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Wednesday, February 7, 2024
Volume 162 No. 6 SERVING SAN JOSÉ STATE UNIVERSITY SINCE 1934
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ALEXIA FREDERICKSON | SPARTAN DAILY
San José City Councilmembers discuss back and forth with other officials on Proposition 1, a measure that will help build treatment centers for mental health patients.
Council talks treatment centers By Brandon Nguyen STAFF WRITER
San José City Council meeting discusses whether or not to authorize $6.38 billion in bonds to build mental health treatment facilities and housing for individuals struggling with addiction and other mental health issues on Tuesday afternoon in City Hall. Proposition 1 is a measure that will change the Mental Health Services Act and will approve a $6.4 billion bond to build centers for mental health care and drug or alcohol treatment, according to a webpage from The California Legislature’s Nonpartisan Fiscal and Policy Advisor. Proposition 1 failed to pass with only four
out of the nine available councilmembers voting in favor of the measure. The measure will also fund projects to build more housing for people with mental health, drug, or alcohol challenges, according to the same source. The proposed budget for Proposition 1 would shift $140 million of annual tax revenue from the county’s mental health and substance abuse programs to the state. An audience member who identified as an anonymous speaker said the benefits of the measure is “just a hook or an enticement.” The anonymous speaker said Proposition 1 could end up diverting funds away from valued local
resources. Alex Stettinski, CEO of the San José Downtown Association, said his company lacks the tools required to help clients who suffer from moderate to severe mental health issues and needs more resources at the state-level to effectively manage the humanitarian crisis at hand. San José Downtown Association is a group that represents more than 2,000 businesses, non-profit organizations and property owners, according to its website. Another audience member who identified as an anonymous speaker said mental illness needs to be “put out like a fire.” He said the only two serviceable places for
mental health treatment are Stanford Hospital and El Camino Hospital. Councilmember Devora Davis said one of the problems with Proposition 1 stems from how the budget will be used and how it will affect the county's sense of financial autonomy. “I don’t like legislating through the initiative process,” Davis said. “It does mean that there will be fewer dollars for services — services that we all like and have begun to lean on.” Davis said counties should be allowed to do their own jobs, instead of the state having jurisdiction to reallocate their budget. She also said she has an issue with general obligation bonds because it could negatively affect
future legislators’ budget. Councilmember Omar Torres stated that he was at a crossroads with Proposition 1 and is curious as to why the counties didn’t take on this issue themselves. Torres said that everyone goes through mental health issues, not just unhoused people. “We need to continue to break the stigma that unhoused folks are the only ones experiencing mental health issues,” Torres said. Councilmember Bien Doan said that the county simply doesn’t have enough resources to treat the crisis at hand. “It behooves me,” Doan said “We call ourselves a humanitarian society and these poor (individuals) were born with these
ALEXIA FREDERICKSON | SPARTAN DAILY
City Councilmember Domingo Candelas, who represents District 8, converses with Omar Passons, Deputy City Manager of San José.
afflictions and yet, we let them be out there in the street without any services.” Doan said the county needs permanent beds because there will always be a humanitarian crisis for homelessness. Councilmember Pam Foley said she was conflicted with the measure and was concerned with the idea that county sovereignty would encounter issues if funding came from state jurisdictions. “I’m hesitant to say I support something that will impose restrictions on another jurisdiction because I wouldn’t want them to make the same decision about a proposal that’s coming to affect the city of San José,” Foley said. Councilmember Domingo Candelas said city council should consider deferring the decision for a week if the vote is divided. Councilmember David Cohen said there is a cost to building infrastructure, roads and hospitals, but building them is an investment that will pay off over time. Cohen said proportionally, 700-750 extra beds in Santa Clara County could go a long way. “The fact is that we only have 12 psychiatric beds for 100,000 residents . . . and if we continue to be stagnant, we will continue to have the problem we have in our society,” Doan said.
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