Archive: Opinions

The word 'contradiction', or maybe 'you've got to be kidding me' seemed to be salient this week with two stories, one local and one national in breadth. I will focus on the local story this week, as I've also a lot to say about the wider ranging national story as well, but it can keep as I am still developing ideas and still forming a series of thoughts about the national story's implications (Spoiler alert: Amazon says bye-bye to NY). The local story/photo has enough to speak of and comment on for now, having implications on our lives and livelihood.

Dateline: Lansing.

The photo that caught my eye is one of the Executive Director of 'The Council' (although identified by its former name as the Alcoholism and Drug Council of Tompkins County) Angela Sullivan. She is announcing the location of the intended (and long awaited) detoxification center/facility for Tompkins County. I must first, in the interest of full disclosure, begin with the following:

I worked at the Alcohol and Drug Council for almost five years as a counselor and I pretty much loved every minute of those years, mainly because of Angela and all of my colleagues. It is one of the most respected and professional organizations of its kind in the state due to Angela's influence and professional attitude, as well as her vision, and is second to none in its dedication to providing counseling services to the afflicted and addicted population of our county. Her unflagging efforts to bring this facility to Tompkins County deserves a Nobel Prize.

Angela hired me as a counselor (after I spent five years as an inpatient counselor at Tully Hill inpatient facility) and I have always (quietly) admired has as one of my very few heroes. A detox center in Tompkins County should merit Angela a place in the pantheon of true leaders of this county, and will be a huge first step in giving addicts a chance at their first step in recovery. Detox is only the beginning, and is not even close to a 'cure' when the addict must return to the same neighborhood, re-learn basic social skills to survive without drugs, return to the same environment and the same challenges after only three to five days of 'detox' treatment. This is not 'inpatient' treatment as is commonly understood, but that is a different issue, as we will see. It is a medical step, not a focused attempt at what is truly needed, which is a good four weeks of intensive, 24 hour therapy, both individual and group, as well as a focused and healthy diet, caring and overall treatment of the psyche, emotions and human relationships. After a twenty eight day treatment plan, the recovering addict must have a reasonable shot at decent and safe housing, continued treatment on an outpatient basis and all the necessary social, emotional and financial support that a community can give. Again, detox is necessary, critical, and a first step. Seems reasonable, right?

So, to the photo. To begin, Senator Schumer on Ms. Sullivan's right. Mr. Schumer is at least partly responsible for the disaster we are calling the opioid crisis. And here's the reason why I make this assertion.

Much of America's difficulty in dealing with this crisis (a word that I'm beginning to tire of as it has been overused in so many circumstances...) has been due to two behemoths who contribute tens of thousands of dollars to Charles Schumer, as well as millions of dollars to his co-conspirators in Congress. The behemoths that are largely responsible for the opioid crisis and thousands of deaths and billions in destruction are the pharmaceutical companies and the insurance companies.

It's no secret that 'Big Pharma' has an interest in continuing the opioid situation in America, and has been the object of almost countless lawsuits over its courting (and cajoling to the point of bribery) our nation's doctors, coddling them and assuring them that Vicodin, Oxycontin and others are not dangerous and would not lead to addiction. This lie has led to thousands of deaths which the pharmaceutical companies deny responsibility for in numerous courts over the years. Meanwhile, they continue to develop and devise new drugs to 'manage' pain and pay their way through the FDA to approve. Charles Schumer has accepted tens of thousands of campaign and lobbying dollars from them, while he stands in Tompkins County for the photographers implying that he's 'all for' a detox center for those drugs which have helped to finance his campaigns in New York. More?

Blue Cross, Blue Shield, Anthem, Aetna, Empire and other insurance companies also pump tens of thousands of dollars into campaign contributions to Schumer while persistently denying full treatment for 'covered' policy holders when inpatient treatment is requested, citing the phrase 'medical necessity' when denying adequate treatment. Frequently, they will only approve three to five days of 'detox' treatment, then push the family to either pay out of pocket for needed services (21-28 days of real treatment at an approved facility), and forcing the patient back into the same environment that they came from, with no real tools or hope of getting a foothold in recovery. This is the reason, to a large extent, for what these so-called 'care managers' at insurance companies cite as a lack of efficacy of inpatient treatment. Read that: 'costs too much'.

These claims I am making can be verified by looking into investigations by the state Attorney General (elected, again, with campaign contributions from the same behemoths) and in many cases, you can hear these horror stories from friends and neighbors who have tried to deal with this travesty and tragedy. Maybe you yourself have become angry and even financially strapped by these insurance companies who continue the charade of complying with laws that are supposed to treat addiction and mental illness on a 'parity' with physical illness and malady. Where's the money going that isn't going into treatment? Sure, some of it goes to shareholders, but how about the millions in campaign contributions to people like Schumer who show up at detox facility celebrations? The publicity photo sure looks good in campaign brochures (paid for by money from the behemoths) doesn't it?

Ah, the photo. On Angela's left is one of the real perpetrators (among many others) of Ithaca's long standing and deteriorating drug problem. The mayor, Svante Myrick, looks on proudly in the reflected glory of the photo.

But, wait. Isn't this the guy who advocates for a legal heroin shooting gallery, sanctioned by the city taxpayers?? Isn't this the guy who told his police force to stop harassing people for possession of marijuana? Isn't this the guy who says a legal injection site would help 'promote' treatment for addiction? Isn't this the guy who hasn't lifted a finger to help truly affordable (not high rise $1500 a month student apartments) housing in Ithaca so people, especially the lowest on the economic scale, live in Ithaca while seeking treatment? Myrick always shows up at ribbon cutting at projects that are way above the livable wage in terms of rent, but what has he done besides propose a shooting gallery with a nurse on duty to prevent potential deaths? All of this while most Ithacans didn't realize that much of the drug dealing went on just below his office window in City Hall on Green Street, across the street at the bus stop. He had to have seen and noted it every day, if he ever looked down from his office window in City Hall. While this man stands at the announcement of a detox center which he did not advocate to locate in the city, where it would be especially needed, what has he done to limit and focus on eradication of the drug scourge in the city where heroin and fentanyl are almost as common as an expensive cup of coffee??

Instead, he proposes that the city advocate for a location for the addict, after searching and scoring (and, probably, stealing to score) to prepare and use the drug, while telling us that it would be a perfect place for the addict to consider 'getting treatment', while a detox facility might be placed five miles away. What kind of thinking, what kind of a joke is this? Where are the positive suggestions and ideas??? This strikes me as an Alice in Wonderland scenario. If it wasn't so sad and tragic, and many Ithacans actually believe this skewed thinking. Ten square miles surrounded by reality, indeed.

Does Tompkins County need a detox facility? You bet. Does Tompkins County need an inpatient 28 day facility for addictions? Absolutely. Does Tompkins County need Angela Sullivan in a leadership position? No doubt she needs to be lauded as Leader of the Year.

Does Ithaca, Tompkins County and New York need a few more leaders like Chuck Schumer and Svante Myrick? Maybe like we need a collective hole in the head. Or maybe like we need more 'whoppers' from the insurance and pharmaceutical companies. Politics will not solve the drug crisis in America, or here at home. Politicians won't either, as long as we let them tell us they are doing something... Besides talking out of both sides of their mouths. And posing for campaign photos.

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