Participating in 2021

Plenty of clinics in AZ. And, McCain has a free air conditioner for 'ya!

 

March 25, 2015

William Hughes

216 Nagel Avenue

St. Louis, MO  63111

Brian Kincaid, Director

Missouri Department of Social Services

P.O. Box 1527

Jefferson City, MO  65102

Dear Mr. Kincaid:

My one line joke in Los Angeles was, “Faster than New York!” I guess you had to be there, and you are lucky you were not. The opposite effect since my return? I call it “Missouri Molasses Asses.” For example, the Republicans work fast to cut, cut, cut, as I’m sure you know. Meantime, some euphoric voice on NPR is going to tell me all is well. Baloney! (Oscar Meyer, or the 99 cent generic @Schnucks?)

I was shocked to find that the old smoke-filled room, now stocked with bottled water and magical thinkers, did not write me out of the DMH Director job description. Therefore, I have no idea of what I’m doing to seek the job except wait until a social service agency I’ve admired since 1992 sends me the posting in a “Snail Mail” envelope, since I could not pay Charter or AT&T on my MOSERS pension. Later, when I’m allowed in an automobile, I’ll show Jamiliah Nasheed, my state senator, a copy of this letter.  

While waiting on the mail, I took the liberty of finding you are now the permanent director, and Gail Vasterling is your counterpart over at Health and Senior Services. Me? Don’t ask me why I’d ignore the big FedEx envelope from a guy who made The Aviator and try to save the world for disadvantaged Missourians. Ready for my “followers?” This is their logic: “I don’t care about movies.” Or, “I get mail from Hollywood producers all of the time, so what?” Maybe I should have changed my name, which was suggested by a guy who played a Star Trek Klingon. I said, “No way!” (2009).

Back to Cole County reality, here’s my quick & dirty GOP-pleasing plan to expand services, pull rabbits out of hats, and sell condos on Mars, too.

STEP ONE: My DMH gobbles-up Health and Senior Services, leaving Public Health & Licensure behind. If you like, I could bore you with many case presentations/war stories of what was basically this: The elderly person had Dementia and a relative wanted the house. I’m proud to say he or she never got it through a civil commitment. Long-term care insurance privately when you are below the poverty line? I’d have Zyprexa samples for Republican leaders, if it’s legal to distribute them.

STEP TWO: I think my successor, if I’m ever a DMH Director, should be the one to serve as Behavioral Health/Social Services czar when all of the General Revenue-Medicaid-ObamaCare-Title 14 dollars are in the same pot. How about a MSW-MBA combo? I met one, so I know they exist. A kind psychiatrist who does not mind bureaucratic hassles galore? Never met one of those, but Missouri could look hard under President Clinton 2.0.

Déjà Vu tells me I already wrote up this grandiose and highly tripolar plan for big Whigs at the Mental Health Association about 10 years ago who said it was a good idea on smoke break, but truth be told, mostly hung their heads in shame as I presented. Maybe Jeremiah ‘Jay’ Nixon would have me dust that baby off if I ever find a copy.

See you soon,

William C. Hughes, MSW, QMHP