Below is an excerpt from Beth's editorial from this week. The entire editorial may be found in this week's print copy of the Weston Chronicle or online here.
The Weston Chronicle
There you have it! Platte County’s kids have fewer problems than kids in other counties and across the state of Missouri. The report from the Platte County Health Department, according to our Presiding Commissioners, shows that counties that already have a Children’s Tax Fund can’t say that it’s working, and their numbers are higher than Platte County’s.
So a quick read of the charts and graphs (see at https://www.co.platte.mo.us/mental-health-data-for-0-19-year-olds-in-platte-county-missouri) show that our kids have issues, but a lower percentage of them are affected than across the state.
So - The kids are OK!
Cold comfort to parents who tried to get help for the children, but couldn’t.
Mr. Fricker suggests that the proponents failed to make the case for additional mental health funding, but they actually provide facts, figures and testimony that convinced a majority of voters that there was a need. Just not the big three at the County Commission who have decided to ignore the will of the people.
That still remains the issue.
The Commissioners asking how our tax dollars are spent is a great idea, but let’s understand that day to day, the Clay Platte Ray Mental Health Board may be providing more services to one county’s residents than another.
Do we really want services provided on a quota system? “Sorry, our services for Platte Countians already exceed what your county pays?”
Please take a look at the numbers. Depending on your goal, you can find anything in them you want to.
We already know that the Platte County Commissioners hated the Children’s Tax Fund from the very beginning. Mr. Fricker has interpreted the numbers to further his position that it’s not needed.
Some see a waste of money. Others see a waste of young lives and potential.
Speaking of lives wasted. The US has provided a life-line for people across the world suffering during catastrophes. Apparently that’s a thing of the past. Pulling the plug on the USAID means at least two things - people affected by horrific events will not be able to look to us for help.
But they will be able to look to other countries, like China, whose aid might be a bit more transactional than ours. The first two weeks of this president’s term is certainly giving the Congress a lot of fodder to chew on.
Will the House and Senate stand up for their Constitutional rights or is Elon Musk becoming our Emperor?