Governor’s cuts run deep

Add comment July 31st, 2008

We juts got done with a meeting with Phil Eaton of Rosecrance, Bridget Kiely of TASC and Karen Gill of PHASE/WAVE.

They told us that agencies that deal with substance abuse issues suffered more than others under Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s budget ax.

Substance abuse funding was cut 50 percent, while other social service agencies escaped with no cuts or 5 percent reductions.

The substance abuse money was a real cut; it was not a cut of an increase in funding. Eaton said his budget from the state was “to the penny” the same as last years until the governor got going. So unlike the other cuts the gov made, these will affect real people and probably mean good programs will be eliminated.

Eaton speculated that the reason his agency and others like it were cut disproportionately was because that client base has no political clout and won’t be lobbying for services. There’s not a lot of sympathy for addicts out there.

If addicts don’t get help, they’ll steal from you to pay for their addictions. If they get caught, they’ll fill up our shiny new jail. Housing them in jail will cost more than the treatment programs that can keep them on the streets.

Assistant Metro Editor Bob Schaper sat in on the meeting and is working on a story.