RC: My theory is that as long as mental health remains a special interest group, they'll get only a little piece of the dollars appropriated by legislators.
MF: As a recovered politician, what I can tell you is that a lot of times politicians vote on things when they know there is a large constituency watching them. It doesn't mean it's good or bad. People who run for office try to do the best they can - they try to do good.
RC: That's the way the country was designed originally. They were supposed to represent their constituency.
MF: Yes. So if they know the mental health community is organized and votes, and that family members of mental health consumers and providers all vote and are watching very closely what policy makers are doing... Particularly with the "Grading the States" report, it put us in contact with a whole lot of state officials and it has been a fascinating experience. We've been able to turn the barge in a few states. You're kind of undoing 30 or 35 or 40 years of systems.
RC: I know what you mean. I used to be in the shipping business. With large tankers, it took 6 miles to stop and about 10 miles to turn them. In a sense, since this is a grass roots organization, you've got the foundation to build on.
MF: Oh, sure. Our power is really in our grass roots. Politicians on capitol hill know that we represent a whole lot of people back home.
RC: And that's what it takes.
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