Gov. Blagojevich recently undertook a splashy "rewrite to do-right" campaign to "improve" legislation passed by the General Assembly. If he rewrites anything, it should be his decimation of state funding for substance abuse treatment, and giving up $55 million in federal treatment dollars.
Maybe the governor doesn't think that treatment and prevention have as big a voting bloc in Illinois as his other rewrites have. But he is wrong"terribly wrong. Every family and community in our state has an incredibly high stake in providing high-quality substance abuse treatment on demand.
Whether people become addicted to alcohol, prescription drugs or illegal substances, all of us pay the price. We pay as families are shattered, careers are damaged, crime escalates, people are incarcerated at great cost to taxpayers, and lives are needlessly lost. Taking away this option that substance abusers have to confront their addiction, seek treatment and have all the resources that they need to recover is a false economy and one for which we all pay dearly.
Gone are the days when alcoholics and drug addicts skulked in the shadows because of societal condemnation and families hid their "shameful secret." Today, it would be hard to find a family who has not been touched by the addiction of a loved one, nor a community that has not suffered due to substance abuse. People realize that substance abuse is an illness and one that can be treated.
I know personally how difficult it is to get into recovery, stay committed to a program and prevent relapse. I have struggled with this issue myself through much of my adult life. Through the grace of God; supportive family and friends; and the resources to seek and get the treatment help I needed when I needed it, I am lucky enough to be a functioning, productive member of society. But it is still, and will always be, one day at a time.
Of all the hundreds of souls I came across during this time, not one of them wanted to become an addict or an alcoholic. No one rolls out of bed one morning and says to himself, "Today is the day I'm going to become so dependent on drugs and alcohol that I will ruin my life and the lives of those around me." Whether it is due to genetic predisposition, peer pressure, societal influence or the desire to escape your reality ... it happens.
Another thing happens, too. We come to a moment of clarity when we decide we just have to get off of the merry-go-round and seek help. For some it is a moment of God's grace when that realization arrives, for others it is a confrontation with family or the boss, for others a brush with the justice system. But however it comes, it is important that the resources are there to take action.
The governor's veto of half the state treatment budget will make it impossible for thousands of Illinoisans to get the help they need. For those already in the midst of the struggle to free themselves of their addiction, it puts their recovery at risk. I cannot help but recall the news story about the plight of the mom in the halfway house who was trying to get clean so she could get back to work and raise her children. As funding disappears, so does her hope.
The issue of restoring the vetoed funds by legislative action is now moot. The House voted to override the governor's cuts and restore funding, but the Senate did not. However, the governor has the power to move funds around within department budgets to the tune of 5 percent of the total. The Human Services budget is around $5.8 billion, so restoring the $55 million in substance abuse treatment cuts would mean a 0.95-percent shift, if my math is correct"plus a bonus $55 million in federal money to match.
For a governor who fancies himself a great student of history, it is surprising to see him ignore Ben Franklin's dictum to avoid being "penny-wise and pound-foolish." Rather than spread the pain of a difficult budget year across the state budget, the governor purposefully targeted vulnerable Illinoisans for more pain and suffering. They will pay a steep price, and so will everyone else.
So, come on, governor: Rewrite this cut and do right for us all.
State Rep. Greg Harris is the only openly gay member of the Illinois General Assembly.
