UVALDE, Texas – “We as a state - we as a society - need to do a better job with mental health. Anybody who shoots somebody else has a mental health challenge. Period. We as a government need to find a way to target that mental health challenge and do something about it.”
Those are the words of Texas Gov. Greg Abbott just days after an 18-year-old high school student massacred 19 students and two teachers at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde.
Abbott has doubled down on his stance that mass shootings are an issue of mental health and not gun access following the Uvalde massacre.
However, in April, Abbott slashed nearly $211 million from the Health and Human Services Services Commission (HHSC), which oversees mental health services in Texas.
Abbott diverted the funds to add to his effort to send National Guard to the Texas-Mexico border, currently known as Operation Lone Star.
No other Texas agency received a more significant cut than the HHSC when Abbott slashed funding.
The massive cut comes as Texas ranks 4th in the U.S. for the prevalence of mental illness and ranks last out of all 50 states in access to mental health care, according to the 2022 State of Mental Health in America report.
The Texas Legislature has spent billions in the last decade funding DPS’ so-called border security mission, even though few metrics exist to measure its success.
Some of those operations have occurred in and around Uvalde, which is just under 100 miles from the border.
In fact, Abbott’s office directed $3.3 million to Uvalde County in February for county law enforcement agencies to help “prosecuting border-related crimes including drug and human smuggling, and related criminal trespassing and evading arrest,” the Uvalde Leader News reported.
On Friday, Abbott discussed the option of passing new laws to make sure that schools are safer. He again attributed the issue to mental health and specifically not to gun access or violence.
“You can expect a robust discussion, and my hope is laws passed, that I will sign, addressing health care in this state. There is an array of healthcare issues that we face as a state in general but there are an array of healthcare issues that relate to those who commit gun crimes in particular. Those need to be addressed,” Abbott said. “... If there’s anybody here who thinks we have perfect health care in this country or in this world - they’re wrong. If there’s anybody who thinks we can’t do more to address mental health care - they’re wrong. We can and we’re going to.”
Some of those operations have occurred in and around Uvalde, which is just under 100 miles from the border.
In fact, Abbott’s office directed $3.3 million to Uvalde County in February for county law enforcement agencies to help “prosecuting border-related crimes including drug and human smuggling, and related criminal trespassing and evading arrest,” the Uvalde Leader News reported.
On Friday, Abbott discussed the option of passing new laws to make sure that schools are safer. He again attributed the issue to mental health and specifically not to gun access or violence.
“You can expect a robust discussion, and my hope is laws passed, that I will sign, addressing health care in this state. There is an array of healthcare issues that we face as a state in general but there are an array of healthcare issues that relate to those who commit gun crimes in particular. Those need to be addressed,” Abbott said. “... If there’s anybody here who thinks we have perfect health care in this country or in this world - they’re wrong. If there’s anybody who thinks we can’t do more to address mental health care - they’re wrong. We can and we’re going to.”
18 comments:
As someone here said a few weeks back, Republican Greg Abott can't even buy his own pants.
Como crecieron las nalgas de mi vieja. Claro que le hecho la culpa a Covid-19.
Massive props and respect to Abbott. He's doing whatever it takes to make a living and he's doing all this without any help....and tomorrow, he does it all over again.
The Mexican border is the most abused border in the Western Hemisphere. Abbott is just playing games, and a boring one at that.
No leadership in the Republican party. It's all "divide, divide, divide" the people.
They are dickless.
As is the case in politics, this is a man-made issue, made by Republicans.
Abbott should resign after Uvalde.
19 children and two teachers shot dead under his watch.
Pass the ak lee roy goin' huntin' down south, getin' me some aliens, approved by the state government of course...
Republicans created Uvalde shooting. They own it.
Abbott should resign. Disgraceful.
Abbot lies through his teeth,
Like all Republicans.
Hola gracias por la información que Dios nuestro señor Tenga misericordia de todos nuestros hermanos Mexicanos
Viva Mejico!
VIVA!!!
Slash 211 million dollars, that will bring the mental health problem out.
People stop bullying!
Many Hispanics in Texas don't see anything wrong with animal cruelty. The Uvalde school shooter was known to torture animals by the police and they did nothing about it. An animal cruelty conviction would have prohibited him from purchasing a gun legally. People like that don't need mental health money. They need to be put in prison. Sociopaths and psychopaths can't be rehabilitated. Imagine if his mother would have aborted that pile of excrement.
Hypocrite!!’
LMAO..A BUNCH OF FRANCIS SUPPORTERS HERE. YOU ALL ARE A BUNCH OF IDIOTS. DEMOCRATS ARE RUINING THIS COUNTRY BUT YET YOU ALL KEEP SUPPORTING THEM.
One thing for sure is that at least Gregg Abbott has some BALLS, he doesn't need his legs to stand-up and take the criticism. Where are the high and might so CONGRESSMEN? Where is Filemon Vela? Where is Henry Cuellar? Where is Vicente Gonzalez? These so called local political leaders are big time players in this gun issue, they are paid BIG bucks for supporting such corruption by the National Rifle Association. They are the ones who campaigned for allowing ANYONE, whether mental or sane, to be allowed to have AR-K rifles. These so called United States leaders are also the ones who manipulated the FAST and Furious under the Obama to allow these dangerous weapons be sent to Mexico and kill many innocent victims in Mexico. These so called Texas leaders are very much the blame for this out of control gun issue.
It’s amazing how mental health improves in countries with strong gun control laws. The countries pass stringent laws on assault weapons, the mental health of the populace dramatically improves and suddenly mass shootings are eliminated.
I thought the same thing ...what if mom had aborted? It is not like she loved him.
Texas governor can't get on a horse but got more than 6 sex toys
NOW THAT'S ILLEGAL IN TEXAS arrest him!
The $211 million slashed by Governor Abbott was not all directed towards mental health. HHSC oversees several programs. The fund diverted to Operation Lone Star was the right move. The wall can reduce the number of Illegal immigrants entering our country. Due to the democrats open borders policy we have no idea what type of people are entering our country. Are they all good people of sound mind? We need time to first heal that part of our population hurting before we can add illegal immigrants to the equation. Adding illegal immigrants to the crisis will only be an additional burden to our taxpayers. But democrats don’t care about the taxpayer.
( Cada mente un mundo). Tough job ahead!
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