I'll check out your books. My opinion did not come from the media.
My dad's last job was as a special investigator for the DSHS, and his last office was in Steilacoom at Western Washington State hospital, from 1976~85. He observed it as it happened. Those people are long gone now as he is, but it was the beginning of a shift away from caring for the mentally ill.
Yes it took place, Medical Lake released many on the streets. It was obvious, even little places
like Ellensburg suddenly had it's fair share of mentally disabled. Case in point-There was this guy
that frequented a few taverns, he lived on the street. The owner of a tavern that I use to hang
out at after work saw what he believed was his sister show up meeting him there and giving him
money. His alias was {The Shoe} he would never tie his shoes plus walked on the back of them
because he never put them all the way on, never bothered anyone. I moved to Walla Walla in
96 and who did I see setting at a bus stop bench--{The Shoe}. Many moved this direction because
the weather is less severe in winter. We have our fair share of homeless. The overdoses average
a minimum of three a week here some weekends 4 or 5. You would think after awhile the town
would run out of self induced victims, but it just isn't the case. Tweakers abound, as far as the
work place, a friends son has a construction business plus knows all the other contractors.
All have had issues with workers not passing a drug test, and some were ones you would never
guess.
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It's a nation wide problem, no town, community is void of the issue. It's just sad. Total ruin
of peoples lives plus their family having to deal with it.