EMPTY PROMISE

Anti-Drug Plan Meaningless Without Funding

As a candidate, Ernie Fletcher promised to restore hope. As governor,
he's practicing wishful thinking.

Drug control is the latest example.

Fletcher unveiled a plan last week that hits the right notes. He
enlisted a proven organizer, Sylvia Lovely of the Kentucky League of
Cities, to help launch the initiative. And the need to combat what
Fletcher calls an epidemic is heartbreakingly urgent.

But without money, the plan is meaningless.

Expanded treatment and additional drug courts are crucial ingredients
in Fletcher's recommendations, which were developed by a task force
after public hearings across the state.

Treatment and new drug courts will require tens of millions of
dollars, however, and the state simply does not have the money.

This is one instance when additional government spending would
increase efficiency. Because, as Fletcher points out, treatment is far
cheaper than incarceration.

Spending to rein in addiction and its ravages would pay off many times
over for Kentucky taxpayers in the form of reduced crime, lower prison
costs and medical savings.

Instead of pretending Kentucky can tackle its substance abuse problems
without new revenue, Fletcher should use this as an example of what
the state could do with money from a strategic tax increase.

Like spending on education, spending to combat drug abuse would make
Kentucky stronger, more prosperous and more appealing as a place to
live and do business.

On the other hand, letting the drug epidemic rage, when we know what
the solutions are, would send a message of hopelessness.

Fletcher should come up with a tax plan for raising the money Kentucky
needs to deal with its drug epidemic and other problems and then
challenge the opponents to explain why they are afraid to look out for
the state they're sworn to protect.