We want to save money. We want our tax dollars spent wisely. But we also can't keep spending more than we take in. Every year the Idaho Legislature faces the same problems when it comes to the budget.
Traditionally, one of the political footballs has been funding for substance abuse programs in the state. Since they are part of the Medicaid budget, they represent a target of opportunity -- a cut in substance abuse or mental health treatment shows up as a cut in welfare programs. This is often politically popular.
This year, a study was published showing that money spent on substance abuse treatment programs actually saves the state money overall. But that might not matter. Why? Because even though a dollar spent here saves $1.38 in criminal justice costs, it's easier to get money for law enforcement than prevention. Political expediency shows up when lawmakers vote one way or another on a program and the public rarely digs deep enough to get all the interesting nuances.
Politics is played by category, not by overall savings. But it gets even more interesting. There's new money for the substance abuse category. According to the Idaho Reporter, "substance abuse funding would see a total $2.5 million increase, due largely to an increased federal grant for the Access to Recovery program, which offers treatment for adults who have committed misdemeanors, at-risk youth, and National Guard members who served in Iraq."
The problem is when the money comes already labeled from the Feds for a particular use. If that use doesn't match up with what we need, the books look balanced, but people fall through the cracks. There's no way to tell just yet what the political two-step will do exactly for substance abuse treatment here in Idaho. It will probably take another study, a couple years out, to find out.
