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Hi Dave,

I wish we could have a discussion as advocate for the taxpayers.  What is the cost per month per patient?  I know the discussion is suppose to be about the death of a patient.  When do we get to discuss the outrageous costs.  The State appears to be no good at cost savings.  They have no competition.  The State has very little oversight. Let's look at the numbers. The taxpayers are not good at looking at the numbers and holding the State accountable to cost cutting.

In the late 90s, the cost per patient per month was 13,000 dollars at the State Hospital.  The cost in the forensic program may have been a little less.  The cost today might be in the range of 15,000 dollars per patient per month. You might say that is good compared with the SOCP (State Operated Community Program).   The cost at the SOCP per patient per month is about 25,000 dollars per client per month.  What if you had 25,000 every month to spend on you older mother or father?   That would definitely cover the house payment for a pretty nice McMansion.

To digress a little further, what is the cost per month per inmate in corrections?  The cost are said to be about 7,000 dollars per month per inmate.  But the DOC (Department of Corrections) doesn't tell the whole picture.  They don't include PERS (pension), and many, many other costs.  To get the figures we need to get figure for the whole budget and divide the whole cost by the inmante days and then get inmate cost per month.  I mean get the whole budget and then work the numbers. 

Why doesn't the press lay out something as simple as the costs for the taxpayer?  Is each taxpayer supposed to do their own research?  Let's lay out a foundation for the taxpayer to let us know what we are talking about as far as cost.  Lay it out as simply as possible. Sometimes I wonder who is minding the store.  Taxpayers don't have the time or the focus to do this footwork.  Who is the advocate for the taxpayer?

Thanks,

posted 3 years, 1 month ago
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