Opioid Settlements: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO)
Summary
TLDRThe video script addresses the ongoing opioid crisis and the controversial allocation of settlement funds from lawsuits against pharmaceutical companies. It highlights the fourth wave of the crisis, characterized by overdose deaths involving fentanyl mixed with stimulants. The script criticizes the lack of transparency and accountability in how states and local governments are spending the $50 billion settlement, with some funds being used for unrelated expenses like infrastructure and law enforcement equipment. It contrasts this with the successful use of funds in prevention, harm reduction, treatment, and recovery programs. The speaker calls for better oversight, transparency, and the allocation of funds to evidence-based solutions, urging viewers to advocate for responsible spending of the settlement money.
Takeaways
- 💊 The opioid crisis is still ongoing and has evolved into a fourth wave, characterized by overdose deaths involving fentanyl plus a stimulant like cocaine or meth.
- 💸 Major pharmaceutical companies have agreed to pay over $50 billion over 18 years to settle lawsuits related to the opioid epidemic, but this is a one-time settlement releasing them from future claims.
- 🤔 There is concern that the settlement amounts are too small compared to the damage caused, estimated at $1 trillion in 2015 alone, and that the funds are not directly benefiting the victims or their families.
- 📉 The money from settlements is often used to fill budget gaps rather than specifically addressing the opioid crisis, similar to what happened with the tobacco industry settlements in the 1990s.
- 🚨 There is a lack of transparency in how the settlement funds are spent, with some states not reporting any spending publicly, and others only partially disclosing their expenditures.
- 🚨 Some local governments are spending settlement money on law enforcement equipment and personnel, which goes against recommendations from public health advocates.
- 🛠️ There are more effective ways to spend the settlement money, such as hiring more counselors, increasing access to medication-assisted treatment, and funding interventions to prevent overdoses.
- 🏛️ State governments can play a role in guiding how the funds are spent by setting clear rules on allowable expenses and ensuring transparency in spending.
- 👀 Individuals and communities affected by the opioid crisis should be involved in decision-making processes regarding the allocation of settlement funds.
- 🚫 There is a call for the public to be vigilant and advocate against inappropriate spending of the settlement funds, such as on police equipment or unrelated infrastructure.
- ⏳ With the settlements just beginning to be paid out, there is still time to influence how the funds are used to ensure they have the most significant positive impact on addressing the opioid crisis.
Q & A
What is the current state of the opioid crisis in the United States?
-The opioid crisis is still ongoing and is currently referred to as being in its fourth wave. This wave is characterized by overdose deaths involving a combination of fentanyl and a stimulant like cocaine or methamphetamine.
What was the initial plan proposed by President Trump to prevent drug addiction and overdoses?
-President Trump proposed that the best way to prevent drug addiction and overdoses is to prevent people from abusing drugs in the first place. He suggested talking to youth and telling them that drugs are bad for them in every way.
What are the four waves of the opioid crisis?
-The first wave began with increased prescribing of opioids in the 1990s. The second wave started in 2010 with a rise in heroin use. The third wave around 2013 involved synthetic opioids like fentanyl. The fourth wave is characterized by overdose deaths involving fentanyl plus a stimulant.
Which companies have been implicated in the opioid crisis and what settlements have they agreed to?
-Companies like Walmart, Johnson and Johnson, and three major drug distributors have been implicated. They have agreed to pay out more than $50 billion over 18 years to state and local governments as part of their settlements.
What are some of the concerns about the opioid settlement money?
-Concerns include the fact that the dollar amounts are too small compared to the damage caused by the crisis, and that almost none of the money is going directly to individuals or families affected. Instead, it is going to governments, with the intention of mitigating the damage caused by opioids.
What are some of the ways that the settlement money should ideally be spent?
-Ideally, the settlement money should be spent on prevention, harm reduction, treatment, and recovery initiatives. This could include hiring more counselors, increasing access to medication-assisted treatment, funding interventions for those at risk of overdose, and providing adequate housing.
What are some of the issues with the current spending of the opioid settlement money?
-There are issues with transparency and appropriate allocation of funds. Some states and local governments are not reporting how they spend the money, and there are instances of funds being used for purposes not directly related to the opioid crisis, such as general budget shortfalls or law enforcement equipment.
Why is it concerning when opioid settlement money is spent on law enforcement?
-Spending opioid settlement money on law enforcement is concerning because it does not address the root causes of the crisis or provide help to those suffering from addiction. It also goes against recommendations from public health advocates who advise against using the funds for law enforcement purposes.
What is the role of states in ensuring that the settlement money is spent appropriately?
-States have the responsibility to set guidelines on what counts as an allowable expense and to ensure that the spending is transparent and targeted towards addressing the opioid crisis effectively. They can also decide to be more transparent about their spending and provide public reporting on how the funds are used.
What can individuals do to influence how the settlement money is spent in their local areas?
-Individuals can attend local government meetings, ask questions, and advocate for spending on proven harm reduction and treatment programs. They can also raise awareness about the importance of using the funds for prevention and recovery initiatives rather than other purposes.
What are some examples of inappropriate spending of the opioid settlement money mentioned in the script?
-Examples include using funds to pay for police overtime, purchasing new police vehicles, and investing in high-tech law enforcement equipment like the TRUEAR drug analyzer and BOLOCORD restraints, which do not directly contribute to addressing the opioid crisis.
Outlines
💊 Opioid Crisis and Settlements: A Deep Dive
The first paragraph discusses the ongoing opioid crisis, touching on its evolution through four distinct waves starting from increased opioid prescriptions in the '90s to the current wave involving stimulants like cocaine or meth. It highlights the efforts to combat the crisis and the recent financial settlements from companies involved in the first wave, such as Walmart and Johnson & Johnson, amounting to over $50 billion. The paragraph also addresses criticisms of these settlements, including the perceived insufficiency of the monetary compensation and the lack of direct aid to affected individuals.
📉 The Tobacco Precedent and Its Lessons
The second paragraph draws a comparison between the opioid crisis settlements and the tobacco industry settlements in the 1990s, which totaled an estimated $246 billion. It criticizes the lack of binding requirements on how the tobacco settlement funds should be spent, leading to states using the money for general funds rather than public health initiatives. The paragraph serves as a cautionary tale, emphasizing the need for transparency and proper allocation of funds in the opioid crisis settlements.
🏛️ Government Spending and the Call for Transparency
The third paragraph addresses the issue of transparency and accountability in how government entities are spending the opioid settlement funds. It mentions the broad definitions and weak rules that allow for varied interpretations of acceptable spending, with only a portion of states committing to public reporting of their spending. The paragraph also highlights instances where funds have been spent inappropriately, such as on general infrastructure or law enforcement, contrary to the intended use for opioid remediation.
🚨 Law Enforcement and Harm Reduction
The fourth paragraph discusses the concerning trend of allocating opioid settlement funds to law enforcement and police equipment, despite evidence suggesting that this approach does not effectively address drug use or addiction. It details specific items, such as the BOWLER wrap device and the TRUEAR drug analyzer, that have been procured using settlement funds, and criticizes this misuse of resources that could be better spent on prevention, treatment, and recovery initiatives.
🤔 The Way Forward: Advocacy and Responsibility
The fifth and final paragraph emphasizes the importance of advocacy and responsible decision-making in the allocation of opioid settlement funds. It suggests that states have the power to decide on allowable expenses and commends those that have set a good example by being transparent about their spending. The paragraph calls on communities to get involved, ask questions, and push for the funds to be used for proven, impactful solutions, rather than wasteful or inappropriate expenditures.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Opioid Crisis
💡Settlement Funds
💡Prevention and Treatment
💡Transparency
💡Harm Reduction
💡Law Enforcement
💡Stigma
💡Accountability
💡Public Health Advocates
💡Litigation
💡Overdose
Highlights
The opioid crisis is still raging with varying efforts to combat it, including a controversial plan from former President Trump.
The crisis is currently in its fourth wave, characterized by overdose deaths involving fentanyl plus a stimulant.
Drug manufacturers and other players in the supply chain are being held accountable with settlements totaling over $50 billion.
Settlements with companies like Walmart and Johnson & Johnson are aimed at mitigating the damage caused by opioids.
Critics argue that the settlement amounts are too small, given the estimated $1.5 trillion in damage caused by the opioid crisis in 2015 alone.
There is concern that most of the settlement money is not going to individuals or families affected but to governments.
The settlements have resulted in the most complicated litigation in history, involving the consolidation of thousands of lawsuits.
Some states have been criticized for using settlement funds for general budgetary needs rather than addressing the opioid crisis.
Experts recommend that the settlement money should be spent on prevention, harm reduction, treatment, and recovery initiatives.
There is a lack of transparency in how some states and local governments are spending the settlement funds.
Some local governments have been approached by companies selling products like drug disposal pouches, which may not be the most effective use of settlement funds.
Public health advocates have warned against using settlement money for law enforcement, as it does not address the root causes of the opioid crisis.
Despite warnings, some jurisdictions are allocating settlement funds to law enforcement, including for equipment and vehicles.
States like California are setting a precedent by specifying what cannot be purchased with settlement funds, including certain law enforcement equipment.
Transparency and good decision-making are crucial to ensure that settlement funds are used effectively to combat the opioid crisis.
Community involvement and advocacy are important for ensuring that settlement funds are spent on proven, impactful initiatives.
The current process of allocating settlement funds provides an opportunity for change and improvement in how resources are used to address the opioid crisis.
Transcripts
our main story tonight concerns the
opioid crisis if you take out one eye
it's actually an anagram for Rich idiot
posy which should make a pretty good
sweatshirt at the next sacka family
reunion the opioid crisis is still
raging despite varying efforts to combat
it over the years including This
brilliant plan from then president Trump
the best way to prevent drug addiction
and overdoses to prevent people from
abusing drugs in in the first place if
they don't start they won't have a
problem if they do start it's awfully
tough to get off so we can keep them
from going on and maybe by talking to
Youth and telling them no good really
bad for you in every way but if they
don't
start it will never be a problem yeah
it's hard to believe that message didn't
land from Trump talking to youth with
the words no good really bad for you in
every way to milania staring ically into
the distance as she Burns another day
waiting patiently for coronary artery
disease to do its job the point
is the opioid crisis is nowhere near
over in fact we're currently what's
being referred to as the fourth wave of
it the first wave uh began with
increased prescribing of opioids in the
'90s the second began in 2010 with
Heroin followed by a third wave around
2013 involving synthetic opioids like
Fentanyl and this fourth wave is
characterized by overdose deaths
involving fenal plus a stimulant like
cocaine or meth which can sometimes be
spiked without the user's knowledge in
fact most of these street drug Supply is
apparently now adulterated that is how
pervasive this problem is but to the
extent that there is any good news here
is that the companies most implicated in
that first wave drug makers and other
players in the supply chain that pumped
pills into communities have finally been
forced to pay a price for their actions
as you probably know if you've seen
stories like these Walmart has agreed to
pay $3.1 billion dollars to settle
lawsuits Nationwide over the impact of
prescriptions aty filled for opioid
painkillers two of the largest Pharmacy
chains will pay about 10 billion do in
prescription opioid lawsuit settlements
four us corporations will pay a combined
$26 billion to settle claims over their
role in the opioid epidemic Johnson and
Johnson and three major drug
Distributors agreed to the settlement
while insisting it was not an admission
of guilt oh it wasn't an admission of
guilt was it that makes sense 26 billion
is exactly how much you pay when you're
not guilty of anything who Among Us
hasn't surrendered the entire GDP of
Iceland just cause when you put all
those settlements together collectively
these companies have agreed to pay out
more than $50 billion over 18 years to
State and local governments and getting
to this point wasn't easy it involved
consolidating thousands of lawsuits
filed by various government entities and
has been called the most complicated
litigation in the history of complex
litigation and I think this goes without
saying but boner alert that is a bat
signal for this show something so boring
it's genuinely kind of hot and people
have understandable complaints about
these settlements first that the dollar
amounts are too small which they
absolutely are putting aside the loss of
hundreds of thousands of lives over the
years the opioid crisis didn't estimated
1 A5 trillion dollars in damage in 20120
alone and second almost none of the
money is going to the individuals or
fam's heart instead it's going to
governments theoretically to be used to
mitigate the damage that opioids are
doing and there are Back stories behind
both of those decisions including that
for a bunch of complicated legal reasons
governments tend to get better outcomes
in lawsuits like these than individuals
and that the most appropriate punishment
for these companies throwing them into
the sun is sadly currently
unavailable to us though I am working on
a design for a catapult and I'm
tantalizingly close and know I I could
talk more about all of that but the
truth is those decisions have now been
made they're in the past and for this
story I'd like to do something slightly
different which is to mainly talk about
the future and the decisions that
haven't been made yet because while 50
billion is clearly not enough to undo
the damage here it's also not nothing
it's double NASA's budget and five times
the revenue of an NBA season and you
should know this is also the bulk of the
money governments are likely to get out
of these companies because under the
terms of their settlements they're being
released from future claims so when it
comes to restitution this is basically
all the blood money we're getting making
it feel especially important that we
spend it well but there have already
been troubling signs that at least in
some places the decision process on how
to do so can be deeply flawed which is
particularly frustrating for those
who've lost loved ones to this crisis
like this woman a dozen New York parents
descended on Albany this week to
complain the governor's budget is not
being open about where the money is
going one Long Island mom Ventura
carried her son's ashes in a tupperware
container I will remain a pain in in New
York state because no one should join
the club that these parents are here for
that is a brave thing for that woman to
do and a powerful message for her to
send my name is Linda I'm going to be a
pain in the ass for you and in case you
sons of forgot why we're here I
brought along a tupperware of my son and
I know that that sounds worrying but the
thing is because we're only 3 years in
to what will be 8 years worth of
payments there is still time for us to
correct course but that is why we need
to talk about this right now so tonight
let's look at the opioid settlement so
let's start with the fact that this
isn't the first time governments have
received a huge pile of money after
companies caused a Public Health crisis
back in the 1990s there was eight
similar wave of lawsuits against big
tobacco that ended with a settlement of
an estimated 246 billion and at the time
everyone took a Victory lap finally we
are going to begin to hold the tobacco
industry accountable for decades of
marketing their products and selling
their products to our kids the states
will receive the largest financial
recovery in history we've arrived at our
final destination and that's the
destination of tobacco Justice ooh
tobacco Justice and look it did sound
great not only were tobacco companies
paying a huge amount of money the
settlement also imposed restrictions on
cigarette advertising including Banning
cartoon characters like Joe Camel
although personally I never found a sexy
camel that persuasive it seemed
ridiculous to me to think that oh my God
how the did you just do
that but interestingly that settlement
is now seen as a prime example of what
not to do because at the time the
expectation was that a significant
portion of the funding would be set
aside to reduce tobacco use but there
were no binding requirements on how the
money should be spent so in practice
Most states just used it as a slush fund
to cover budget shortfalls subsidize tax
cuts and support General government
services in fact within just a few years
stories like this were starting to hit
the news here in North Carolina the
nation's number one tobacco producer not
a penny of the state's $4.6 billion
share has been spent on anti-smoking
programs so where's the money going
$200,000 to improve this horse Park
$15,000 for this tobacco Museum to help
produce a tobacco history video and 400
,000 toward the engineering of this
plant that will one day process
tobacco yeah that's not great and look I
realized that spending other people's
money in a dumb way could well be my
exact job description but even I know
building a tobacco processing plant with
tobacco settlement money is a very bad
idea and that's not the only cautionary
tale there's actually another example
from early in this current wave of
opioid settlement specifically the one
between state governments and McKenzie
in New York State once that money
started rolling in some Public Health
Advocates were shocked at where most of
it seemed to be going $21 million went
into New York State's general fund to
build Bridges and tunnels and to fill
budget caps and that's absolutely
inexcusable I will be damned if I see a
dollar go to fixing a pothole do we need
potholes fixed absolutely that's not
what this money is about yeah he's right
he's also perhaps the most New York guy
to ever exist a man name Anthony rosuto
ranting about potholes on behalf of an
organization called fist a man like that
isn't born someone in masipa rubbed a
meatball palm and he appeared in a puff
of smoke like a genie now carefully this
current 50 billion in settlement money
has rules on how it can be spent
unfortunately they're both very
complicated and not nearly strong enough
for instance most of the settlement
agreements say that at least 85% of the
money has to be used for opioid
remediation which sounds good but that
term is broadly defined and while they
include a long list of what could fit
into that category they also note that
the list is non-exhaustive meaning
governments could attempt to justify
almost any purchase as for the remaining
15% that's a free for- all making it
basically a multi-billion dollar slush
fund but also as this legal expert who's
been closely tracking the settlements
points out there are worryingly few
rules requiring state or local
governments to report how they spend any
of the money public reporting of opioid
settlement expenditures is not required
by the settlement agreements themselves
so we're in um Wild Wild West territory
mini found only 16 States promised to
publicly report 100% of their opioid
settlement spending another 16 have not
agreed to report any spending publicly
at all and the rest only a portion of it
okay first shout out to the states
promising to report on how they spend
some of the money I'm not sure that much
better than not reporting it at all oh
don't worry we'll report on every dollar
that doesn't go into our mysterious
money hole and I should say a few more
states have since agreed to disclose at
least some of their spending so it's now
only these seven who are doing zero
public reporting but the point remains
there can be shockingly little
transparency about where this money is
going or in some cases not going because
despite the fact that we are 3 years in
some states haven't even started
spending for instance Iowa State
Legislature recently couldn't come to to
an agreement on how to spend its
settlement money and then simply
adjourned for the year leaving more than
25 million unspent until 2025 but that's
fine I guess it's not like this is a
life and death situation or anything
meanwhile other states seem to be
engaging in accounting tricks to get
around restrictions New York's Governor
Kathy hokel proposed cutting cutting the
budget of the state's office of
Addiction Services and supports by more
than 133% and it's believ that her plan
was to then replace that funding with
money from the P settlement but that's
not increasing Services is it it's just
moving the money around so you can use
it for whatever you like which is
infuriating it turns out it's a lot less
entertaining to watch someone try to
laund a millions in drug money when it's
not Brian Cranston who's doing
it and while so far I've mainly talked
about states it is worth knowing more
than half this money is actually going
to local governments it's actually being
divided up among cities and counties as
this local news report explains with
some top tier graphics
every single County in Michigan will get
some money but it really depends on how
much the smallest amount just
$173 in Union Charter Township the
biggest amount nearly 70 million in
Wayne County here in West Michigan Kent
County is getting more than $18 million
so how are they actually going to use
that money all of the experts I spoke
was said it needs to be poured into four
different buckets prevention harm
reduction treatment and Recovery okay I
know she's telling us that the money
should be going to things like harm
reduction and Recovery there but it kind
of feels like it's going to local news
Graphics departments because that is
excellent but she is right that experts
generally agree that there are good ways
to spend this money for instance we
could hire and train more counselors and
peer Specialists to work with those
struggling with addiction we could also
increase access to medication assisted
treatment using drugs like methadone
berer andorine and nxone we could also
better fund interventions for those
continuing to use drugs from overdose
prevention centers which we've discussed
before on this show to Distributing the
lock Zone detecting fentanyl through
testing strips providing sterile
syringes and connecting people to
adequate housing all of that is a great
use of settlement money but it's
sometimes been hard for Advocates to get
that message across given local leaders
often simply don't have the experience
with addiction or health policy to guide
them in using the money well and that
can be understandably very frustrating
for those with personal experience of
this crisis people who use drugs are not
being included at all Trish Perry is a
county coordinator for Ohio can a
nonprofit started by family members of
individuals battling addiction every
Saturday they hand out food clothing and
the overdose reversal drug Narcan in
Newark Ohio vental testing strips but
Perry says her organization has so far
encountered stigma and hurdles when
applying for funding from opioid
settlement money that's earmarked for
local government
if you don't Supply people with clean
use supplies and fentol testing strips
they die and if they die they never get
to be a productive citizen in the in the
community that seems like a pretty good
use of settlement money honestly all
other options tend to pale in comparison
to if people don't get the stuff I'm
handing out right now they'll
die and when you see that the idea of
using this money to fill potholes starts
to sound like second deegree murder as
This Magnificent New York stereotype
will undoubtedly tell you and I will say
there are places that are spending this
money wisely on prevention harm
reduction and the other things written
on those CGI buckets but places without
the expertise or good guidance can
become easy targets for companies
looking to take this sudden surge of
money off their hands companies that
make pill disposal products safe pill
storage or even products for law
enforcement like speed ray guns are
pushing municipalities to use their
settlement funds for their products and
even have tab on their websites to track
your State's settlement money that's
true salesmen are going to small towns
trying to convince them that they're
selling the cure for the opioid crisis
it's like an insanely dark remake of the
music man there's trouble folks right
here in River City trouble with a
capital T and the rhymes with p and that
stands for
painkillers thousands are dead one of
those products is detera drug disposal
pouches which apparently contain
activated carbon and cost about $4 each
the way they work is customers has
placed their unused medications in a
detera pouch and add water deactivating
the drugs before tossing them ensuring
that they cannot be used even if fished
out of the trash now if you thinking
wait hold on it it's just essentially
then throwing away pills in water can't
you already do that with a toilet yes
you can this might be news to people but
unlike most drugs the FDA lists opioids
on its flush list for disposal which is
bad news for detera but another huge win
for the toilet the greatest invention in
human history thank you
toilet but but despite that tera's
manufacturer has promoted it heavily to
local governments even buying Google ads
to get their attention because when you
search for opioid settlement related
terms you can get served sponsored ads
for detera with headers like how to use
opioid settlements get the detera grant
guide and it seems to have worked as
it's one a bunch of contracts including
a million dooll order from the health
department in Delaware County
Pennsylvania which seems like a huge
waste of money assuming that that county
has toilets and if they don't have
toilets then find money to spend on that
stop in buckets in one of
these they're a real treat thank you
toilet but most upsettingly in many
places the money's going somewhere that
could do the exact opposite of reducing
harm the police and that is despite
explicit warnings against doing that
last year 130 Public Health Advocates
issued an an open letter to local
government saying no opioid settlement
money should be spent on law enforcement
Personnel overtime or equipment which
does make sense because if we learned
one thing from the War on Drugs is that
Nancy Reagan and Mr T produced The
Single strangest photo in the history of
cameras but if we learn two things is
the policing drug use does not make it
stop and yet in some places sending
opioid money to police is actually
mandatory Louisiana decided to allocate
20% of its funds directly to sheriffs
with no obligation for them to report
how they spend any of it and many
smaller municipalities are funing it to
law enforcement too Sullivan County New
York is using some of their settlement
funds to pay for police overtime oana
West Virginia is using some for a new
police cruiser bib County Alabama spent
over $120,000 on two new cheffy pickups
for the sheriff's office as well as new
lights Sirens radios and roadside
cameras and as for Brownwood Texas it
spent $155,000 of its settlement funds
to buy nine bowler wrap devices now a
bowler wrap is a restraint device which
fires a cord around a suspect and I
could describe it to you but instead
I'll show you a video that the company
made
[Music]
just like we do in the field
[Music]
one cool you know just a second ago I
thought Sirens were the least helpful
thing to spend opioid money on but then
I saw something that makes targets walk
slightly slower away from you still bow
wrap is another useful tool for cops to
add to their belt along with a bunch of
way more lethal tools that they'll
definitely reach for instead and it's
not just high-tech lassos we also found
multiple police departments pitching
local governments on something called
the truear drug analyzer arguing that it
will increase officer safety here is a
cop in kosha County Wisconsin doing
exactly that at a County finance
committee meeting so without having to
open a package of a suspected narcotic
we can shine this point this equipment
at that product and it will tell us what
the makeup was of whatever is inside it
so we've all seen the videos of the
staff all over the law enforcement all
over the country opening a bag which we
don't do anymore and uh breathing in
that substance and passing out was fun
that what's the word not passing
out
yeah going
unconsciousness from from an OD
okay for the 10 thousandth time it is
all but impossible for a cop to just
encounter fenel in the field and
overdose to quote one expert there has
never ever ever ever ever ever been a
confirmed case of that happening that is
two more never Evers than Taylor Swift
uses for getting back together so you
know they're not around but
again that argument worked he said we
need the magic drug flashlight and that
was good enough for the council to spend
$30,000 on it but honestly I do have
some sympathy for the people making
these decisions you can imagine town
councils full of members who feel
enormous responsibility to spend this
money well but don't know where to start
in that situation if a police official
shows up and says give it to us we know
what to do with it that's almost a
relief take Vienna West Virginia a city
in a state absolutely hammered by the
opioid crisis their Council was
approached by their police chief with a
request for $113,000 from their opioid
settlement fund to spend on a new police
dog because their current one was
getting old the council unanimously
agreed to it even as one member made a
pretty revealing comment this is the
first time Council has kind of been
informed that we've even received those
funds um
and not entirely sure how we're going to
use the rest of it but we should
definitely you know have a plan in place
not that this isn't a good need um but I
would hate to see that money get Whitted
away 135,000 at a time without being
thoughtful about the impact this money
could have for the city of Vienna right
when you don't have a plan for your
money it can be easy to spend it in a
thoughtless way it's a lot harder to
break into your savings when it's
labeled college funds and not holy
look at all this free jar money and that
impulse of not wanting the settlement to
be Whitted away without serious thought
is a good one but here's the thing just
3 months later the same guy returned to
that same room to show her photos of the
new police dog they bought and make a
new request and here is the mayor
announcing that request to the council
the next item on our agenda this evening
is a resolution to authorize the
purchase of two midsize or full-size
SUVs for the Vienna Police Department
using opioid settlement funds no don't
do it the police already have multiple
funding sources they could use for cars
we're constantly throwing money at them
they're basically your Rich friend that
Veno request you
$245 after splitting a popcorn at the
movies Tristan this would be unhinged
Behavior even if your mom's name wasn't
blue on Wikipedia now to their credit a
council member spoke up again to express
reservations about how little
consideration seemed to be going into
how they were spending this money I
think we need to sit down and have a
broader conversation about what we want
to do with this money some and get more
voices at the table obviously yes we're
going to take care of the police
department in the ways that we can but
it's a bigger thing it's about
prevention and we want to see that th
those prevention dollars filter into our
community I think that Council we just
need to put our heads together and have
some time to figure out how we're going
to direct that money most effectively
and efficiently exactly and that was
only slightly undermined by the fact
that just 10 seconds after she was done
speaking the council voted unanimously
to spend the money on the SUVs anyway
which is just maddening even Oprah would
watch that and think hey guys you can't
just give people cars that way because
the sad truth is even if every penny
from the settlement did go to
alleviating the opioid crisis it would
still just be scratching the surface but
anytime you watch this money go toward
policing drug users instead of helping
them it just feels like adding insult to
injury especially to communities of
color who are so used to being overp
policed and underserved so what can we
do well again the good news here is that
we are still pretty close to the
beginning of this process so we're at a
point where we can change the Arc of
this story and there ways to do that for
instance states can decide what counts
as an allowable expense California has
said that local governments may not use
money from the abatement fund to
purchase many of the law enforcement
toys that you've seen tonight they even
put out a list explicitly stating the
money can't be spent on Kines Bower app
or the truear analyzer which is good
States could also be more transparent
about how they're spending their funds
and some are doing a good job of that
North Carolina and Colorado are
currently the gold standard with each
having online portals providing
up-to-date information on where their
money is going but it's clearly not
enough for the decisions to be
transparent they also have to be good
there are tools that we know work here
and they need to be funded with this
money as additional spending not just
swapping out one funding stream for
another and for the final time there are
places spending it wisely on proven
tools that have a real impact but there
are other places that just aren't and if
you're wondering which place do I live
in you may need to find out and that
unfortunately can mean having to show up
in small rooms like the ones that you've
seen tonight and asking questions and
advocating for real solutions and if
someone in that room suggests spending
money on rope guns or new Sirens
or God forbid filling a pothole tell
them no because as I believe this human
Statue of Liberty once said that is not
what this money is
for e
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