2/ Following some clippings by earlier post.

March 29, 1967

Dear Mr. Wiggins:

I really do not have much more to add to what cries out from the
news stories on Gov. “eagan's attack on the state's mental health
programs. Dr. Lowry has certainly not distinguished himself at Mr.
Short's hearings. Someof these programs, like the schools for mentally
retarded children, have begun to approach bare adequacy; they are really
far from sufficient, and there are long waiting lists for allof them.

The day care concept is just beginning to take hold. It stands to
reason that 1) inpatient populations should be decreasing, or at least
the admission rates decelerating; and 2) the costs per inpatient will go
up: we would hope towards infinity, if we could somehow learn how to
manage the whole patient load outside the institutions, which is too much
to dream about.

What is the most infuriating is to have this blunderbuss attack without
careful study-- in fact in the face of ongoing studies.

Mr, Reagan has well-known Fresidential ambitions. It might temper him
now to know that his political style now will help to measure the confidence
we can conceive of putting in his judgment as president{. Certainly, we will
need to see much better evidence of eool temper to be able to have any
thought of this man at the seat of deeisions which affect all of our lives.

More immediately, it is not likely that Regan will back down now, unless
he gets some tempering advice from someotherwise sympathetic Republimns on
the national meme scene. There is likely to be a continuing struggle
over this issue, and his attack on these (and other welfare) pegrams is
likely to escalate if he isnot firmly opposed to start with.

-_—-_ oe oe

I have talked at some length about this with Dave Hamburg, and he has
consulged @ number of his colleagues in California. He will be in Washington
Friday, and after talking to somepeople at the An. rsychiatric Assn. will
try to call you for further fill-in or followup/ They will have much more
detailed documentation, so far as is currently available, on needs and the
pragmatic impact of these cuts.

I do feel wuite earnestly that the kssue deserves national attention on
its own merits, as well as what it tells about a would-be candidate. I also
believe you can be quite helpful by bringing it to wider attention.

Sincerely,