Dear Leonard,

This e-mail is not directed only to you but i did need a primary address to start with; so everyone out there, please listen.

It is my understanding that (MHCA's) grant has been given to the following organizations-Akmhcweb and Mental Health Assoc. It is also my understanding that NO funds have been released yet because NAMI and Parents Inc. are protesting that they did not get the lion's share of the bucks. De ja vu all over again for me. The bottom line--Akmhcweb and Mental Health Assoc. wrote the better grants and therefore they won. In life he/she that does the best-wins and those that loose shake the winners hand and resolve to do better the next time-it's commonly called good sportsmanship. If the tables were turned-wouldn't NAMI and Parents Inc. expect the same from the consumers? They would not only expect the same-they would come back with "you know consumers and their mental illnesses just can't be expected to act with sense".

I wonder if this protest is trying to hold up the distribution of these funds until the next fiscal year hoping that money will be given to all. Akmhcweb is definitely working on a shoestring and a lot of volunteering from Dave and Katsumi and Mental Health Assoc. is going to need bucks soon to send people to Juneau.

If I were the state I would be embarrassed by this delay especially since everyone knows this money should be going out for consumers and their needs. The MHCA fiasco hurt lots of consumers and this delay of distribution of funds is hurting us again. When does the pain stop?? In my opinion it should stop here and now! That PEC that decided on the grant distribution was made up entirely of un-biased folks from around the state so one cannot complain that it wasn't fair. ALL consumers are watching this so please do not cause more turmoil by delay-let my people (consumers)have what they honestly won.

Sincerely,
Cheryl Wheat
ak_triker@hotmail.com