Discussion about replacing Fulton State Hospital centers on money, not morality.
Gov. Jay Nixon and lawmakers, Democrats and Republicans, agree replacing the antiquated facility is the right thing to do - for the public safety of patients and staff and for public mental health in Missouri.
We are encouraged by this contemporary approach to mental health concerns, which have been minimized for too long.
The cost of replacement is steep - estimated at $211 million. The state budget now includes $13 million for design.
The governor has proposed a $198 million bond issue in the form of an appropriation bond that requires legislative approval, but not voter approval.
Although the governor contends that approach has been used to finance past projects, some lawmakers - Democrats and Republicans - question that approach. They favor a general obligation bond, which requires a vote of the people.
Seeking a statewide vote invites both delay and risk - voters may reject the proposal.
Nixon's budget director, Linda Luebbering, makes a compelling case that although the replacement cost is significant, the cost of inaction may be even higher.
She said the existing state hospital will need:
• An expanded Sexual Offender Rehabilitation Treatment Services facility, estimated at $80 million.
• Maintenance now being deferred, about $70 million.
• Potential loss of about $50 million in Medicare and Medicaid payments if certification is revoked.
Combined with an estimated $4 million savings in operating costs, a new facility arguably pays for itself.
Because moral, public safety and cost considerations all are favorable, the issue is not whether we can afford to build a new state mental hospital, it is whether we can afford inaction.