The Ultimate Vampire Resource and Directory

SACRAMENTO -- Making good on a promise to trim the state budget, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger eliminated a $55-million program Friday that advocates say has helped thousands of mentally ill homeless people break the costly cycle of hospitalization, jails and street life.



The program was one of many high-profile initiatives left in the ashes of the Legislature's bitter budget dispute, which stalled Sacramento for much of the last two months.



The impasse lifted Tuesday after Senate Republicans ended their blockade. They won few concessions, except a promise from the governor to veto $700 million from the general fund in an effort to address the state's operating deficit.



Schwarzenegger delivered Friday, citing the state's need for a "prudent reserve," then signing the $145.5-billion budget -- more than seven weeks past the state's July 1 deadline.



Among the cuts: $1.3 million to track hospital efforts to eliminate infections, which kill more than 7,000 Californians a year; $30 million for state parks; and $6 million to compel drug manufacturers to discount medicines for lower-income people.



Schwarzenegger ordered state health officials to find more than $6 million in other parts of the budget to keep the drug program alive, but the cuts will delay the website the state was going to set up to tell consumers which discounts were available.



He also struck a $17.4-million plan to protect seniors.



The overhaul of the state's conservatorship system was approved last year after an investigation in The Times that detailed how a system intended to protect seniors was plagued with fraud and abuse.



At the time, top Schwarzenegger officials said the overhaul demonstrated his determination to protect the elderly. Assemblyman Dave Jones (D-Sacramento), who championed the reform effort, said the money was "critical to preventing horrendous abuses of our most frail and vulnerable seniors."



None of the cuts elicited a more virulent outcry than the elimination of the program for the homeless mentally ill.



The program had been on the chopping block all summer. Advocates, including the architects of California's effort to overhaul its troubled mental health system, had staged a furious lobbying effort to stave off the cut.



But in justifying it, Department of Finance spokesman H.D. Palmer said local governments should step in instead. "We believe if these programs are a priority to counties, they have resources available to them to provide funding," he said.



Counties across the state, however, are facing the slow erosion of their traditional mental health budgets; state Sen. Darrell Steinberg (D-Sacramento), who created the just-eliminated program in 1999, called the cut "unconscionable."



He noted that despite the allegedly strapped conditions of the state, legislators managed to preserve a tax break for some purchasers of yachts, planes and recreational vehicles -- a measure that could cost the state as much as $45 million.



"A $45-million tax break for yacht owners stays in the budget," Steinberg said. "And a nationally recognized, incredibly effective program to end homelessness for those living with mental illness gets thrown under the bus."



The program served as the blueprint for Proposition 63, the 1% "millionaires' tax" established to overhaul the mental health system. It is known as Integrated Services for Homeless Adults with Serious Mental Illness or "AB 2034," after the bill that created it.



Built to expand services beyond traditional outpatient care, the program incorporates job training, housing assistance, even, at times, grocery-buying skills and dental care Schwarzenegger praised the program three years ago for creating "significant savings at the local level."



It has served 13,000 people since November 1999. There are about 4,700 participants today. Among those enrolled as of January, there were 81% fewer days of incarceration, 65% fewer days of psychiatric hospitalization and 76% fewer days of homelessness compared with their pre-enrollment days.



Rusty Selix, executive director of the California Council of Community Mental Health Agencies -- like Steinberg, a Proposition 63 coauthor -- said the cost of incarceration can be six times higher than the cost of enrolling someone in the mental health program.



"Rehabilitation costs money. But it's worth it," said Adrienne Sheff, director of adult services at the San Fernando Valley Community Mental Health Center in Van Nuys. Los Angeles County receives nearly a third of the state funds through AB 2034 and serves 1,700 people.



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Okay, I understand wanting to get the state budget balanced. The govenor is Republican and I am sure he feels the Democrats like to give all the money away. I am sure many are applauding the governor's efforts to get the budget balanced.



My problem is with the assumption that local governments will take over where the state left off. If the mentally ill are not getting treatment, they will remain on the streets. This puts the public at risk. Many of the mentally ill will do something illegal and perhaps violent. It is also inhumane to know someone is suffering from a mental illness and deny them the help they need. I know there is still a stigma attached to mental illness. Perhaps , some believe that they are mentaly ill and therefore no amount of help with do anything. Many they want to spend the money on other things.



The governor of California is married to Maria Shriver. Her mother was Eunice Kennedy before she married. Eunice's older sister, Rosemary, was mentally retarded which to some is a form of mental illness. The Kennedy family was blessed with money and was able to help Rosemary. She was placed in a safe place where no-one could hurt her and she could not hurt others. What about others like Rosemary on the streets of California?

The following article caught my attention. I was on my lunch break at work and had to email it to myself so I would be able to find it later.



I hate people who hurt or mistreat children. I know hate is a strong word. I just cannot bring myself not to. I feel so bad that this had to happen to this child. The following article explains why I would meet my creator with blood on my hands if I ever ran into the men who did this.



I will probably never met them. That is for the best. I would want to kill them.



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Few stories have touched CNN.com users like that of 5-year-old Youssif, an Iraqi boy who had gone out to play on a January day when he was suddenly grabbed by masked men, doused in gas and set on fire.



CNN.com users responded by the thousands to the story asking how they could help. But there were tricky and difficult issues the family had to suddenly confront, as several aid organizations quickly offered their services.



Specifically, the family had to make a decision on whether to leave their homeland or stay inside Iraq for treatment. If they chose to leave, could they get visas to travel to the United States or leave Iraq safely? Further complicating matters is the fact that few aid organizations remain in Iraq; most moved out months ago due to the constant threat of being targeted.



Leaving one's homeland is never an easy choice to make, even during war. But the family has decided Youssif should seek treatment in the United States.



The Children's Burn Foundation -- a non-profit organization based out of Sherman Oaks, California, that provides support for burn victims locally, nationally and internationally -- has agreed to pay for the transportation for Youssif and his family to come to the United States and to set up a fund so you can donate.



The foundation says it will cover all medical costs -- from surgeries for Youssif to housing costs to any social rehabilitation that might be needed for him. Surgeries will be performed by Dr. Peter Grossman, a plastic surgeon with the affiliated-Grossman Burn Center who is donating his services for Youssif's cause.



Officials are still trying to get the appropriate visas for his travels. Youssif could be in the United States for up to a year for the various treatments he needs.



You can make a donation at the foundation's site by clicking here. There's a drop down menu under the "general donation" area that is marked "Youssif's fund."



When informed of the news in Baghdad, Youssif ran around his house, saying, "Daddy, daddy, am I really going to get on a plane?!"



Youssif's father was also cheered by the news. "I feel like I am going to fly from happiness," his father told CNN's Arwa Damon, who reported the story on what happened to Youssif.



Barbara Friedman, executive director of the Children's Burn Foundation, said she and others at the foundation were deeply moved when they first read the piece.



"In terms of a personal reaction, the only thing I could say is it takes your breath away -- because it's just so unfathomable, that that kind of brutality and violence was undertaken in a premeditated way against a defenseless child," she told CNN.com.



"From the foundation's perspective, our immediate reaction was: Can we help? How can we help? We want to help. This is what we do."



Many of you had the same reaction. "This kind of thing breaks my heart," wrote CNN.com user Jessica Allen. "To see that smiling adorable face before that day that he was so brutally attacked is enough to make you cry. How could someone do this to anyone, let alone a child?"



Others pleaded for CNN to act. "CNN, if you put this on for us to read, then you should allow us to donate," wrote Brian Quinn.



The story -- published and broadcast on Wednesday -- has been one of the most-read, non-breaking news stories in CNN.com's 13-year history.



We have been overwhelmed by the outpouring of support for Youssif and his family, and are grateful that the Children's Burn Foundation and the Grossman Burn Center have volunteered to help," said Mitch Gelman, CNN.com's senior vice president and senior executive producer.



"It is heart-warming and restorative to see such generosity and goodness emerging from this truly unspeakable horror."

If cabinet members were perishable goods, Alberto Gonzales would have passed his "sell by" date sometime last spring. Since January, when he first faced sharp questioning over the firing of U.S. Attorneys, the Attorney General has earned disastrous reviews for his inconsistent testimony and poor judgment and for appearing to place loyalty to the White House above service to the public. By June it was hard to find a Republican willing to defend him. Now Gonzales' dissembling testimony about a controversial domestic-spying program has raised suspicions about what he is hiding and fueled new calls for him to go. Senate Democrats have called for a special prosecutor to investigate his activities as Attorney General, and a group of moderate House Democrats has called for the House to weigh impeachment proceedings against him.



Yet the embattled Gonzales' grip on his job seems unshakable. Bush tossed Donald Rumsfeld last fall despite support from conservatives for the then Defense Secretary, and the President chucked Joint Chiefs Chairman Peter Pace at the first sign of Congressional resistance to his renomination. So why the extraordinary support for Gonzales in the face of a protracted meltdown at the Department of Justice (DOJ)? Here are four reasons why Bush can't afford to let Gonzales go:





1. Gonzales is all that stands between the White House and special prosecutors. As dicey as things are for Bush right now, his advisers know that they could get much worse. In private, Democrats say that if Gonzales did step down, his replacement would be required to agree to an independent investigation of Gonzales' tenure in order to be confirmed by the Senate.



Without Gonzales at the helm, the Justice Department would be more likely to approve requests for investigations into White House activities on everything from misuse of prewar Iraq intelligence to allegations of political interference in tobacco litigation. And the DOJ could be less likely to block contempt charges against former White House aides who have refused to testify before Congress. "Bush needs someone at Justice who's going to watch the White House's back," says a Senate Democratic Judiciary Committee staffer. If Gonzales steps down, Bush would lose his most reliable shield.



2. A post-Gonzales DOJ would be in the hands of a nonpartisan, tough prosecutor, not a political hand. Newly appointed Deputy Attorney General Craig Morford is in line to take over until a new Attorney General could be confirmed. Morford, a 20-year veteran of the department, was brought in to investigate the botched trial of the first major federal antiterrorism case after 9/11. He is in the mold of James Comey, the former Deputy Attorney General who stood up to the White House over its domestic-eavesdropping program. Even New York Senator Charles Schumer, one of Gonzales' harshest critics, called Morford's appointment a positive step. Over the past six months, more than half a dozen top political appointees have left the department amid scandal. The unprecedented coziness that once existed between the Justice Department and the White House now remains solely in the person of Gonzales.



3. If Gonzales goes, the White House fears that other losses will follow. Top Bush advisers argue that Democrats are after scalps and would not stop at Gonzales. Congressional judiciary committees have already subpoenaed Harriet Miers and Karl Rove in the firings of U.S. Attorneys last year. Republicans are loath to hand Democrats some high-profile casualties to use in the 2008 campaign. Stonewalling, they believe, is their best way to avoid another election focused on corruption issues.



4. Nobody at the White House wants the legal bills and headaches that come with being a target of investigations. In backing Gonzales, Bush is influenced by advisers whose future depends on the survival of their political bodyguard. Gonzales remains the last line of defense protecting Bush, Rove and other top White House officials from the personal consequences of litigation. A high-profile probe would hobble the White House politically, and could mean sky-high legal bills and turmoil for Bush's closest aides.



Keeping Gonzales isn't cost-free. But for now, Bush seems to have decided that the importance of running out the clock on investigations by keeping his loyal Attorney General in place is worth any amount of criticism.



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The above article was taken from Time.com.



I wonder if Gonzales knows that he is being used to save the collective behinds of Bush and the rest of his administration. IF Gonzales is let go, I will believe he is getting ready to take the fall for everyone else.

I did not write the following poem, but I wish I did. It is short and to the point. It reminds me why I do not like to see others harmed for their beliefs. Sooner or later, if I do or say nothing, it may be me.



When the Nazis came for the communists,

I remained silent;

I was not a communist.



When they locked up the social democrats,

I remained silent;

I was not a social democrat.



When they came for the trade unionists,

I did not speak out;

I was not a trade unionist.



When they came for me,

there was no one left to speak out.

CINCINNATI -- Police say a man was shot to death Monday night over a quarter.



Investigators said late Monday that they believe that Donald Francis was looking for spare change from passersby when he approached Geraldine Beasley in the parking lot of a gas station at Eighth and Linn streets.



Police said Beasley, 62, became angry with Francis, pulled out a gun and shot him.



"He asked her for a quarter," Chief Tom Streicher said. "That's apparently all there was to it."



Francis, 44, died in the gas station parking lot a few steps away.



“This crime is a tragedy and absolutely appalling,” said Georgine Getty, Executive Director of the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless, in a news release. “Unfortunately it’s all too common that homeless people are the victims of crime.”



Getty said that Francis' death was a hate crime.



Beasley appeared in court on Wednesday, where she was arraigned on a murder charge and ordered held on $500,000 bond. Her attorney told the judge there are mental health issues to be addressed.



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I do not know for sure if this was a hate crime, but I do know that this did not have to happen. Some people have been blessed. They have never had to ask a complete stranger for help. She could have just given him a quarter or told hiim she did not have change. Killing him should have never been a option.



This man was once somebody's baby. He once went to school and had dreams for his life. Yes, he may have made poor choices during his time on the planet. Everyone has. Some are lucky enough to have others in their life. Those people are in place to lend a hand when they made a mistake and needed help out of it. Others are on their own.



Many people are only one or two paychecks away from being homeless. Some are just blessed they do not have a mental illness or addiction that prevents them from being functional in society. They should be saying Therefore by the grace of God , go I.

I have worked eight straight days and I have one more to go. Then I am off for two days. WOO HOO! I need the rest . I am tired.



I need peace and quiet more so nowadays than I use to. I think that is just what keeps me sane. I have to ignore some of the things that go on around me. Arguing and drama are not good for me, so I avoid it.



Jack went on the site for Dell Computers and I think he has fallen in love with some of their cheaper offerings. True, those are your basic computers, but like Jack said he has things to upgrade them. He does not have to pay Dell an arm and a leg for the upgrades.



I think Rebecca is trying too hard on the job. She is intelligent and should be able to close any box a customer wants. She had bad luck with her phone today. It kept disconnecting during for sure sales. She sent some for callbacks and she may get the credit , if the customer did not call back and get the order from another sales representative.



My roommate's daughter is mad at me. She was talking back to her mother and called her a liar in a round about way. I finally said something to her.



I will be going to sleep soon. I have to drink too many cups of coffee in the morning to stay awake. I am staying up too late.