July 14, 2010; Source: Cherokeean Herald | Thirty-nine community Health Centers across Texas are being told by the state to cut $80 million out of their budgets—money that would have been used to provide psychiatric care to approximately 11,000 adults and 2,000 children. At the same time, state hospitals are being asked to cut $40 million form their budgets. This is estimated to be likely to prevent 20,000 from receiving mental health services over the next year. In Cherokee County  some local leaders contend that the cost of working with people with mental illness would, if these budget cuts take effect, be effectively passed down from the state to local government because the reduction of hospital beds means they will end up in local jails. That is the financial cost. The devastating human costs will be passed down to the people suffering from mental illness and their families.—Ruth McCambridge