FUNDING: Priorities in wrong pockets

I am writing in response to two-front page articles dated Aug. 10, “Addiction treatment difficult to find” and “Mental illness services limited.” These two articles go hand-in-hand and we have Barbieri, Mendive, Sims and Nonini to thank for voting no on the mental health crisis center for Coeur d’Alene. Remember these names when the time comes to vote.

Kootenai County Sheriff Ben Wolfinger sums up our mental health problems with lack of funding. Justine Graybeal, director of Fresh Start in Coeur d’Alene sums up our homeless, addiction and mental health problems with lack of funding. So, who in the state of Idaho is not doing their jobs besides the aforementioned no voters?

Could it be the governor who oversees the budget and allocates the funding? The funding of nearly $200 million for illegal aliens?

Could it be the Idaho Bureau of Homeland Security who is a Division of the Idaho Military? Their responsibility is to protect, preserve and defend the lives, property and individual liberties of the citizens of Idaho and the U.S. and to support and defend the constitutions of the state of Idaho and U.S. of America. The men and women of this division are dedicated to their mission of protecting the lives and property of the people of Idaho, as well as preserving the environmental and the economic health of Idaho. Instead, illegal aliens are allowed to take these liberties from our citizens.

The Department of Health and Welfare offers programs that deal with complex social, economic and individual issues, often helping people in crisis situations. Their programs are designed to strengthen families and promote self-reliance. They receive requests every day for assistance with food or medical insurance. They help others with child care, child support and substance abuse problems. Throughout the state, they are at the forefront of protecting public health. So why are so many illegal aliens receiving these benefits and not our own legal homeless, addicted and mentally ill citizens?

The state of Idaho has failed its legal citizens miserably. Lack of funding? More like lack of doing what they were elected to do.

JoANN LOKKEN

Coeur d’Alene