Thanks Mack You'll be Missed

Yesterday I was checking links on my Disability Links Page and I came across what I thought was a broken link. I would click on the link and it would render only a 404 page where Mental Health Association in Utah should be. Then just on a hunch I went to Google and did a search and again nothing; everything, every bit of the website for

I found out yesterday that Mental Health Association in Utah Health Association in Utah folded back in September victim of the economy, a private-non-profit agency here in Utah that I was fortunate to cut my web design teeth in. Dr Mack Gift, was the executive director, and a good friend of mine. Mack was working for the state out of the same office that I worked out of. He was hired on “soft money” and eventually Mack needed something an option with a bit more substance and that was when Mack took over leadership of the Mental Health Association in Mental Health Association in Utah. When I first went to work with the State I was required to learn enough web design (HTML) to update the website with was part of my operation; which I did. I learned enough I could craft a basic website an I was able to convince Mack to let me develop the website for the Association. I have to admit I amazed myself and in due time I was able to put together a web site, which ran for a number of years, and which Mack paid me fairly well over my involvement with the project. I learned enough to learn that I really did not like web design as much as I like the idea of being a web designer and saying that I ran a website—this maybe the fact that I was doing this only as am part time affair and doing the work after hours and on weekend which I was surprised to realize how much I resent ed the commitment. I liked the money. I eventually used the payments as my Christmas fund, not billing Mack until late November or early December usually giving me a $1000.00 or more to use over the Holiday season. Mack always paid, however, painful it was to him when I presented him with an invoice and I appreciated that.

Mack’s plight is the first( actually the second) I have heard as a direct result of the economy plunge. I fear many more are going to dry up and loose their private non-profit lives and then Staten and Federal not to mention all the other private sector jobs. Mack is even older then I and he might just finish up his existence on this Earth on his Social Security. I am tempted to go that route should my State position dry up. I should be eligible for SSDI now and I think I could live on it. Dianne and could make it together—our quality of life would not be huge but we would be able to live and keep the house. It would be survivable. I could make