So are you so tired of the flag drama that you are ready to go back to an Oxford House post? ;-) Watchdog.org reported that the Board of Mental Health wouldn't allow Linda Woods to discuss her concerns about the Oxford House program at its regular meeting last week. Steve Wilson reported:
Apparently, the Mississippi Board of Mental Health doesn’t have five minutes to hear from a taxpayer.
In a meeting Thursday, Linda Woods wanted to tell the board about a loved one’s experience in one of the state’s taxpayer-funded halfway houses.
The board, which meets once a month, voted against giving her any time. It told her if she emailed the Mississippi Department of Mental Health there’s a chance officials could place her on agenda next month.
Woods says her loved one lived for two weeks in the Oxford House on Northside Drive in Jackson and two weeks in Meridian, where he relapsed three times before leaving for a residential facility in Texas.
MDMH spokesman Adam Moore said the requests to be placed on the agenda “must be made by noon on Monday of the week prior to the meeting. The Board of Mental Health votes at the outset of each meeting to approve or disapprove the agenda, subject to revisions by the board.
“Parties not on the agenda appearing at the meeting may only address the board if recognized.”
The board Thursday placed a time limit on a presentation by state Sen. Will Longwitz, R-Madison, about the growing problems with the 17 Oxford Houses. A representative of the Attorney General’s office timed Longwitz with a stopwatch, and the board refused to give him any more time.
Longwitz tried to plead Woods’s case, but board member Robert Landrum told him he was tired of hearing about the Oxford House situation — “after having to sit through it” in the last meeting.Rest of article.
Kingfish note: I will defend the board on this issue. What took place is a common problem that occurs when people want to address government bodies and are new to the experience. Most boards (aldermen, trustees, councils, etc) all have rules and procedures for getting on the agenda and those rules are in place for a reason. A regular citizen wants to address the board and then gets frustrated because he wasn't familiar with the rules. I suspect that is what took place up in Corinth. The Jackson City Council allows anyone to come up and address the council. Those meetings are also somewhat dysfunctional. It will be interesting to see if the board will allow her to get on the agenda if she follows the proper procedures.
41 comments:
Any idea Kingfish where one can find a list of upcoming meeting dates/locations?
Yes I am tired of the flag drama and I am also tired of the Oxford House drama. Lets go back to that boy that ate the hamster.
What???? Kingfish actually being objective on this issue?!?!?!?! I'm shocked, but also impressed!!! Way to go. It's important that the complainer is a girlfriend who has lots and lots of hearsay, little factual proof. If every govt board listened to every girlfriend/boyfriend who had a problem-how could anything get done? If I was a board member, I wouldn't listen. This is all about Will trying to get political donations & get elected prior to this issue in the past 1200+ days he's been in office, what has he done for you? Probably nothing. Sad excuse for a senator.
I appreciate Senator Longwitz's having gone all the way to Corinth for the meeting to express our concerns as his constituents. Will was on the agenda, had a lot to say on our behalf, but they rushed him through because member Landrum said the Board did not want to hear any more on the issue. This is a difficult issue for neighborhoods. The Board should at least be gracious enough to hear out our concerns, but they are quite partisan and uninterested in dealing with any problems.
KF, they voted to cut short Will's time in half before he even got up to speak. Secondly, they acted unfairly and inconsistently by denying ANYONE to speak at this meeting. The meeting in Meridian included several speakers who decided to attend at the last minute and request for speaking time. They were given an unlimited amount of time in comparison to the pro-Jackson, anti-Oxford House speakers.
KF, you might be correct with other boards. However, this board allowed an OH representative not on the agenda to speak and show a video at the last meeting. Further, the time given to OH at the last meeting was triple that given the residents. The bias is clear. Given that the rules seem to be changing from meeting to meeting, your defense is misplaced in this instance.
KF, your defense is indefensible. Did Bill Billingsley somehow hack this site?
Go to a Pat Bruce MCCC meeting and see how she handles questioners when the candidate she supports gets a tough question...she just cuts them off and says NEXT!!!
State Government so poorly run
Kingfish, I salute you for all of your positive contributions to Jackson. There are too many to count. You are simply an institution.
That being said, you have the power to inform people on how the board acted unjustly by denying one of the most potentially incriminating sources of Oxford House critique, especially due to the fact that an unannounced Oxford House parade had just marched through Meridian a month prior. Couldn't they let just one person speak. I'm sure it wouldn't have lasted that long.
DMH should have never bent the rules the first time, that's what makes rules fair and legitimate: when they are equally applied except for when a solution for the greater good can be achieved. In this case, DMH was trying to cover their ass and silence critics in any way possible. It is not possible to use the agenda submission deadline as a measuring stick in this case. The covered up relapses at OH Meridian had taken place AFTER the deadline to get on the agenda.
DMH is at odds with its own appointer and its citizens which it is chartered to serve. It is time for a new board and a new dept head for DMH, and a new direction for substance abuse treatment in Mississippi. There are plenty of resources. DMH has been in control of the narrative for too long.
What are the chances of a regular citizen joining with a law firm to sue for consistency of definitions between all branches of government? If the Supreme Court could rule who and what are disabilities allowed under ADA, then the Oxford House pyramid scheme might cease. Under the Fair Housing Act, the liberals in power might attack every neighborhood in many ways and destroy communities in many ways. Forcing every area to be a mixed use area will drastically change a family's choices. I am probably saying this poorly, but just wondered if there is a nexus here and a chance of freedom left?
Thanks Senator Longwitz for trying - OH appears to have some power over the Mental Health Board. There is some stink here. Keep digging folks.
DMH: This is what we call a captive state agency which considers its client Oxford House instead of the people of Mississippi.
12:32, what if the concept works, and more people are able to maintain their sobriety because of it? No one seems to be interested in that part of this issue. If true, maybe that's a reason the DMH is behind it.
Let's get rid of the flag and OH. Our state will be better off on both issues.
Awe Mr king fish why won't you publish my comments. If was respectful and true. I guess you really arnt interested in the good stories. Not as profitable are they? Shame on you.
Oh wait Mr king fish it's not the good story you don't want published. It is the fact that ms woods didn't tell her boyfriend what she did. Or maybe its the fact that this very same man has already called wanting back in the OH after treatment. Wouldn't that blow your video out of the water. Or how about all the wonderful comments she made about OH on the senators FB that have been conveniently taken off. Perhaps it is the story of how these people have hurt families.(nah you don't care about that)
What connection do the DeViney's have with the board of DMH. If you want to get to the politics of it, I'd start there.
I do know the employees have been told to not speak on the issue if asked. There are other organizations in the state just like this and apparently this recent one is the only one a stink has been made about.
Yeah 1:39 why don't we get rid of black people to, after all you all say their the ones committing all the crime. Oh and how about all the red necks, the poor class, and the homeless. I mean why stop at the flag and the people in OH. Heck if your getting rid of people do it right. But let the Mexican people stay. They do good hard work. You can keep them in a compound and let them out to pick up your garbage and fix your houses.
IF you hear anger in this comment then you would be correct. It's not right to just want to "get rid of people".
What would the DeVineys have to do with this?
Isnt the woman at the front of this a very close relative of them? If not, please KF, remove that prior post.
Bill Denny doesn't have an opponent yet he still hides.
@2:08: Be assured, this man knew exactly what Ms Woods was doing in regards to the interview. And saying he has called and wants to return to OH is an absolute joke. Don't you need to be minding the store instead of this blog???
2:20....ummmm...I never said anything about getting rid of any people. I said to get rid of the flag and an out of state business. There are alternatives for the addicts. Nice try, though.
When the election is over and the senetor doesn't care about your issue with OH any more everyone will understand they are just being played for political purposes. He smiles with his children and talks of family but forgets the other 1/3 of the people and families he supposedly represents. The political world is a sad sad thing.
@12:7, Your chances of getting a citizen to get a lawyer to sue the DMH is zero. The chance that the residents could get a lawyer and sue the state, our Governor and anyone else who has publicly claimed these residents are most likely sex offenders, plastered their address all over God's creation and demand they move out of a particular house is much greater and a 99% chance that they would win. (SMH)
Ok 4:00. We will rent the house next to you with just us. Won't be an "OH" would that be ok?
AMEN to 1:39…
I'd like to see the flag and Oxford kicked to the curb
^^^ oxford HOUSE that is
" He smiles with his children and talks of family but forgets the other 1/3 of the people and families he supposedly represents. "
So, you're saying 1/3 of the residents of his district are recovering addicts in OH houses? Interesting.
Better be careful what you wish for, folks. Take Oxford House and DMH out of the picture, reduce the number of residents to four and there's not a damn thing anyone can do if they move in next door to you. Better keep DMH in the loop somewhere...
WOW. Just rec'd poll call about 'sober living houses'. Doubt highly it was a Longwitz poll.
No 5:55 I was referring to the recovering and the people who do not judge and hate a person because of their past and have sence enough to not believe the lies and false accusations made.
5:56 - I agree that the scenario you describe would be troublesome, but I don't think anyone is advocating leaving the residents on their own, so to speak. I think we would settle for proper, effective oversight. To me, one thing that would include would be DMH spending the money on 3rd parties with no connection whatsoever to OH to do the outreach work, recruiting, and reporting, etc. Ensure that they follow best practices. I would think OH would have no problem with that, if they have nothing to hide. I think this would lead to better outcomes for the addicted residents, as well.
Gee, 5:56 sounds just like Bill Billingsley or Jerri Avery or Diana Mikula.
Good thought, 7:07, but what authority would the DMH have to oversee a private residence? We're going to need to bump up the budget if we're going to have them checking up on all the recovering alcoholics and addicts.
And 7:30 sounds like Amile or Mrs. Longwitz or some middle school kid with an iPad.
I have yet to see or hear of any trouble these people in an OH have caused any one of you. So what if their past included addiction. At least they're no longer active, as a lot of you are. I've seen plenty of you drunk or tipsy at dinner parties and proceed to drive home. It's ridiculous the way you act and talk about these people. And get off your high horse thinking that any comments made not in agreement with yours is an OH or MDMH person. Or billingsley, he hasn't even made a public statement either way. Ever stop to think these people have families and feelings?
7:45 - the OH website says that state funding and grants are used to contract with OH for OH to provide their outreach workers. Why can't that same state funding and grant money be used to do the exact same thing, but instead pay a 3rd party not affiliated with OH as the outreach workers?
@758 on the 25th,
I've asked the same question numerous times. I've never seen one reply, unless you count the ones calling me an OH or DMH employee. I live across the street and a few houses down from the OH that first caused all the fuss. I, like many, was afraid in the beginning. My opinions have since changed. The guys all seem to be nice enough. They're rarely seen and we haven't heard a word from them. Thus far, they've been model neighbors.
A boy ate a hamster? Can I hear more?
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