D.C. HEALTH CARE WOES II

On Nov. 5, D.C. voters approved Initiative 62, which would force the
judicial system to prescribe treatment instead of jail time for some drug
offenders. The following week, city lawyers were in court, arguing against
implementation of the initiative on several fronts. A judge, however, ruled
against the city's request for a preliminary injunction. The good news is
that another hearing is scheduled for Jan. 10. The other good news is that
the city cannot spend one cent on the program. Congress has not approved
the city's budget for fiscal 2003. So, new spending, including the programs
called for by Initiative 62, is prohibited. That solves the immediate problem.

Long term? The city simply cannot afford to implement Initiative 62, which
calls for 12 months of mandatory drug treatment for first- and second-time
offenders. The policies and the programs would be in the hands of health
care workers - instead of the judicial system. That means jobs for the new
health-care bureaucracy and errors but no trials on the part of drug
offenders. Why? The D.C. health-care safety net for the indigent and
underinsured is about to drop. Hospitals and contractors serving the
District's poor have not been paid, and Washington Hospital Center, which
maintains the city's premier emergency facilities, is cutting back service.
Meanwhile, the D.C. Council seems content saying, "I told you so" to Mayor
Williams.

The District's elected leadership has a make-or-break and life-or- death
situation on its hands. Now is the time to stop pointing fingers and start
offering solutions.