Editor’s note: Sen. Vincent Illuzzi, R-Essex-Orleans, made the following comments about S.220, the bill he is introducing this legislative session that would require the Vermont State Hospital to re-open the Canteen, a snack bar that was available for patient use.
Of all the cuts at the Vermont State Hospital, this has generated a lot of opposition on several fronts.
One, there’s a serious dispute as to whether it’s a cost to the General Fund. A lot of folks believe that if they were allowed to charge the prices that they wanted to charge it would have been revenue neutral.
Number two, and probably more important is the therapeutic effect of allowing patients with privileges to go to a store which resembles normal life somewhat detached from the confines of the state hospital.
One thing to be clear here, we’re not talking about the criminally insane. We’re not talking about people who are axe murderers or who have been committed to the hospital for having committed crimes. Many of these people have been there for most of their lives. They’re people who because of a birth defect or a traumatic injury of some type have been consigned to the care of the state hospital. For those who are able to earn privileges and are able to go there it seems as though it’s as therapeutic as anything that you can offer at that institution.
If we can figure out a revenue neutral way to keep it open that’s what I’m going to try to do.
The (administration’s) premise for (closing) it was that it was costing money. So obviously, if we pass a bill that says we’re going to open the canteen, and it’s not going to cost the General Fund any money, I can’t imagine that there’s going to be continued resistance. The arguments from the people who are running it were that they weren’t allowed to charge market prices and therefore it was running in the red.
We have to uncover more facts, but … if there’s a way we can get this thing re-opened we should do it.
