Rotting From the Inside Out | Eastern NC Now

Rotting From the Inside Out

BY: HOOD RICHARDSON

Have you ever sliced open a nice-looking baked potato or an apple or a melon only to discover the inside was rotten. Our society is rotting from the inside. This rot is everywhere. It touches every family in the United States. The emotional and personal relationship costs are devastating. The financial costs are equally as damaging.

Half of the inmates in our jail are there because of issues relating to the use of illegal drugs. This ranges from selling, to lying and stealing to support the habit, to acts committed under the influence of illegal drugs. We spend about three million dollars each year to run the jail. It follows that if half of those jailed are there because of illegal drugs, half of the entire sheriff’s department are there for the same reason. That is another three million dollars.

About 25 percent of those in the Beaufort County Health Department are there because of illegal drug issues. The issues range from providing food stamps to families of illegal drug users, to school programs teaching not to use drugs, to disease spread from dirty needles and sex acts. The Beaufort County Health Department now dispenses free needles, Narcan, band aids, Vaseline and other items related to protected sex and drug use from a vending machine. All of this costs about 2 million dollars.

North Carolina law provides that if Narcan is used to interrupt a drug event (not necessarily an overdose) there can be no arrest for having or possessing illegal drugs. These governments are supporting the use of illegal drugs.

We have more than 100 people employed in our Social Services Department. I estimate that 25 percent of these people are there because of the use of illegal drugs. Among the services provided are child protective services as well as adult protective services. Welfare for poverty-stricken families and MEDICAID are provided for families of illegal drug users. That is at least another two million dollars in direct costs.

The indirect costs to Beaufort County taxpayers are in the neighborhood of ten million dollars. These are the cost of food stamps and Medicaid. All of this money is provided by the Federal and North Carolina State Governments.

Direct costs are paid by tax collections in Beaufort County. These are mostly real estate tax, automobile taxes and the approximately 6 percent (effective rate) everyone pays in sales taxes. So, about 17 percent of every dollar you pay in Beaufort County taxes goes to fund the effects of illegal drugs.

The indirect costs are paid by the taxpayer even though the ten million dollars comes from the Feds and State Government. That is another 17 percent.

Therefore, more than one third of our tax money goes to fund the effects of illegal drugs.

It is puzzling to me that our brilliant politicians have not figured out that we can cut taxes if we stamp out illegal drugs. Part of the solution to this is putting together a program that is effective but that is hard work. Most politicians do not do hard work.

I recently attended a conference sponsored by the North Carolina Association of County Commissioners. There was a presentation on rehabilitating drug addicts. Many misguided liberals believe that rehabilitation is the answer along with providing substitute drugs while in prison, Narcan and needles, and welfare to the affected families. After hearing the presentation, I stated that “Arresting dealers and giving them ten years of prison time would do more to stop the problem”. I was told “We do not want the jails full of low-level drug dealers”. This statement was made by a medical doctor who makes a living treating drug addicts.

Applying my retarded logic to this situation I conclude “If there are no illegal drugs available, there will be no addicts to be treated”. Those nations that effectively control illegal drugs have almost all had serious illegal drug problems in their past. They have strict drug laws mandating harsh prison time up to and including the death penalty.

Almost every country that has allowed the permissive use of illegal drugs has failed or almost failed to function. Drug dealers will promote the use of illegal drugs until every citizen is an addict. An example of drug control is nicotine. Nicotine is a habit-forming drug. We, as a nation, did not begin to control its use until severe action was taken by government. We are on a bobsled into drug hell, and we need severe and strict laws to control its use.

Controlling illegal drug use is an easy way to reduce taxes by one third, improve the quality of life, and preserve a decent future for our children.

Every citizen should let all elected representatives from the school board to the President of the United States know that we demand stiff prison sentences for drug dealers. Talk to elected representatives, write letters, send emails. Elimination of illegal drugs will improve your peace of mind and reduce your taxes.