Maggie's Farm

It is a bottomless pit and what some want is for the government to pour money into it in a vain attempt to fill it. You can "fix" a broken arm, strep throat, pregnancy, etc. But you can't "fix" bi-polar. What they are after is an endless stream of money to pay for psychiatric visits, medication, disability pay, etc. but the problem will never be "fixed".

I am sure some would argue that mental health care should be paid for just as medical health care is. I don't think the government (at least the federal government) has the constitutional right to take money from tax payers and give it (or give taxpayer paid insurance) to people who for whatever reason need it and don't have it. It may be the "Christian" thing to do. My response is then let churches do it. It may be the kind and caring thing to do. My response is then to make the funding voluntary. It may be a case of if the government doesn't do it then no one will. Fine. End welfare, Obamacare and all forms of redistribution of wealth.

Yes, "mental health care is somehow different, and less worthy of our attention". Yes it is a bottomless pit and rarely ever successful. Yes, I am opposed to tax payer funded mental health treatment.

As you noticed I am also opposed to federal funded public health care. I believe it is contrary to the constitution and worse it destroys the best health care system in the world.

As I said I am not opposed to helping those in need. I am opposed to forcefully taking peoples money to help those in need. If mental health care is so necessary and so successful then let the mental health community provide it for free OR let charities fund it. Do not get caught in the tax and spend trap of mental health care.

"If you don't pay for mental health care, you're going to pay elsewhere."

Is that it? If that arguement fits the problem some activist wants to throw money at then I must be taxed and pay for it? I disagree. First many mentally ill people "can" become self sufficient and they don't need to have a $150 and hour mental health worker to make it happen. Most people who are "dependent" on government assistance were created by the very programs intended to help them. If someone is so mentally challenged that they cannot function in society and put others at harm then they should go to jail or mental facilities. The belief that you can spend trillions in a vain attempt to "help" millions who somehow cannot help themselves is bankrupt. Let them fail and then let them pay the price of failure. "Millions for jails not one cent for welfare/disability".

To be clear there are two issues here:
1. We are not helping people by doing for them that which they should be doing for themselves. IMHO it was NEVER about helping them it was always about rewarding a constituency. Let people alone, stop helping them, if they screw up let them suffer the consequences.
2. I believe it is unconstitutional for the federal government to tax,borrow and oppress the productive to provide health care, food, housing, cigarettes & booze, etc. We never should have allowed it and it was snuck by us with the same glib arguement that you are making. Since the war on poverty began in the mid 60's the nubers of our poor have more than doubled and most of them live high on benefits that exceed what an average worker can earn. We were all snookered into this and now the elite in power want to take more to buy more voters. Our country is on the verge of bankruptcy because of this unconstitutional redistribution of wealth and we will all probably be forced to endure a great depression worse then anything in our history because of it.

Let people take care of themselves or fail. stop trying to fix everything with other people's money.