Streetvibes August 1-14, 2009 Edition

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Vendor Profile Page 13 Cheap Caskets Page 8

Film Review

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STREETVIBES

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August 1 - 14, 2009 • Advocating Justice, Building Community • Issue 158

Insane Budgeting Decisions Budget cuts imperil community mental health By Eli Braun Contributing Writer

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undreds of advocates rallied June 24 at the Ohio Statehouse in Columbus to protest proposed budget cuts to community mental health and substance abuse services. “Treatment works, people recover,” said their placards. “Behavioral health care IS health care.” But when Ohio lawmakers passed the 2010-2011 budget July 13 after weeks of negotiations, funding for community mental-health and addiction services took a substantial hit. For fiscal year 2010, the Ohio Department of Mental Health lost nearly $78.5 million compared to 2009 funding levels. The Ohio Department of Alcohol and Drug Addiction Services lost approximately $10 million. Funding levels for fiscal year 2011 are similar. The cuts will primarily affect community-based men-

See Budget, p. 4

Advocates and clients rallied at the Ohio Statehouse for mental-health funding. Photo courtesy of Ohio Association of County Behavioral Health Authorities.

Art for Hard Times No New Deal but a reawakened solidarity By Pat Clifford Contributing Writer

political art. Hazelwood is the curator of an exhibit called “Hobos to Street People: Artrowing unemployment, ists’ Responses to Homelesstent cities and foreclo- ness from the New Deal to sures ... One starts to wonder the Present,” on display at the if it is 1929, California Historical not 2009. “It’s an ironic Society in Is it enough image to use, San Francisto make since what the co through you hum a shopping cart few bars of August 15. initially stood for “Brother, Can This exhibit was the basket of brings toYou Spare plenty, of American a Dime?” gether the abundance, even Some powork of visuper-abundance.” sual artists litically en- Art Hazelwood dealing with gaged artists poverty and believe it’s time to do a homelesswhole lot more. ness in the hopes of encouragCalifornia-based artist and ing this type of work now and printmaker Art Hazelwood in the future. thinks that the conditions deThis past year has seen a mand a resurgence of relevant, presidential administration

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that professes a new era of federal responsibility. Major programs to stimulate the economy and shore up the financial industry are being rolled out. Is this a new New Deal? Not quite. Remember, the Third Street Corridor, 1998 by Christine Hanlon. New Deal Photo courtesy of M. Lee Stone Fine Prints, San Jose, CA. not only inFair Labor Standards Act, and The new shopping cart cluded public works projects the National Labor Relations such as the Work Projects Ad- Act, which molded the busiThe old New Deal also culministration and the Civilian ness environment for years to tivated a cadre of significant Conservation Corps, but also come. artists. Starting in 1933 artists a host of legislation such as the Social Security Act, the See Art, p. 5


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