March 3, 1971 (12 pages)

* ; ee 2 The Nevada County Nugget — Wednesday, March 3, 1971 Sounding Board FOOTBALL? Taken of people walking along Mill Street. to t By el ee F State Senator, Third’. -Distrfct The governor's "Creative Society" is on the meatal health kick again and the latest hospit-. al to fall under the so-called economy axe is De Witt State Hospital, near Auburn in Placer County. Three years ago, the same administration announced plans to close Modesto State Hospital, in Stanislaus county, for economy reasons, The state said the former army hospital was expensive to operate, the Department of Mental Hygiene was moving patients out of hospitals into near home environments faster than ever before, adequate beds were available elsewhere and the community could look forward to all kinds of state Money under new mental health laws. es In Stanislaus county, they fournd out they had lost the enormcs economic impact of the Modesto State Hospital payroll, still had community mental health problems and were soon to learn that the glowing promises of massive state help to. ‘fund local menial haaith programs were mostly just promises. But at De Witt, in Placer county, the "Creative Society" has. added anew wrinkle to its continuing program of getting out of the mental health business-the state is taking a hospital operation, which they admit is not economically feasible, and offering it to county government, Initially, the Placer County Board of Supervisors, faced with the loss of the single biggest payroll producer in the county, was anxious ‘to accept a deal which could retain part of that payroll in the county. State of, fers of 400 beds for mentally re© tarded, funded totally by feder. . al and state money, and the pros' pects of a 300 bed operation for the mentally ill from a several VIRGINIA ‘DARRELL MONTRE: Football MABLE SWEENEY: Baseball L. B, DORRIS: Baseball. NEVADA COUNTY NUGGET PUBLISHED EVERY WEDNESDAY BY NEVADA COUNTY PUBLISHING CO, ELIZEBETH WELLINGTON: Baseball WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S, Representative Harold T. (Bizz) Johnson, of.the Second Congres301 Broad Street sional District, has continued Nevada City, Ca. his efforts to secure vital legis95959 lation for reducing the losses Telephone 265-2471 resulting from wildfires inrural areas,Congressman Johnson has introduced H.R. 1398, a bill to provide for the establishment and administration of a national wildfire disaster control fund. the American Forestry Association, are: Second class postage paid at Nevada City, California, Adjudicated a legal newspaper of general circulation by the Nevada County Superior Court , 1. To acquaint the general ig Me re Decree public: and particularly public officials with the problems and needs of the victims of disaster fires in forest, grassland, brush and other rural areas. . 2. To develop an organization and planning procedure for protection organizations to work Subscription Rates: one year, $3,00; two years, $5. 00. 19S7 PRIZE-WINNING NEWSPAPER together for maximum strength Jd of the and efficiency to effectively CALIFORNIA NEWSPAPER handle disaster fire situations. This would include prevention and control of small fires under Teale urges Placer not . ake over DeWitt — county area seemed enormously aitractive to alocal government. It should be mad2 clear to those who work at De Witt that the state, a*ter numerous misleading statements, has made clear its intention to get out from under the operation one way or the other, One way, is for the county to buy a package which the state admits needs $160,000 in repairs just to meat the requirements of the State Fire Marshal. The other is simply to close it down. One way or the other, De Witt State Hospital, as it has been know: in the past, will cease to exist and there is nothing which I or anyone else can do about it. I could pass a resolution asking for another study, but it has been studied enough and the administration's experts have all the answers, The governor has the final answer. I could put an appropriation in the Duds: for continued support for De Witt and the governor, on the evidence of his past record, would certainly blue pencil it and that would be the end of De Witt, In short, anyone waiting for a change Of mind by the state or a major miracle by county government, should face facts now -De Witt, as we have known it, cannot be saved. Piacer county supervisors were initially offered an attractive deal to take over the facility which the state admits cannot be operated on a reasonable basis, Now the state, after dangling the bait, has backed off and is offering the county only about half of what it cost them to run a losing operation. The state, therefore, on the most tenuous of funding promises, is asking local government to take over what amounts to an overaged, over-extendad white elephant, The carrot on theend»’ the stick is that the county could severe fire danger conditions before they reach disaster proportions. 3. To. provide procedures for planning, training and other necessary preparations for joint operations of protection agencies to take care of emergency fire situations. Joint efforts for maximum strength and efficiency will be the aim. A. To provide a funding method to assist States and other protection units to reach protection goals and handle emergency fire situations. Congressman Johnson has also introduced H.R. 1399, which would authorize Secretary of Agriculture Clifford M. Hardin to cooperate with state and local governments in the enforcement of state and local laws, rules and regulations within the national forest system. The bill allows the Department of Agriculture to reim‘keep the payroll for a 700-bed facility. I do not feel, nor have I ever felt, that Placer county can operate De Witt short of a deficit operation, I have warnedcounty officials of my feelings on this matter and now think it is my duty to warn all those involved “with De Witt that it is unreal to think the county can operate this facility and unrealistic to believe that the current administration will do anything less than nail it shut if the county refuses to accept their phony deal. When the state closed down Mcdesto State Hospital, local government had an opportunity to make use of the buildings and land. It is clear that unless Placer county buys the faulty De Witt package being offered sy the Department of Meatal Hygiene, the state will certainly close down that hospital. This being the case, I would be happy to author legislation to let local government take title to all the De Witt facilities for any legitimate governmental use, I completely understand and applaud the efforts of local government in Placer county to try to save their citizens from the loss of the tremendous economic lift that hospital facility produces, but I cannot stress enough that I feel the people of Placer county should not be sucked into taking the goveravr off the hook on the treatment of the mentally ill in this state. I have always felt that anyone who thinks he is going to help ease the loss of the closure of De Witt by getting into the mental health business in Placer county is doing a disservize {o al! residents of the county. Eventually, Aubura will survive from the loss of the De Witt payroll, but it may never survive the costs of taking over the operation of that antiquated, dangerous and costly hospital. Johnson seeking wildfire legislation burse state and local governments for expenditures connected with activities on national forest system lands. The veteran lawmaker noted that the proposed program would benefit California by developing plans and providing guidance "for the prevention and control of emergency fire situations greater than those most protection agencies can now handle with their own resources. "Coordinating plans, forces, equipment and actions in an orderly fashion to bring about maximum strength for all fire emergencies is a necessity," Congressman John said. "This program recognizes various agency responsibilities and the need for close cooperation between federal, state and local protection agencies." Representative Johnson said the objectives of the legislation, which has drawn the support of —

* ; ee 2 The Nevada County Nugget — Wednesday, March 3, 1971 Sounding Board FOOTBALL? Taken of people walking along Mill Street. to t By el ee F State Senator, Third’. -Distrfct The governor's "Creative Society" is on the meatal health kick again and the latest hospit-. al to fall under the so-called economy axe is De Witt State Hospital, near Auburn in Placer County. Three years ago, the same administration announced plans to close Modesto State Hospital, in Stanislaus county, for economy reasons, The state said the former army hospital was expensive to operate, the Department of Mental Hygiene was moving patients out of hospitals into near home environments faster than ever before, adequate beds were available elsewhere and the community could look forward to all kinds of state Money under new mental health laws. es In Stanislaus county, they fournd out they had lost the enormcs economic impact of the Modesto State Hospital payroll, still had community mental health problems and were soon to learn that the glowing promises of massive state help to. ‘fund local menial haaith programs were mostly just promises. But at De Witt, in Placer county, the "Creative Society" has. added anew wrinkle to its continuing program of getting out of the mental health business-the state is taking a hospital operation, which they admit is not economically feasible, and offering it to county government, Initially, the Placer County Board of Supervisors, faced with the loss of the single biggest payroll producer in the county, was anxious ‘to accept a deal which could retain part of that payroll in the county. State of, fers of 400 beds for mentally re© tarded, funded totally by feder. . al and state money, and the pros' pects of a 300 bed operation for the mentally ill from a several VIRGINIA ‘DARRELL MONTRE: Football MABLE SWEENEY: Baseball L. B, DORRIS: Baseball. NEVADA COUNTY NUGGET PUBLISHED EVERY WEDNESDAY BY NEVADA COUNTY PUBLISHING CO, ELIZEBETH WELLINGTON: Baseball WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S, Representative Harold T. (Bizz) Johnson, of.the Second Congres301 Broad Street sional District, has continued Nevada City, Ca. his efforts to secure vital legis95959 lation for reducing the losses Telephone 265-2471 resulting from wildfires inrural areas,Congressman Johnson has introduced H.R. 1398, a bill to provide for the establishment and administration of a national wildfire disaster control fund. the American Forestry Association, are: Second class postage paid at Nevada City, California, Adjudicated a legal newspaper of general circulation by the Nevada County Superior Court , 1. To acquaint the general ig Me re Decree public: and particularly public officials with the problems and needs of the victims of disaster fires in forest, grassland, brush and other rural areas. . 2. To develop an organization and planning procedure for protection organizations to work Subscription Rates: one year, $3,00; two years, $5. 00. 19S7 PRIZE-WINNING NEWSPAPER together for maximum strength Jd of the and efficiency to effectively CALIFORNIA NEWSPAPER handle disaster fire situations. This would include prevention and control of small fires under Teale urges Placer not . ake over DeWitt — county area seemed enormously aitractive to alocal government. It should be mad2 clear to those who work at De Witt that the state, a*ter numerous misleading statements, has made clear its intention to get out from under the operation one way or the other, One way, is for the county to buy a package which the state admits needs $160,000 in repairs just to meat the requirements of the State Fire Marshal. The other is simply to close it down. One way or the other, De Witt State Hospital, as it has been know: in the past, will cease to exist and there is nothing which I or anyone else can do about it. I could pass a resolution asking for another study, but it has been studied enough and the administration's experts have all the answers, The governor has the final

answer. I could put an appropriation in the Duds: for continued support for De Witt and the governor, on the evidence of his past record, would certainly blue pencil it and that would be the end of De Witt, In short, anyone waiting for a change Of mind by the state or a major miracle by county government, should face facts now -De Witt, as we have known it, cannot be saved. Piacer county supervisors were initially offered an attractive deal to take over the facility which the state admits cannot be operated on a reasonable basis, Now the state, after dangling the bait, has backed off and is offering the county only about half of what it cost them to run a losing operation. The state, therefore, on the most tenuous of funding promises, is asking local government to take over what amounts to an overaged, over-extendad white elephant, The carrot on theend»’ the stick is that the county could severe fire danger conditions before they reach disaster proportions. 3. To. provide procedures for planning, training and other necessary preparations for joint operations of protection agencies to take care of emergency fire situations. Joint efforts for maximum strength and efficiency will be the aim. A. To provide a funding method to assist States and other protection units to reach protection goals and handle emergency fire situations. Congressman Johnson has also introduced H.R. 1399, which would authorize Secretary of Agriculture Clifford M. Hardin to cooperate with state and local governments in the enforcement of state and local laws, rules and regulations within the national forest system. The bill allows the Department of Agriculture to reim‘keep the payroll for a 700-bed facility. I do not feel, nor have I ever felt, that Placer county can operate De Witt short of a deficit operation, I have warnedcounty officials of my feelings on this matter and now think it is my duty to warn all those involved “with De Witt that it is unreal to think the county can operate this facility and unrealistic to believe that the current administration will do anything less than nail it shut if the county refuses to accept their phony deal. When the state closed down Mcdesto State Hospital, local government had an opportunity to make use of the buildings and land. It is clear that unless Placer county buys the faulty De Witt package being offered sy the Department of Meatal Hygiene, the state will certainly close down that hospital. This being the case, I would be happy to author legislation to let local government take title to all the De Witt facilities for any legitimate governmental use, I completely understand and applaud the efforts of local government in Placer county to try to save their citizens from the loss of the tremendous economic lift that hospital facility produces, but I cannot stress enough that I feel the people of Placer county should not be sucked into taking the goveravr off the hook on the treatment of the mentally ill in this state. I have always felt that anyone who thinks he is going to help ease the loss of the closure of De Witt by getting into the mental health business in Placer county is doing a disservize {o al! residents of the county. Eventually, Aubura will survive from the loss of the De Witt payroll, but it may never survive the costs of taking over the operation of that antiquated, dangerous and costly hospital. Johnson seeking wildfire legislation burse state and local governments for expenditures connected with activities on national forest system lands. The veteran lawmaker noted that the proposed program would benefit California by developing plans and providing guidance "for the prevention and control of emergency fire situations greater than those most protection agencies can now handle with their own resources. "Coordinating plans, forces, equipment and actions in an orderly fashion to bring about maximum strength for all fire emergencies is a necessity," Congressman John said. "This program recognizes various agency responsibilities and the need for close cooperation between federal, state and local protection agencies." Representative Johnson said the objectives of the legislation, which has drawn the support of —