by Dan L
March 22, 2012
The mental health movement is fighting back against cuts to health care and assaults on basic human rights to receive care in non-institutionalized settings. At the same time as proposed 40% budget cuts to mental health on the state level, the city is closing six public mental health clinics. The mental health movement has held a sit in at city hall, a research report release, community forums, spirited lobbying, interrupting multiple mayoral events, and a day of pickets at 13 health and mental health clinics slated for closure or privatization.
On Wednesday March 14th three Chicago aldermen joined the Mental Health Movement to call for doubling the tax on yachts, to pay for city mental health clinics. Mental health consumers facing their clinic closure have been taking a leading role in this fight and since Occupy Chicago began have been building ties with progressive forces to stop a bi-partisan agenda of tax breaks for the rich, clinic closures for the poor, and an assault on basic human rights and dignity in the name of balancing the budget.
For more information
Read STOP’s statement on the G8 pulling out of Chicago
A description of the March 6 Picket
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