$30M Trumps $15M Any Day: Why Private Industry is Putting the Federal Government to Shame

Back in mid-February, Rep. Ron Barber (D-Ariz.) trumped the addition of $15 million for mental health first aid training that was passed in a $1.1 trillion spending bill. Sadly, Barber also connected the funding to helping stop future instances of mass shootings — a connection that simply has no basis in reality. But hey, at least he’s doing something. This past week, the CEO of Starbucks, Howard Schultz, announced $30 million to help research into brain trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). He also promised last year to hire at least 10,000 veterans and military spouses over the next five years. Which do you think is doing more to help mental health? Government or private citizens & industry? What’s astounding is how much money the government spends in any given year on a wide variety of items. For instance, in that same $1.1 trillion spending bill, Congress also authorized $7 million for demolition of some old NIH office space, and $35 million for “railroad research” (the vast majority of railroads in America are privately owned and operated). $2.5 million was set aside to “enforce State laws prohibiting the sale of alcoholic beverages to minors” (can’t states enforce their own state laws with their own money?). And my favorite: $60 million for a boll weevil eradication program (provided that the Secretary deem the pink bollworm to be a boll weevil). All the while we have politicians scrambling to show just h...
Source: World of Psychology - Category: Psychiatrists and Psychologists Authors: Tags: Disorders General Mental Health and Wellness Policy and Advocacy PTSD Research Treatment 30 Million Howard Schultz Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Psychological Trauma Traumatic Brain Injury Veterans Source Type: blogs