Letters: There was no reason to delay crisis center
I personally attended the St. Joseph County Commissioners meeting on Dec. 20. I wanted to witness firsthand the train wreck I knew would happen when the commissioners decided to drop the proposed Mental Health Crisis Center from the agenda.
Not surprisingly, this terrible decision led to the resignation of a highly dedicated and qualified head of the St. Joseph County Health Department, Dr. Robert Einterz.
The critical need for a Mental Health Crisis Center is beyond dispute. The proposed center is based on a proven model. The leadership shown by the St. Joseph County Health Department, Oaklawn, Beacon, Faith In Indiana and many other qualified partners has been outstanding. There was no good reason for further delay.
Our community needs to understand that when we allow our leaders to drive a highly qualified person out of his job, we don’t just lose that person. We create a position unlikely to attract the kind of person we need. The damage spreads quickly, leading to low morale and further loss of talent within the organization.
Dr. Einterz is a terrible loss. Our community should be forever grateful for his leadership during the pandemic.
We can only hope the County Commissioners will get the project back on track as quickly as possible and that the other dedicated partners can forge ahead without Dr. Einterz.
Rose Meissner
President
Community Foundation of St. Joseph County
Review board
After Fort Worth, Texas, police officer Aaron Dean was convicted of manslaughter for the shooting death of Atatiana Jefferson, several news outlets, like the Dallas Morning News, reported that Dean had been hired despite a psychologist’s evaluation that he was unfit to be a police officer.
To prevent a comparable situation from happening in South Bend, perhaps a civilian review board should be created.
Oops, wait a minute! Aren’t they already supposed to have one?
David R. Hoffman
Mishawaka
Midterm results
I was shocked about current election results, not because I believe it was stolen, as our system is safe and honest. My reaction is perhaps I am a political independent, feel party affiliation can become “my party, right or wrong” so I vote for the best person. We are a red state but an ultra-majority is undemocratic, authoritarian and minimizes honest debate and compromise.
Several examples of voting results are perplexing to me. U.S. Rep. Rudy Yakym, who defined himself as pro-Trump, never partook in the debate with Paul Steury and William Henry, so I have no idea how he feels about critical issues like global warming, the Jan. 6 insurrection, gun laws and women’s health. That is demeaning to the public; why would I consider voting for him? Others running for local offices never addressed questions raised by The Tribune and League of Women’s Voters. Why would you vote for them?
The most egregious vote was for Secretary of State for Diego Morales who was fired twice for incompetence and ran against Destiny Wells, probably the strongest candidate statewide. What are people thinking? I agree with columnist Jack Colwell that the result was not because of gerrymandering, but perhaps it was Democratic lethargy and dark money. We are getting our choices.
Tom Nowak
South Bend
This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: Reader opinions on midterms, police reform and a crisis center
