The Failure of the GOP Assembly

The Gilmore-Cuccinelli-O’Brien philosophy of starving government of critical resources to address health care needs and public safety needs found its horrific counter-argument in the events at Virginia Tech. Today’s Post notes the continuing multi-faceted review process that is occurring throughout state government in the wake of those events. Yesterday’s House committee hearings on revamping and improving our broken mental health systems are just the latest development in reform which is tragically overdue.

An Opportunity on Mental Health?

I saw this article in yesterday’s Examiner and I hope this is a sign of serious consensus for action and not just legislative tactics on the part of Republican Assembly members to block potential gun control measures. I can’t imagine that they’ll stop passage of common-sense reforms like Mark Sickles’ bills to ban firearms in mental health facilities and create liability for leaving guns accessible to mentally ill(which was killed just months before the Virginia Tech massacre).

While the article contains little more than oblique reference to reforms this may be the biggest opportunity ever in Virginia for serious improvement to our mental health services.

The Cost of Disinvestment: Public Safety

Mental health is an issue of serious importance to me. I’d like to write more about the issue in the near-future but for now I’m happy to see that stakeholders and decision-makers are taking a close look at the issue in light of the shocking events at Virginia Tech. It’s high time that we fully commit and invest as a society in the mental welfare of our people, if not for their sake then for their potential victims’ sake.