Thank you, Steve Lopez!

Once again Steve Lopez (Los Angeles Times) shows himself to be a friend of those with mental illness who are homeless and in need of an advocate. His article in the Sunday LA Times ("Using Tax Dollars to Turn Lives Around is Money Well Spent, March 15) is spot on...recognizing that sometimes it feels to taxpayers as if they are throwing money away on liberal-minded programs with nothing to show for them, when in reality the benefits to individuals and society far outweigh and outlast any of the expenses, and are actually less expensive than traditional "treatment" (ie, repeated incarceration, hospitalization, etc.).

In a few short weeks the voters of California will be asked whether they want to go along with an ill-conceived idea to balance the State budget that includes a redirection of much-needed mental health services funding (Proposition 1A). To do so would set a sad and dangerous precedent. Steve Lopez reminds us that we have an opportunity to say "no" and to speak up for those who are arguably the most marginalized among us.