The Lumberjack



Students Serving The Cal Poly Humboldt Campus and Community Since 1929

Tag: prop 1

  • Proposition 1 – will it hurt or help California?

    By Alexandra Berrocal

    I am a person with mental illness. I have bipolar disorder and take my five medications every night. As a person with mental illness, I have mixed feelings about Prop. 1. I think it’s great that our state is finally doing something about homelessness. According to research done by UC San Francisco, over eight in ten homeless people in California struggle with serious mental illness and nearly two-thirds struggle with addiction. This proposition would increase treatment beds and increase care for people with addictions. I am unhappy that they are expanding involuntary treatment. Involuntary treatment is necessary under certain circumstances. I have been so delusional that I thought I was the Messiah, despite taking my medication. I didn’t think I needed as much care as I ended up getting. I credit involuntary treatment with saving me in certain situations. However, I am concerned that involuntary treatment will be overused.  

    It comes down to a very tricky dilemma. To what degree can a person, whose mind is impaired, make good choices for themselves? It’s a tricky line to walk. Often, we can’t make good choices for ourselves if we are severely ill, so we need to rely on others to do what is best for us. However, this inherently violates the rights of the mentally ill to a degree. Sometimes the current laws assume we can make choices for ourselves when the part of us that makes choices is impaired. Our current system doesn’t really know how to deal with this. Either they give us the freedom to make bad choices, or we have no choices at all.

    It could be argued, though, that the situation really has become dire. I actually walked through Skid Row once, with company, and was shocked by the poverty. This makes me consider that maybe the situation with mental health has become so dire in our state that involuntary measures have become necessary.

  • What is Proposition 1?

    What is Proposition 1?

    Voting on the future of mental health treatment

    By Savana Robinson

    At face value, Proposition 1 amends the Mental Health Services Act to offer more behavioral health services. This requires authorizing $6.38 billion in bonds. Meaning that the state sells this amount in bonds, which is how the government borrows money and repays it, plus interest over time. According to the Legislative Analyst’s Office, it would increase state costs to repay bonds, amounting to $310 million annually for 30 years. This also means that an annual $140 million of existing tax revenue for mental health, alcohol, and drug rehabilitation shifts from counties to the state government.

    So what will Prop. 1 do?  If voted in, it will make counties’ mental health care and substance use treatment services more focused on housing and personalized support. The money could go to building more facilities and housing for people with mental health, drug, or alcohol issues. If it’s not voted in, nothing will change.

    Arguments for Prop. 1 emphasize the importance of finding solutions to the homelessness, mental health, and addiction crises, and Prop. 1 may be a step in the right direction. Arguments against Prop. 1 point out that the proposition is expensive and this is not the time for more government debt. It may also take away funding from current community-based mental health services funded by the Mental Health Services Act, taking almost a third of the annual funding dedicated by the act.

    According to the California Voter guide, those in favor of Proposition 1 include California Professional Firefighters, CA Assoc. of Veteran Service Agencies, and National Alliance on Mental Illness–Ca. Those opposing Prop. 1 include Mental Health America of California, Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association, and CalVoices.

    Voting day is March 5. To register to vote, visit registertovote.ca.gov/