The view from the Idea Center

It’s Hump Day in more ways than one for me this Wednesday. I’m over the hump of this terrible cold that laid me low over the last two days. I’m glad to be back with you, on air and in this newsletter.

First things first: Take your vitamins. Drink plenty of water. Get your flu shot.

Now, to the driving question of the day: where does the money go?

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If you’re a Cuyahoga County voter, you may be wondering where a proposed replacement and increase to a Health and Human Services levy would go. County council members approved putting the measure on the March 17 primary ballot. County Executive Armond Budish’s administration says the additional $35 million it’s expected to generate would fund addiction and mental health treatment at the county jail, foster care services and universal preschool

But wait! What about all that opioid settlement money that Cuyahoga County is getting? Isn’t that going to cover some of these costs?

Some, it seems, but not all. County council  earmarked that settlement money for specific purposes, including expanded drug treatment and addiction prevention programs. But taxpayers are right to want to hear a breakdown of what these different revenue streams would pay for. And why, with this windfall, the county needs an increased tax, too.

One place that opioid money would not go, if some state legislators have their way, is into a statewide foundation that would divvy up the money among local Ohio governments. The foundation is the brainchild of Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost. He’s seeking lawmakers’ support for a constitutional amendment to create the foundation. House leaders say it takes away the General Assembly’s power over the purse strings.

See you, somewhat dimmed but undaunted, tomorrow morning on the radio,
Amy Eddings

Need to KnOH

Headlines from Northeast Ohio and Beyond 
 

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• Impeachment Unlikely To Impact Local Election Results In 2020
• Betsy DeVos Overruled Education Dept. Findings On Defrauded Student Borrowers

Your ideas

What do you need to know about where the money goes before you decide how you’ll vote on the HHS levy in March? Call us at  (216) 916-6476, comment on  our Facebook page or join the conversation in Public Square! We'll feature some of your thoughts and comments here in Noon(ish) and on Morning Edition.