'YES' ON PROPOSITION 1E
The measure is the twin sister of Proposition 1D. It would redirect unspent mental health funds to the general fund, to backfill money that would otherwise be cut from health programs.
In 2004, as you might recall, then-Assemblyman Darrell Steinberg and others persuaded voters to approve Proposition 63. It increased the income tax on California's top earners to pay for expanded mental health programs.
Flash forward to 2009: Proposition 63 has been generating funds for a number of worthy programs, but most of those are in the development stage and roughly $2.5 billion remains unspent. Meanwhile, without a source of funding, the state could be forced to cut several hundred million dollars from mental health programs that existing prior to Proposition 63.
Proposition 1E provides a solution. It would divert $230 million annually for two years so the state would not be forced to reduce screening for mental health problems.
This wasn't an easy measure for Steinberg to support. Mental health advocacy groups and the legislative analyst, they note that diverting funds could cause problems for local governments that are planning on using the initiative's funds for homeless shelters and other programs .
But Steinberg, to his credit, has stood by his support of Proposition 1E. He sees it rightly as an issue of protecting current services over planned ones. Voters should display similar courage by voting "Yes" on Proposition 1E.
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