Department of Mental Health restructuring proposal is ill advised, board chairs argue
Don’t restructure DMH
On behalf of the chairs of the boards of the Department of Mental Health’s (DMH) 16 mental health centers, I write to urge that this department be removed from Senate Bill 2 which would divide the functions of DHEC into separate agencies, making DMH a “division” of a new agency: the Department of Behavioral and Public Health.
Supporters of S2 cite that DHEC is too large, yet combining DHEC’s public health functions with DMH and the Department of Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse Services would create an agency much larger than DHEC already is. Moreover, the new agency would regulate the hospitals and nursing homes that DMH currently operates.
We support any proposal that improves services for people with mental illness; however, a 2021 study of the state’s public health, environmental, and behavioral health areas, comprising more than 50 experts, did not recommend restructuring existing agencies to improve services.
South Carolina, like the entire country, is experiencing an unprecedented need for mental health services. In the midst of this crisis, a massive restructuring of services and the disruption it will cause will not provide better mental health care for South Carolinians, and may in fact cause harm.
Addison Fender, Beaufort
Senator is a mess
Does South Carolina see what 49 other state’s see?
Face it folks. Sen. Lindsey Graham has been the brunt of jokes now for a lo,g long time. It’s said that former President Trump would invite him to play golf because his team loved making fun of him.
Ask Graham how he felt about the recent Supreme Court confirmation hearings.
I’m sorry to pop your bubble, South Carolina, but you’ve got a mess on your hands.
Bob Conway, Hilton Head
Are we ready?
With gasoline prices topping $4/gallon, electric cars (EVs) are being heavily advertised as the solution. But are we ready for this “solution”?
How is electricity to power them generated? If you guessed nuclear or fossil fuels, you would be right. Is the current U.S. grid able to handle this increased demand for power? The current answer is no. What is the average mileage range between charges? The Nissan Leaf, one of the more cost effective/efficient EVs, has a range of 150-226 miles.
Depending on the type of battery your car uses, charging can take between three to 10 hours. Another concern is battery safety. Many EVs offer a fire extinguisher with the battery as standard equipment.
What about battery life? This can vary with hot/cold temperatures/high altitudes. Battery replacement estimates are about $10,000.
What about spent batteries? Currently, there is no clear plan for recycling spent EV batteries so the environmental impact is unclear.
Did you know that the average cost of a new EV is about $60,000 versus $45,000 for a new gasoline- powered vehicle?
Before you consider an EV, do your research and ask yourself if we really are ready.
Laurie Haddock, Bluffton
Argue fairly
What ever happened to truth in advertising?
A commercial currently airing in the Beaufort County media market falsely blames President Joe Biden and Senator Raphael Warnock (obviously aimed at nearby Georgia viewers) for rising gasoline prices.
Biden has approved 34% more oil drilling licenses on federal land in one year than the former president did, but oil companies are not drilling. Oil executives recently made their own announcement that the problem is investors not investing in oil stocks given sharp drops in oil prices since 2014.
Add to that the economy-wide issues of sharply growing demand for all commodities and slow to improve supply chain issues, and you have the perfect storm.
If conservatives want to pick on President Biden, they should at least find something more factual, and perhaps less sensational, than oil prices.
Jerry Whalen, Bluffton