Letters, 11/20: Focus on health funding

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I want to commend Sen. Brad Ashford (LJS, Nov. 16) for his emphasis on the critical lack of funding for Nebraska behavioral health services. Nebraskans should be aware that their state ranks near the bottom of the United States for funding of behavioral health services. Nebraska’s safe haven law is a blatant example of how out of touch Gov. Dave Heineman and Todd Landry, director of the state Division of Children and Family Services, really are with what is currently happening in the state.

A year ago, Landry, after a 19-year-old man walked into a mall and killed nine people, said “this tragedy was not a failure of the system.” He has repeatedly stated there are adequate services available for children and their families. Yet numerous children are being left at hospitals because their families do not know where to go or what to do and feel frustrated, overwhelmed and hopeless.

It is my opinion that if Landry would call a few behavioral health agencies, he would find long waiting lists and limited available services.

It also is frightening that Gov. Heineman continues to do absolutely nothing to increase or add funding to the mental health and behavioral health budget, yet he agreed to spend tens of thousands of dollars on a special session to overturn the safe haven law. Maybe Gov. Heineman should have spent that money increasing funding and services to help families instead.

Even after the safe haven law is changed, there will continue to be numerous children who are abandoned in one form or another. They won’t be left at hospitals, but they will be left in spirit. The question will remain and the focus should continue to be placed on what the Department of Health and Human Services and Gov. Heineman intend to do. What funding will he give to address the gaps?

Jill Wertz, Lincoln

Limiting age is disservice

While visiting our son in California recently, a dinnertime conversation turned to the big embarrassment in the national news, Nebraska’s safe haven law.

Though we have never considered it so, our opinion got a big boost from a pediatric emergency room doctor in the group. He said Nebraska is doing the right thing and that nothing should be changed. All children need a safe haven, and there are too few available.

The wanton charge of parents abandoning their children because they no longer want to take care of them is just wrong! These parents love their children. They have loved them through thick and thin and too little help and despair. They are leaving their children to help them when all other efforts have failed.

For people who have the money and resources, help for a child with mental or behavioral issues is difficult to obtain. How can we fault those without money or resources when their desperate search for assistance meets closed door after closed door? Who can declare that the life of a 30-day-old is more valuable than the life of a 17-year-old?

We do not believe that an age limit should be attached to the bill, but if one is, it should be a more reasonable 1 year, or better yet, 2-year-old limit. Many children become dumpster or landfill babies when their inexperienced parents grow tired of them or lack enough knowledge to know how to care for them.

Three days may make it easier on our state, but it will not cover the true children in crisis as they grow and become more demanding on their parents. Having been involved with education in Nebraska for all of our working years, we know that our state is a front-runner on education issues. Now we need to come forward for our children at risk.

Nebraska should step up on this issue as well and help parents get help. Require parenting classes. Give them some acceptable options.

Jim and Sandy Amos, Tecumseh

Speak out on Energy Policy

I was interested to hear that the Nebraska Energy Office was seeking public input for the 2009 Nebraska Energy Policy. I applaud this open discussion model.

Nebraskans are a common sense bunch, and we understand that while there are tremendous opportunities for our ag economy in renewable energy and biofuels, we still need to expand our oil and gas opportunities by way of increased drilling.

I hope the Nebraska Energy Office will work with our federal elected officials to ensure opportunities for the ag sector but also pursuing policies that will keep gas affordable at the pump.

Brian Stevens, Lincoln