The scary articles and editorial in Lookout Eugene-Springfield about the Oregon State Hospital in Salem are noted.

But these problems are really nothing new.

Someone near and dear to my family is a patient at the hospital. We’re in daily contact, and we visit when possible. Staff there are decent and caring (it’s a tougher job than writing editorials). We’ve heard no complaints.

According to the Oregon Health Authority, most of those committed have drug issues, criminal issues or both (though not my near and dear). And don’t forget the newer, smaller Oregon State Hospital facility in Junction City, where federal regulators threatened to yank the certification in 2022 over problems including suspected sexual assault, physical attacks and a lack of supervision.

This is about woefully lax laws on drugs, our culture and money. Drill down, and most everything we do involves money. If collectively we have a problem, the solution requires money — in other words, taxes. People admit we need to do something, but refuse to vote for tax increases.

You get what you pay for.

Don McLean
Eugene