Nothing is More Important
A child in foster care is returned to a parent previously suspected of being abusive and is beaten to death. That’s followed by an outcry demanding the caseworker be fired and heads roll at Children and Family Services.
An out-of-control man shoots and kills a police officer attempting to subdue him. It turns out the man’s got a history of mental illness, got out of jail, and stopped taking his medication once he no longer had to report to his probation officer. We demand to know why he wasn’t being monitored, why he wasn’t getting treatment.
It’s easy to dismiss the crucial work of county health & human services agencies as coddling people we think should take “personal responsibility.” But in fact, it serves those who often don’t have the tools to do so — children, the elderly, the disabled, the mentally ill, the homeless, those with substance abuse issues, the formerly incarcerated, and those in deep poverty.
And when there are fewer places in treatment programs or when social workers with huge caseloads burn out, stressed from being unable to adequately serve all their clients, the consequences could land on anybody’s doorstep. And we all pay more in crime, prison sentences, and the lessened ability of many to be productive contributors to the economy.
It’s easy to dismiss such services as being relevant only to those in the inner city. But issues like addiction, suicide, and domestic abuse affect all races and socio-economic classes, city and suburbs and rural areas, equally.
Unfortunately, there are those in Columbus who don’t recognize that, who buy into the misconception that these are “city problems” or problems of minorities. Legislators from small towns and rural areas dominate our General Assembly. And so they, along with Governor John Kasich, have cut money flowing to Cuyahoga County for these needs.
It’s not like the money isn’t available. Since he took office, Kasich has dramatically increased state spending. Governor Ted Strickland’s final budget was $50.5 billion. Kasich’s latest budget — the highest in Ohio history — is $62 billion. He’s spending like a sugar daddy — just not necessarily on things that would make Ohio a safer, healthier state.
That’s why the health & human services levy — Issue 1 — is on the ballot.
It’s why Cuyahoga County is asking not just for a replacement of 2.9 mills, but for a hefty increase to 3.9 mills. The increase is $47.68 on a $100,000 home, for a total of $136.50 annually.
This is a rock and a hard place. Among the services provided are in-home services to seniors — yet this increase may help force some seniors out of their homes, added to a Metroparks levy and levies in many school districts. The need is so pressing, yet taxpayers, especially lower-income taxpayers and those on fixed incomes, are already so strapped.
To add insult to injury, Kasich rolled back the 12.5% share of each levy that has been paid by the state for 42 years. So now every new levy will cost us more.
And if Cuyahoga County is willing to pass this levy, Kasich may feel he’s gotten away with passing the burden on to struggling homeowners while sitting on a big pile of money for his pet projects — and if he’s re-elected, he could do it again and again, requiring the same cuts in services that will occur if this levy isn’t passed.
That’s why we’re endorsing a yes vote for the health and human services levy with a great deal of trepidation.
Citizens need to be made aware that spending is NOT being cut in Columbus. It’s just not going for these crucial needs.
And we need to tell our elected officials that nothing is more important than protecting our most vulnerable and challenged citizens — not just for their sake, but also for ours. Because when children are safe, when mentally ill people can function, when those suffering from addiction can get treatment, when those returning from prison can find and hold steady jobs, we all benefit.
Cool Cleveland recommends you vote YES on Issue 1.
The Cuyahoga Board of Elections isn’t sending out applications to vote by mail this year. To request a mail-in ballot, go to http://boe.cuyahogacounty.us/en-US/vote-by-mail.aspx.