his crimes and he is in a bad place. I feel deeply for the families who have been affected by his actions, actions that were motivated by mental illness.

 Kathy Hembree Ledbetter