---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Taxpayers and legislators alike seem…"
description: "\"“Taxpayers and legislators alike seem generally ignorant of the extent to which they are being soaked by the hidden costs of this parsimony. For instan..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5da/ron-powers-51851_mental-illness_taxpayers-and-legislators-alike-seem-gen_1835195.jpg"
---

#  Taxpayers and legislators alike seem generally ignorant of…

![“Taxpayers and legislators alike seem generally ignorant of the extent to which they are being soaked by the hidden costs of this parsimony. For instance, public care costs far less than public jails. The National Alliance on Mental Illness has estimated that for every $ 2,000 to $ 3,000 per year…” quote by Ron Powers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5da/ron-powers-51851_mental-illness_taxpayers-and-legislators-alike-seem-gen_1835195.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5da/ron-powers-51851_mental-illness_taxpayers-and-legislators-alike-seem-gen_1835195.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5da/ron-powers-51851_mental-illness_taxpayers-and-legislators-alike-seem-gen_1835195.jpg)

> ““Taxpayers and legislators alike seem generally ignorant of the extent to which they are being soaked by the hidden costs of this parsimony. For instance, public care costs far less than public jails. The National Alliance on Mental Illness has estimated that for every $ 2,000 to $ 3,000 per year spent on treating the mentally ill, $ 50,000 is saved on incarceration costs.””

[Ron Powers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-powers/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

The quote highlights how investing in mental health care saves far more money than spending on incarceration, exposing hidden costs of underfunding social services.

**In simple terms:** Spending on mental health reduces overall costs.

Key Takeaway

Invest in mental health to cut larger expenses.

Themes

public policy health economics criminal justice budgeting

Mood

concerned analytical optimistic

Type

informative advocacy

When to use this quote

- government budgeting
- healthcare planning
- criminal justice reform
- public awareness campaigns

Key Concepts

cost‑benefit analysis preventive care social welfare

Questions to Reflect On

- How can current policymakers use this insight?
- What barriers exist to reallocating funds?

A Different Perspective

The data may be outdated or context‑specific, limiting its applicability today.

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[Care costs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/care-costs/) [Incarceration](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/incarceration/) [Mental illness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mental-illness/) [Mentally ill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mentally-ill/)

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> [Once you're labeled as mentally ill, and that's in your medical notes, then anything you say can be discounted as an artefact of your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilary-mantel/once-you-re-labeled-as-mentally-ill-and-that-s-in-your-medical-notes/)

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> [“What sticks with me now is that this man said he needed to get to a hospital. He probably needed to reach his destination…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-nielsen/what-sticks-with-me-now-is-that-this-man-said-he-needed-to-get-to-a/)

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> [“Mental illness" is among the most stigmatized of categories.' People are ashamed of being mentally ill. They fear disclosing their condition to their friends…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elyn-r-saks/mental-illness-is-among-the-most-stigmatized-of-categories-people-are/)

[Elyn R. Saks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elyn-r-saks/)

> [“Too many of the mentally ill in our country live under conditions of atrocity. Storytelling”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-powers/too-many-of-the-mentally-ill-in-our-country-live-under-conditions-of/)

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[Annie Lowrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-lowrey/)

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[Peter Drucker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-drucker/)

## More by Ron Powers

> [“To begin consciously searching into the world of mental illness is to see it snap into focus before your eyes. It is everywhere. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-powers/to-begin-consciously-searching-into-the-world-of-mental-illness-is-to/)

[Ron Powers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-powers/)

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> [“Too many of the mentally ill in our country live under conditions of atrocity. Storytelling”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-powers/too-many-of-the-mentally-ill-in-our-country-live-under-conditions-of/)

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[Explore all 7 Ron Powers quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-powers/)

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[Browse all 31 Care costs quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/care-costs/)

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