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Bush signs suicide-prevention bill

President Bush signed a bill last week authorizing the government to give $22 million toward suicide-prevention measures at college mental-health centers for three years.

The bill, titled the Garrett Lee Smith Memorial Act, is named after the son of Sen. Gordon Smith, R-Oregon, who suffered from bipolar disorder and committed suicide last September.

Many have questioned the act in light of the federal budget deficit, which is expected to grow, since Congress has unfinished spending bills for the 2005 fiscal year. It is unclear when funds will be appropriated to the GLSMA, the Chronicle of Higher Education reported.

Jessi Schober, chair of Students for Bush and co-chair of College Republicans, said she believes the country should be cautious of spending in light of the federal deficit. She added, however that “there are certain programs that can and should be funded.”

Many Democrats in Madison agree this piece of legislation is necessary.

“I think suicide in general is a very grave issue, and is especially important since students have a higher suicide rate,” Rachel Donald, chair of Students for Kerry, said. Donald also said the deficit is not of concern since legislation is going toward a valuable cause.

Schober said she finds the subject of suicide especially important at UW and on campuses nationwide.

“I think that when people are in college, it’s the hardest time emotionally for a person,” she said. “There are stages [in life] when people are feeling awkward, rapid pressures, and I think that when people are moving away for the first time, there are so many different angles.”

Former chair of Students for Kerry, Donne Eggert, said the issue is very complex.

“… Less and less of these types of legislation will be available in the future,” he said, adding, however, the government could accomplish more if there were no deficit, especially as America faces war in Iraq.

“I think it’s pretty obvious to most people, the fact that we’re spending so much on the war. Our allies paid a vast majority of the cost [in the First Gulf War] and now 90 percent is coming from American taxpayers,” Eggert said.

Schober said she has difficulty understanding how legislators would consider rejecting legislation like this.

“I don’t see how people could say, ‘Oh we have a deficit right now, so we’re going to wait to prevent people from dying,’” she said.

Some Madison students hold a different opinion when it comes to the budget deficit, especially with the onset of an election.

UW sophomore Dan Barker said spending activities such as the war in Iraq and NASA’s Mars exploration are taking an unnecessary toll on the economy.

“In order for [the president] to justify spending in one area he should cut funding in other areas,” Barker said.

But other students find the new legislation justifies spending funds.

“I don’t think $22 million is a lot of money in the grand scheme of things if it saves lives,” UW sophomore Jason Robey said. “I’d be interested to see how that money is spent because it doesn’t seem like $22 million is enough for something like this; it’s sort of more of a goodwill token.”