The Inter-Mountain
If state officials had an unlimited pot of money to spend, one of the first checks they would write would be one to fund new drug addiction treatment centers. West Virginia simply does not have the resources to provide enough help to addicts.
So when state officials are able to scrape up a few dollars for addition treatment, they need to make it count.
It did not in Mount Hope.
In February, Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin announced a $501,100 grant for an initiative in the Fayette County community. The money was part of a $1.5 million package of grants for Open Minds Recovery Services. Funding was aimed at providing more substance abuse treatment.
Open Minds was supposed to open in August. It still hasn’t opened.
State officials said last week they are investigating what happened to taxpayers’ money given to Open Minds.
Answers had better be forthcoming very, very soon. If it is learned the money was misspent, officials should demand the state be reimbursed.
Drug pushers victimize people who are addicted to substances such as heroin. Is that worse than victimizing taxpayers eager to help the addicts?
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