Improve services for mentally ill

Within the last six years, the state of Tennessee's (Medicaid, TennCare) insurance program was restructured and downsized. Many underprivileged and underserved individuals lost coverage and no longer receive treatment for a mix of mental health and substance abuse issues. Chattanooga was particularly hard hit.

The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) rated Tennessee a "D" on mental illness services. In 2006 Tennessee received a "C" and in 2009 dropped a grade. Tennessee's budget for the mentally ill is less than budgets in most other states, which translates as the basic core and intensive care services go lacking.

Over 125,000 of 6.1 million Tennessee residents are mentally ill, excluding the homeless, and the institutionalized. This illness is nondiscriminatory, but appears more prevalent in the indigent.

Policies toward mental illness change continually with profound consequences both on the individual and society as a whole. The mentally ill are jailed, mistreated, neglected, and go lacking all around. Without treatment they can be harmful to themselves or to others.

A budget increase will allow TennCare to reinstate coverage, treatment facilities to re-establish services, decrease the incarceration population, prevent closure of organizations, promote mental health and wellness; and will decrease the financial burden on the state as the cost to incarcerate is greater than the cost of treatment.

HATTIE MOON

Traditional church won't drift away

Although I agree with Clint Cooper's news story report (Nov. 1) of one minister's conclusions up to a point, I cannot accept his overall conclusion that traditional churches will drift into the background. In my experiences, traditional churches bring stability and close church families.

While it is true that diverse churches bring together many types of people, I still maintain that traditional churches will not just drift into the background. I agree that diversity in church is a very wonderful thing and will possibly influence more and more people to start attending services. However, church is not something to be competitive about, whether it be traditional or diverse.

MIRANDA KING

Signal Mountain

Concerns abound for Chapelbrow

Chapelbrow proponents assert this subdivision wouldn't have a detrimental impact. In order for Chapelbrow to be built in Lookout Mountain (Ga., LMG), a Planned Unit Development (PUD) must pass. Proponents talk about "minor" increases in population; Chapelbrow alone would bring in approximately 400 residents in a LMG population of 1,617 and increases housing units by about 27 percent. Once the PUD is passed, it cannot be used (solely) for Chapelbrow and not (allowed for) other high density subdivisions. Think ahead!

Chapelbrow's "active retirement community" won't impact traffic, according to proponents. Besides these active adults volunteering, shopping, or pursuing interests, consider the workers from off-mountain (and their trucks). Consider, too, this economy in which many postpone retirement. To say this active adult community wouldn't drive during peak traffic times does not ring true. Traffic effects will be felt from LMG to South Broad. Once our traffic resembles East Brainerd's, what is the plan to expand the mountain access roads? Neither main access road could be expanded easily.

Chapelbrow's impact on the mountain's landscape is bound to have many unintended and environmental consequences. It's time to stop sugar-coating the foreseeable impacts (growth, traffic) when a change of this magnitude is discussed.

LINDY JOHNSON

Lookout Mountain,

Tenn.

For politicians: Stay with political issues

Why is it that certain politicians, and David Fowler in particular, selectively elect to argue against what might be a "safe" issue? If Mr. Fowler really wants to champion an issue of concern to the well-being of Tennesseans, why not attack the state Legislature's wisdom of legalizing the lottery?

Well, I sense that it is ethically and morally permissable for Tennesseans to spend their hard earned money buying lottery tickets but impermissable for them to "watch" adult-theme movies on the EPB cable system. May I suggest Mr. Fowler do something about the economy, education of our youth, health care for the poor, or unemployment. Politicians need to champion political issues. Leave morality to God-ordained preachers of righteousness.

L.C. FAGIN JR.

Dual taxation a reason for metro

I recently received a statement from the city of Chattanooga treasurer and the Hamilton County trustee for 2009 real estate taxes on property (rental apartment) in the city.

The dual real estate property taxes take 68 percent of one apartment rental for 12 months. There is still cost of insurance, maintenance and other expenses, which means there is a total loss of the rental funds on one apartment. Not good!

I understand that the city of Chattanooga furnished fire protection, police protection, water mains, sidewalks, street maintenance and other services.

I do not know what Hamilton County furnished as services above and beyond what the city furnished. So, from my view this is double taxation. Hamilton County can do this because that is the law and that is what they do best -- taxes.

Also, from my view this dual form of taxation without services in return gives a lot of credence to metro government. Let's vote on metro!

Metro government should reduce double taxation and reduce the costs of the dual operation of two governing bodies. Right, Dalton Roberts? How many city and county commissioners should it take to change a light bulb? There are 18 city and county commissioners.

RICHARD WEST

Spend to fight crime, not execute

A recent report by the Death Penalty Information Center concludes that states are wasting hundreds of millions of dollars on the death penalty, diverting funds from more effective anti-crime programs.

A nationwide poll of police chiefs released with the report found that chiefs ranked the death penalty last among their priorities for crime-fighting and don't believe it is a deterrent to murder.

From 1982-2005, New Jersey spent $253 million on its death penalty system -- for only 10 death row inmates and zero executions -- before it abolished the system in 2007.

In the past 20 years, Maryland spent $186 million more to prosecute capital murder cases than if the state had not sought a death sentence.

With 89 on Tennessee's death row, five executions, and two exonerations, how much is Tennessee spending? In 2007, the Tennessee comptroller testified to the Study Committee on the Death Penalty that the state has no centralized way to track such cost data.

In other words, we don't know what we are spending.

With alternatives like life without parole, why spend precious state dollars to execute offenders instead of on effective measures to reduce violent crime?

LESLIE LYTLE

Tracy City, Tenn.

Alexander's votes put us where we are

I find it presumptuous of Lamar Alexander, who has a sullied financial past which does not include much attention to the state of Tennessee, to try to impose unrequested advice on President Obama. To compare our president with the bitter and defective Republican president, Richard M. Nixon, bespeaks a desperate and ludicrous mentality. Alexander, for eight years, supported the machinations of the failed presidency of George W. Bush, voting for war and fiscal policies that have brought us to where we are today. If our do-nothing senator is afraid of being labeled an "enemy," he and his like-minded cronies, such as Limbaugh, Fox News, and nearly every Republican in Congress, including Corker and Wamp, should stop acting like "enemies" and come to the aid of our country.

MILDRED MILLER