Their Legal Drug House
If Lovero, Skryd and Chapman finally have their way, Berwyn residents and taxpayers will be paying the costs associated with locating a tax-subsidized methadone drug clinic in Berwyn to service non-resident admitted drug addicts.
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Who Are They Fighting For ?
Selling Out Berwyn Residents
One Block At A Time.
The Short Version
For those of you who are not inclined to read the details of this account (which begins with the section captioned "The Background" below), this article is an account of how Aldermen Lovero, Skryd and Chapman collaborated (and how we believe that they continue to collaborate) to force Berwyn residents and taxpayers to subsidize the costs associated with locating in Berwyn a tax-subsidized methadone drug clinic to service non-resident admitted drug addicts. Their initial recommendation was to locate the clinic in Berwyn near residential neighborhoods and schools.
Here we outline the numerous costs and liabilities which will burden Berwyn residents and taxpayers if Lovero, Skryd and Chapman have their way. This account also itemizes the intelligent and insightful questions and observations made by Berwyn residents who oppose the location of a methadone clinic in Berwyn because of the financial tax burden, the dangers presented by bringing non-resident drug addicts into the community, the increased burden upon the Berwyn police Department and the fact that there are other methadone clinics in existence within neighboring communities which provide these services.
Editors Note: Before this controversey arose, I had only a vague understanding of the nature of methodone. I have done no research on this topic. The questions, suspicions and facts presented herein have ALL been contributed in the form of the testimony of Berwyn Residents and summarized from my notes taken of their testimony as their Alderman.
The Background
Some of you may recall the great "methadone clinic controversy" of the summer of 2008. Aldermen Bob Lovero, Nona Chapman and Michele Skryd were promoting the location in Berwyn of a tax subsidized methadone drug clinic to service drug addicts near residential neighborhoods and schools.
Lovero, Chapman and Skryd were joined by a fourth alderman, Mike Phelan, (creating "the methadone four" moniker designation at the time). Mr. Phelan has since moved out of state.
The methadone controversy emerged as a result of a typical farce frequently played out in our politically controlled city. In this instance, it was Nona Chapman who was asking the Aldermen to approve the location of "a clinic" in her ward.
Initially, Alderman Chapman did not identify it as a methadone clinic. She merely referred to it as a “clinic”. It took several weeks before people realized that her proposal involved something more than just a common medical clinic.
Zoning Board Denial
To make a long story short, in a stunning defeat, the Zoning Board denied the application supported by Chapman to locate the methodone clinic in Berwyn.
The Outrage
Not to be denied, Nona Chapman then brought the matter before the city council to try to override the Zoning Board's decision. Zoning board decisions can be overridden by a majority vote of the city council.
At that time, it came as a surprise to many that Chapman's proposal to override the Zoning Board was strongly supported by Bob Lovero and Michele Skryd. The final vote on Alderman Chapman's proposal by the 8 member city council resulted in a tie vote with Mayor O'Connor casting a tie breaking NO vote to defeat the proposal.
They'll Fix This
Not to be denied, the Lovero-Chapman-Skryd troika engineered a second vote on the issue via a "motion to reconsider". A "motion to reconsider" is a maneuver to secure a new vote on a matter that had been voted upon in a previous city council meeting.
Two of the alderman who had voted against Alderman Chapman's proposal were unable to attend the meeting at which the second vote was taken. This resulted in a 4 -2 vote in favor of locating the clinic in Berwyn and imposing the financial burden and obligation on Berwyn taxpayers to support the methadone drug clinic and incur related costs.
Residents Stand Up To Be Counted
When the public heard about the vote, Berwyn residents rallied to block the Lovero-Chapman-Skryd supported proposal. The fearless troika did not anticipate serious objections from Berwyn residents. Until now they were always capable of getting what they wanted by "greasing the way" and slipping measures through the city council virtually unnoticed, (as they thought that they had done in this instance).
Berwyn residents formed a large "anti-methadone clinic" rally which was held in a local park in Bewryn. In the interest of saving their "political careers", the pro-methadone-clinic Aldermen appeared before the unhappy crowd to try to explain their conduct. If you missed this event, you missed some great political drama and wonderful entertainment. This well behaved and respectful crowd could not help but laugh and jeer at the pathetic excuses given by this "fighting threesome".
Hundreds of residents contacted me at that time to object to locating a methodone clinic in Berwyn. The following is a list of the most common complaints:
1. The methadone treatment center would bring admitted drug addicts into the residential areas creating a risk to local residents.
2. The clinic’s clientele would be largely composed of transients who did not live in Berwyn and who would otherwise have no reason to visit our community.
3. Other methadone clinics are available throughout Chicago and other areas of Cook County.
4. Methadone itself does not stop drug addiction. It simply provides a different type of addiction………… an addiction to Methadone which is, itself, a dangerous drug which often causes aggressive and paranoid behavior.
5. That the location of a methadone clinic in a residential Berwyn neighborhood near schools and homes would demand more work from an already over-worked Berwyn Police Department.
All of these arguments against the Methadone clinic were valid. The treatment of drug addiction by the use of Methadone is a controversial issue which has been a topic of fierce debate among medical professionals for decades. Here are some of the facts about methadone:
Methadone Facts
1. Methadone is a dangerous drug which may cause severe side effects including life threatening heart irregularities and breathing disorders. It can be fatal in large doses. These side effects often occur at the beginning of treatment but may occur at any time during treatment because of methadone’s tendency to accumulate in the body and reach toxic levels.
2. Methadone has serious physical and behavioral side effects including auditory and visual hallucinations, vomiting, agitation, mood changes, seizures, insomnia, high or low blood pressure, suicidal thoughts, depression, delirium, anxiety, paranoia, panic disorders, delusions, marked increase in sex drive, cardiac arrhythmia and sudden death. In the United States, deaths linked to Methadone more than quadrupled in the five year period between 1999 and 2004.
Approximately 82 percent of those deaths were listed as accidental and most deaths involved combinations of methadone with other drugs. These statistics make it clear that many methadone patients frequently continue to use other drugs* which may further impair their decision making ability or create greater aggressive behavioral changes. *(cocaine, barbiturates, amphetamines, heroin, marijuana, heroin, opium etc.)
3. Methadone treatment may impair driving ability. Drug abuse patients had significantly more involvement in serious vehicular accidents than non-abuse patients in a study by Queensland University.
4. Methadone withdrawal symptoms have shown to be up to twice as severe as those of morphine or heroin….. and are significantly more prolonged. Withdrawal from methadone can take 18-24 months.
5. Most Methadone clinics offer “maintenance treatment” which allows indefinite treatment at the methadone clinic, lasting as long as the patient desires it. There is much debate over this type of treatment but it continues to be common. In general, methadone maintenance is seen as ongoing symptom management rather than a curative treatment. In simple terms, methadone treatment simply substitutes one drug for another but the patient remains a drug addict.
6. Most clinics require that new patients visit the clinic daily for the first 180 days so that they may be observed taking their dose. Established patients are given “take-home” doses of a week to a month.
7. Methadone maintenance is rarely covered by private insurance and patients are encouraged to enroll in public welfare programs or face costs upwards of $500 USD per month. Methadone clinics in the U.S. charge anywhere fror $50-$300 per week and taxpayers pick up this tab.
Importing Problems From Other Communities
It has been about five years since the silent majority of Berwyn residents blasted the airwaves with their objections to locating a tax subsidized methadone drug clinic in Berwyn. What has changed since then?
Well, for one thing, Bob Lovero, Nona Chapman and Michele Skryd are back in elected office controlling the City of Berwyn and your money. In other words, the fox is now officially in charge of the hen house. After the public outcry against the Methadone clinic, Bob Lovero, Nona Chapman and Michele Skryd have been biding their time. Now, in the Fall of 2011 the issue has regained momentum as the matter is currently being tried in court (October 12, 2011).
The Lawsuit Cometh
Methadone clinic "operators" who were denied permission to locate their clinic in Berwyn filed a lawsuit against the residents of Berwyn for resisting their efforts to locate a tax subsidized methadone drug clinic in Berwyn.
The clinic operators are very upset and want the Berwyn taxpayer to pay well over a million tax dollars in damages and “reimbursement” for their trouble. They are joined by their faithful allies, Bob Lovero, Michele Skryd and Nona Chapman, who still blister from the embarrassment of being chastised by residents at that anti-methadone clinic rally in the park.
A witness who testified at the trial this week (the week of October 9, 2011) told me in a phone conversation that one of the attorneys hired by the city of Berwyn to represent YOU was asleep at the "defense table" during the entire time that this witness was on the witness stand being questioned by the plaintiff's attorney representing the methadone clinic operators. The witness also said that another attorney at the "defense table" was texting on her phone for that entire period of time which was estimated to be about 45 minutes.
A witness has also opined that the testimony offered by the fearless threesome sounds as though they are testifying on behalf of the plaintiff and not on behalf of the Berwyn residents (defendants). It should be interesting to read a transript of their testimony.
It has often been stated that “attorneys fight as hard as their clients demand that they fight”. It appears that Lovero has asked your attorneys to nap through this trial.
The Fighting Threesome -vs- The Berwyn Residents
The April 7, 2009 election offered Berwyn residents another opportunity to voice their opinion about locating a methadone clinic in Berwyn. Nearly 65% of the voters confirmed their opposition to the proposal.
What about Lovero, Skryd and Chapman? Do you think that they will fight as hard for you on this issue as they fought to provide Alderman Skryd's husband his $98,000 annual pension? Do you think that they will file a "motion to reconsider" by appealing any adverse rulings or findings if your attorneys fail to win this case on your behalf? Or will it be another political sell-out as they chirp the ever so convenient "necessary legal compromise" excuse and pile on all of the other obligatory
gibberish that spells "sellout".
Had Berwyn residents not resisted the efforts by Lovero, Chapman and Skryd to locate a methadone drug clinic in Berwyn, Berwyn would have that drug clinic today.
Information obtained from inside city hall tells us that Bob Lovero, Nona Chapman and Michele Skryd, who fought so hard against Berwyn residents and on behalf of the operators of the proposed methadone drug clinic, would rather "settle" the case and declare that it is in your best interest to do so.
If the law firm says that settlement is in Berwyn's best interest, what the law firm means is that they are doing what the politicians want them to do. Lovero, Skryd and Chapman couldn't care less about you. They have wanted this clinic from day one. It is all just fine as long as you are the one paying the bill.
Where will they locate the tax subsidized methadone drug clinic? Near your home? Near your child's school?
Residents Confused and Suspicious
Residents contacted me asking "who is making the money from the operation of these tax subsidized legal drug houses?” How much? They wondered, whose bank accounts have benefited and will benefit from locating the methadone drug clinic in Berwyn?
They wanted to know how many methodone clinics currently exist in Cook County and how many can the taxpayers be forced to support? How many tax subsidized methadone drug clinics are needed to service transient admitted drug addicts?
The cynicism bred by incompetent and ethically questionable political control can be seen in the suspicion expressed by some residents about any money paid in any "settlement" and the suspicion that much of the settlement money may somehow find its way back into the pockets of politicians who are so anxious to support the operators of the methadone clinic. They questioned why it was so important for Lovero, Skryd and Chapman to ram the methodone clinic down the throats of Berwyn residents? They asked, do you suppose there is some big money in it for them?
Are The Residents' Arguments Being Heard?
The quality of the questions presented by Berwyn residents probably represent more sincere consideration and sophisticated legal inquiry than those which will be presented by Lovero, Skryd, Chapman. It is extremely unlikely that any member of this "fearless threesome" has ever listened to or considered any of the information presented by Berwyn residents and transcribed in this account. They have neither cared about nor have they listened to resident questions and concerns.
What You Will Get If They Locate The Methadone Clinic In Berwyn
Here is your part of the bargain that the Lovero-Skryd-Chapman political troika have been willing to "cut" for you:
1) First of all, as a taxpayer, understand that you already have the privilege of funding nearly all of the costs associated with operating methadone clinics throughout the State of Illinois. But now you get to fund your very own.
2) In their collective wisdom, the fighting three-some and their colleagues think you ought to make additional special payments to the operators of the tax subsidized methadone drug clinic. They want to use your tax dollars to settle the case for an amount they consider appropriate. $100,000? A million dollars?
3) Of course, there is also the matter of the preparation, construction/remodeling of the property that will house the methadone clinic. They want you to pay for it. They have set the stage to locate the clinic somewhere in Berwyn. Therefore, it is only fair that you come up with additional tax money in the form of TIF funding and pay for the clinic you don't want or need.
4) Who but you are going to pay for all of the additional police officers and police services we will need over the long term? After all, there is no assurance that these admitted drug addicts are not taking other drugs. How will you know if they have criminal records? Do you suppose that our police department will welcome having to deal with more problems than they already face?
Are you beginning to see the costs associated with electing self-serving people to public office? This group has been fearlessly squandering your money for many years now and the next round is well under way.
Importing A Clear And Present Danger
Ask yourself the following questions:
1) How can a methadone clinic be a "good addition" to the City of Berwyn?
2) Why would our elected officials want to import a clear and present danger to the families and children who reside in the City?
3) How do we know that these strangers to Berwyn are not using other addictive drugs that may predispose them to aggressive and violent behavior or other criminal behavior?
4) Why should you pay for the remodeling, the treatment and the need for additional police enforcement?
You will be saving the taxpayers of other communities hundreds of thousands of dollars. I'm sure other communities will be thrilled to export their problems to Berwyn and have you pay the bill.
Some people feel that a Methadone clinic is a humanitarian solution to the problem of drug addiction, but the reality does not meet that high hope. The medical facts show that Methadone is simply a replacement drug. It is not a cure. The best you can hope for is that it doesn't cause the physical damage other drugs might cause. Methadone users are still addicts. They are simply addicted to another drug which you are paying for and there is no assurance that they are not taking other drugs.
Methadone is so addictive that there are programs to help people "get off of methadone”. Even these programs are free to the patients, but not free to you. You are covering the costs.
Hopefully Lovero, Chapman and Skryd Will Fail
Hopefully the battle being fought by Lovero, Skryd and Chapman against Berwyn residents will fail. If Berwyn residents are able to snatch a legal victory out of the turmoil created by the "fighting threesome", it will be in defiance of the unrelenting underlying efforts of Bob Lovero, Michele Skryd and Nona Chapman to engineer your defeat.
The letter below was written by a concerned Berwyn resident. She speaks with authority because she has professional experience as a counselor at these clinics for over 10 years. Read what she has to say about the proposed Berwyn Methadone Clinic:
Some of you may recall the great "methadone clinic controversy" of the summer of 2008. Aldermen Bob Lovero, Nona Chapman and Michele Skryd were promoting the location in Berwyn of a tax subsidized methadone drug clinic to service drug addicts near residential neighborhoods and schools.
Lovero, Chapman and Skryd were joined by a fourth alderman, Mike Phelan, (creating "the methadone four" moniker designation at the time). Mr. Phelan has since moved out of state.
The methadone controversy emerged as a result of a typical farce frequently played out in our politically controlled city. In this instance, it was Nona Chapman who was asking the Aldermen to approve the location of "a clinic" in her ward.
Initially, Alderman Chapman did not identify it as a methadone clinic. She merely referred to it as a “clinic”. It took several weeks before people realized that her proposal involved something more than just a common medical clinic.
Zoning Board Denial
To make a long story short, in a stunning defeat, the Zoning Board denied the application supported by Chapman to locate the methodone clinic in Berwyn.
The Outrage
Not to be denied, Nona Chapman then brought the matter before the city council to try to override the Zoning Board's decision. Zoning board decisions can be overridden by a majority vote of the city council.
At that time, it came as a surprise to many that Chapman's proposal to override the Zoning Board was strongly supported by Bob Lovero and Michele Skryd. The final vote on Alderman Chapman's proposal by the 8 member city council resulted in a tie vote with Mayor O'Connor casting a tie breaking NO vote to defeat the proposal.
They'll Fix This
Not to be denied, the Lovero-Chapman-Skryd troika engineered a second vote on the issue via a "motion to reconsider". A "motion to reconsider" is a maneuver to secure a new vote on a matter that had been voted upon in a previous city council meeting.
Two of the alderman who had voted against Alderman Chapman's proposal were unable to attend the meeting at which the second vote was taken. This resulted in a 4 -2 vote in favor of locating the clinic in Berwyn and imposing the financial burden and obligation on Berwyn taxpayers to support the methadone drug clinic and incur related costs.
Residents Stand Up To Be Counted
When the public heard about the vote, Berwyn residents rallied to block the Lovero-Chapman-Skryd supported proposal. The fearless troika did not anticipate serious objections from Berwyn residents. Until now they were always capable of getting what they wanted by "greasing the way" and slipping measures through the city council virtually unnoticed, (as they thought that they had done in this instance).
Berwyn residents formed a large "anti-methadone clinic" rally which was held in a local park in Bewryn. In the interest of saving their "political careers", the pro-methadone-clinic Aldermen appeared before the unhappy crowd to try to explain their conduct. If you missed this event, you missed some great political drama and wonderful entertainment. This well behaved and respectful crowd could not help but laugh and jeer at the pathetic excuses given by this "fighting threesome".
Hundreds of residents contacted me at that time to object to locating a methodone clinic in Berwyn. The following is a list of the most common complaints:
1. The methadone treatment center would bring admitted drug addicts into the residential areas creating a risk to local residents.
2. The clinic’s clientele would be largely composed of transients who did not live in Berwyn and who would otherwise have no reason to visit our community.
3. Other methadone clinics are available throughout Chicago and other areas of Cook County.
4. Methadone itself does not stop drug addiction. It simply provides a different type of addiction………… an addiction to Methadone which is, itself, a dangerous drug which often causes aggressive and paranoid behavior.
5. That the location of a methadone clinic in a residential Berwyn neighborhood near schools and homes would demand more work from an already over-worked Berwyn Police Department.
All of these arguments against the Methadone clinic were valid. The treatment of drug addiction by the use of Methadone is a controversial issue which has been a topic of fierce debate among medical professionals for decades. Here are some of the facts about methadone:
Methadone Facts
1. Methadone is a dangerous drug which may cause severe side effects including life threatening heart irregularities and breathing disorders. It can be fatal in large doses. These side effects often occur at the beginning of treatment but may occur at any time during treatment because of methadone’s tendency to accumulate in the body and reach toxic levels.
2. Methadone has serious physical and behavioral side effects including auditory and visual hallucinations, vomiting, agitation, mood changes, seizures, insomnia, high or low blood pressure, suicidal thoughts, depression, delirium, anxiety, paranoia, panic disorders, delusions, marked increase in sex drive, cardiac arrhythmia and sudden death. In the United States, deaths linked to Methadone more than quadrupled in the five year period between 1999 and 2004.
Approximately 82 percent of those deaths were listed as accidental and most deaths involved combinations of methadone with other drugs. These statistics make it clear that many methadone patients frequently continue to use other drugs* which may further impair their decision making ability or create greater aggressive behavioral changes. *(cocaine, barbiturates, amphetamines, heroin, marijuana, heroin, opium etc.)
3. Methadone treatment may impair driving ability. Drug abuse patients had significantly more involvement in serious vehicular accidents than non-abuse patients in a study by Queensland University.
4. Methadone withdrawal symptoms have shown to be up to twice as severe as those of morphine or heroin….. and are significantly more prolonged. Withdrawal from methadone can take 18-24 months.
5. Most Methadone clinics offer “maintenance treatment” which allows indefinite treatment at the methadone clinic, lasting as long as the patient desires it. There is much debate over this type of treatment but it continues to be common. In general, methadone maintenance is seen as ongoing symptom management rather than a curative treatment. In simple terms, methadone treatment simply substitutes one drug for another but the patient remains a drug addict.
6. Most clinics require that new patients visit the clinic daily for the first 180 days so that they may be observed taking their dose. Established patients are given “take-home” doses of a week to a month.
7. Methadone maintenance is rarely covered by private insurance and patients are encouraged to enroll in public welfare programs or face costs upwards of $500 USD per month. Methadone clinics in the U.S. charge anywhere fror $50-$300 per week and taxpayers pick up this tab.
Importing Problems From Other Communities
It has been about five years since the silent majority of Berwyn residents blasted the airwaves with their objections to locating a tax subsidized methadone drug clinic in Berwyn. What has changed since then?
Well, for one thing, Bob Lovero, Nona Chapman and Michele Skryd are back in elected office controlling the City of Berwyn and your money. In other words, the fox is now officially in charge of the hen house. After the public outcry against the Methadone clinic, Bob Lovero, Nona Chapman and Michele Skryd have been biding their time. Now, in the Fall of 2011 the issue has regained momentum as the matter is currently being tried in court (October 12, 2011).
The Lawsuit Cometh
Methadone clinic "operators" who were denied permission to locate their clinic in Berwyn filed a lawsuit against the residents of Berwyn for resisting their efforts to locate a tax subsidized methadone drug clinic in Berwyn.
The clinic operators are very upset and want the Berwyn taxpayer to pay well over a million tax dollars in damages and “reimbursement” for their trouble. They are joined by their faithful allies, Bob Lovero, Michele Skryd and Nona Chapman, who still blister from the embarrassment of being chastised by residents at that anti-methadone clinic rally in the park.
A witness who testified at the trial this week (the week of October 9, 2011) told me in a phone conversation that one of the attorneys hired by the city of Berwyn to represent YOU was asleep at the "defense table" during the entire time that this witness was on the witness stand being questioned by the plaintiff's attorney representing the methadone clinic operators. The witness also said that another attorney at the "defense table" was texting on her phone for that entire period of time which was estimated to be about 45 minutes.
A witness has also opined that the testimony offered by the fearless threesome sounds as though they are testifying on behalf of the plaintiff and not on behalf of the Berwyn residents (defendants). It should be interesting to read a transript of their testimony.
It has often been stated that “attorneys fight as hard as their clients demand that they fight”. It appears that Lovero has asked your attorneys to nap through this trial.
The Fighting Threesome -vs- The Berwyn Residents
The April 7, 2009 election offered Berwyn residents another opportunity to voice their opinion about locating a methadone clinic in Berwyn. Nearly 65% of the voters confirmed their opposition to the proposal.
What about Lovero, Skryd and Chapman? Do you think that they will fight as hard for you on this issue as they fought to provide Alderman Skryd's husband his $98,000 annual pension? Do you think that they will file a "motion to reconsider" by appealing any adverse rulings or findings if your attorneys fail to win this case on your behalf? Or will it be another political sell-out as they chirp the ever so convenient "necessary legal compromise" excuse and pile on all of the other obligatory
gibberish that spells "sellout".
Had Berwyn residents not resisted the efforts by Lovero, Chapman and Skryd to locate a methadone drug clinic in Berwyn, Berwyn would have that drug clinic today.
Information obtained from inside city hall tells us that Bob Lovero, Nona Chapman and Michele Skryd, who fought so hard against Berwyn residents and on behalf of the operators of the proposed methadone drug clinic, would rather "settle" the case and declare that it is in your best interest to do so.
If the law firm says that settlement is in Berwyn's best interest, what the law firm means is that they are doing what the politicians want them to do. Lovero, Skryd and Chapman couldn't care less about you. They have wanted this clinic from day one. It is all just fine as long as you are the one paying the bill.
Where will they locate the tax subsidized methadone drug clinic? Near your home? Near your child's school?
Residents Confused and Suspicious
Residents contacted me asking "who is making the money from the operation of these tax subsidized legal drug houses?” How much? They wondered, whose bank accounts have benefited and will benefit from locating the methadone drug clinic in Berwyn?
They wanted to know how many methodone clinics currently exist in Cook County and how many can the taxpayers be forced to support? How many tax subsidized methadone drug clinics are needed to service transient admitted drug addicts?
The cynicism bred by incompetent and ethically questionable political control can be seen in the suspicion expressed by some residents about any money paid in any "settlement" and the suspicion that much of the settlement money may somehow find its way back into the pockets of politicians who are so anxious to support the operators of the methadone clinic. They questioned why it was so important for Lovero, Skryd and Chapman to ram the methodone clinic down the throats of Berwyn residents? They asked, do you suppose there is some big money in it for them?
Are The Residents' Arguments Being Heard?
The quality of the questions presented by Berwyn residents probably represent more sincere consideration and sophisticated legal inquiry than those which will be presented by Lovero, Skryd, Chapman. It is extremely unlikely that any member of this "fearless threesome" has ever listened to or considered any of the information presented by Berwyn residents and transcribed in this account. They have neither cared about nor have they listened to resident questions and concerns.
What You Will Get If They Locate The Methadone Clinic In Berwyn
Here is your part of the bargain that the Lovero-Skryd-Chapman political troika have been willing to "cut" for you:
1) First of all, as a taxpayer, understand that you already have the privilege of funding nearly all of the costs associated with operating methadone clinics throughout the State of Illinois. But now you get to fund your very own.
2) In their collective wisdom, the fighting three-some and their colleagues think you ought to make additional special payments to the operators of the tax subsidized methadone drug clinic. They want to use your tax dollars to settle the case for an amount they consider appropriate. $100,000? A million dollars?
3) Of course, there is also the matter of the preparation, construction/remodeling of the property that will house the methadone clinic. They want you to pay for it. They have set the stage to locate the clinic somewhere in Berwyn. Therefore, it is only fair that you come up with additional tax money in the form of TIF funding and pay for the clinic you don't want or need.
4) Who but you are going to pay for all of the additional police officers and police services we will need over the long term? After all, there is no assurance that these admitted drug addicts are not taking other drugs. How will you know if they have criminal records? Do you suppose that our police department will welcome having to deal with more problems than they already face?
Are you beginning to see the costs associated with electing self-serving people to public office? This group has been fearlessly squandering your money for many years now and the next round is well under way.
Importing A Clear And Present Danger
Ask yourself the following questions:
1) How can a methadone clinic be a "good addition" to the City of Berwyn?
2) Why would our elected officials want to import a clear and present danger to the families and children who reside in the City?
3) How do we know that these strangers to Berwyn are not using other addictive drugs that may predispose them to aggressive and violent behavior or other criminal behavior?
4) Why should you pay for the remodeling, the treatment and the need for additional police enforcement?
You will be saving the taxpayers of other communities hundreds of thousands of dollars. I'm sure other communities will be thrilled to export their problems to Berwyn and have you pay the bill.
Some people feel that a Methadone clinic is a humanitarian solution to the problem of drug addiction, but the reality does not meet that high hope. The medical facts show that Methadone is simply a replacement drug. It is not a cure. The best you can hope for is that it doesn't cause the physical damage other drugs might cause. Methadone users are still addicts. They are simply addicted to another drug which you are paying for and there is no assurance that they are not taking other drugs.
Methadone is so addictive that there are programs to help people "get off of methadone”. Even these programs are free to the patients, but not free to you. You are covering the costs.
Hopefully Lovero, Chapman and Skryd Will Fail
Hopefully the battle being fought by Lovero, Skryd and Chapman against Berwyn residents will fail. If Berwyn residents are able to snatch a legal victory out of the turmoil created by the "fighting threesome", it will be in defiance of the unrelenting underlying efforts of Bob Lovero, Michele Skryd and Nona Chapman to engineer your defeat.
The letter below was written by a concerned Berwyn resident. She speaks with authority because she has professional experience as a counselor at these clinics for over 10 years. Read what she has to say about the proposed Berwyn Methadone Clinic:
July 21, 2008
To Whom It May Concern:
My name is Annette Bennett and I am a substance abuse counselor at a methadone clinic and Berwyn resident. I am extremely concerned about and against the proposal of Elizabeth Buonauro opening a methadone clinic in Berwyn. There is no need for another area clinic which I am well aware of working as a counselor for 10 years in Chicago and Downers Grove. I feel my background and experience could be an asset in the fight against the proposal which is the purpose of my letter. I also spoke briefly at the open community meeting on July 16, 2008 of these concerns.
Berwyn already offers a wide range of addiction treatment services with the ability to refer to two methadone programs five minutes away in Cicero at Chicago Treatment and Counseling Centers III & IV (CTCC). The CTCC programs offer methadone and suboxone treatment options with DUI services. Currently, there are 23 methadone treatment providers in Chicago and two clinics in Cicero. Aside from methadone treatment, MacNeal Hospital offers substance abuse treatment with detox, inpatient and outpatient treatment services. There is Pillars- The Fillmore Center on Windsor Avenue a not-for-profit organization offering counseling for addiction treatment and prevention. The Youth Crossroads, Inc. program offers counseling for adolescents and their families.
As a counselor, I believe and have witnessed the benefits of methadone maintenance treatment programs. My concern about having a methadone clinic in Berwyn is that there is no need for another substance abuse treatment program in this area, while there is desperate need in so many other areas throughout Illinois. The focus in the addiction community should be the quality of service that is provided not about the quantity of clinics one owns. There are patients which travel hours and sometimes live in different states to receive proper treatment; whereas addicts in Berwyn area have a variety of possibilities within close proximity. Elizabeth Buonauro should focus on providing services in areas where there is limited resources for opiate dependent people.
I believe it is the responsibility of Ms. Buonauro to demonstrate a “need” for a new methadone treatment program specifically for Berwyn. A needs assessment “is the process of obtaining and analyzing information to determine the current status and service needs of a defined population and/or geographic area.” The types of data for this need assessment should include documentation of a recent incline in heroin/opiate overdoses from the MacNeal Hospital Emergency Room Department. She should also report from the Berwyn Police Department recent increased arrests for heroin possession and drug trafficking. Many private methadone treatment facilities also do not have waiting lists and can take new intakes within a few days. The information on the length of time it takes for a person to enter treatment from their initial phone call could also be considered for the need assessment. The information from these resources may substantiate a need for more services in Berwyn. As a counselor, I haven’t heard from
Page 2
patients or received any printed information from the substance abuse field of any overdoses in this area. My husband is also a local area police officer for several years and is unaware of any increased arrests for drugs in the area. The local paper and the Berwyn Police Blotter website have no information of increased overdoses or drug arrests in the area. As a Berwyn resident, I would expect to have the needs assessment data from Ms. Buonauro.
Aside from having opiate addicts in our area, which has been a major concern for the Berwyn resident, I believe it is important to explain how a methadone clinic could negatively affect our area on a daily basis in regards to high amounts of traffic and additional parking. New patients entering methadone treatment (intakes) are required to come in six days per week to drink their methadone observed by a nurse for a minimum of 180 days. The amount of intakes varies but can typically be around 10 new patients per week. These 10 people come in 6 days a week for 180 days and then 10 more patients the next week, etc. This can lead to a high amount of traffic in the business district area which is a major concern. There is also no ability to assess or predict how long a patient may be in the clinic for medication, counseling sessions, etc. The area is already highly congested with Metra commuters, patients for other doctor offices, patrons of the restaurants and ice cream parlor and parents for the daycare center. As a parent of two small children, I understand the frustrations in regards20to no parking and carrying a sick child two blocks away or more to their doctor’s office visit. Many of our elderly citizens’ doctor’s offices and those receiving orthopedic care and cancer treatment services visiting Oak Park Avenue, also need access to close parking spaces for their appointments as well. Citizens Community Bank will need to be patrolled for parking as they are one of the few parking lots that don’t require permits in the area. There is also the added concern of customer safety. As a customer of the bank, I would also consider using their other locations for my own safety.
The traffic situation will also be a problem for the Berwyn Police Officers and my concern is in regards to the police officers having to do constant traffic control instead of working on other, more pressing, issues. Patients do come earlier than the clinic is open and this will be additional work for the police officers to patrol the area in and around the clinic prior to opening, as well as all day long traffic control. Aside from parking issue, when no parking is available, one also needs to consider the patient’s ride that will be cruising around while a patient is in the methadone clinic. This area has a park and several schools and churches in the area with small children playing. We do not need our children at risk of being hit by a car or influenced in any way by a car cruising the area while waiting for a patient. The compensation of the pay to the police officers comes from Berwyn, whereas Ms. Buonauro would profit from the methadone clinic as a service provider.
I am at an advantage to fight against the proposal for a Berwyn methadone clinic being a counselor with 10 years experience working at Chicago and Downers Grove methadone clinics. Berwyn is centrally located between my offices and I can assure you that Berwyn
Page 3
opiate addicts have adequate access to local treatment options. Again I would hope that Elizabeth Buonauro would take advantage of her ability to expand to a second clinic in an area limited for treatment options. There is no need for a methadone clinic in Berwyn compared to other areas of Illinois.
Attached I am providing information the websites for need assessments, CTCC and the listing of the 25 area methadone treatment providers as well as the website information for other Illinois clinic locations. I hope the information I have provided is useful to all those involved in the fight against the proposed clinic. If I can be of any assistance as a Berwyn resident or a substance abuse counselor, please feel free to contact me.
Sincerely,
Annette Bennett
Website Information
Needs Assessment:
http://coach.aed.org/pubs/factsheets/NeedsAssessment.pdf
Chicago Treatment Counseling Center:
www.chicagotreatment.com
Methadone Clinic Locator:
http://pharmaceuticals.mallinckrodt.com/AddictionTreatment/ClinicLocator.asp
To Whom It May Concern:
My name is Annette Bennett and I am a substance abuse counselor at a methadone clinic and Berwyn resident. I am extremely concerned about and against the proposal of Elizabeth Buonauro opening a methadone clinic in Berwyn. There is no need for another area clinic which I am well aware of working as a counselor for 10 years in Chicago and Downers Grove. I feel my background and experience could be an asset in the fight against the proposal which is the purpose of my letter. I also spoke briefly at the open community meeting on July 16, 2008 of these concerns.
Berwyn already offers a wide range of addiction treatment services with the ability to refer to two methadone programs five minutes away in Cicero at Chicago Treatment and Counseling Centers III & IV (CTCC). The CTCC programs offer methadone and suboxone treatment options with DUI services. Currently, there are 23 methadone treatment providers in Chicago and two clinics in Cicero. Aside from methadone treatment, MacNeal Hospital offers substance abuse treatment with detox, inpatient and outpatient treatment services. There is Pillars- The Fillmore Center on Windsor Avenue a not-for-profit organization offering counseling for addiction treatment and prevention. The Youth Crossroads, Inc. program offers counseling for adolescents and their families.
As a counselor, I believe and have witnessed the benefits of methadone maintenance treatment programs. My concern about having a methadone clinic in Berwyn is that there is no need for another substance abuse treatment program in this area, while there is desperate need in so many other areas throughout Illinois. The focus in the addiction community should be the quality of service that is provided not about the quantity of clinics one owns. There are patients which travel hours and sometimes live in different states to receive proper treatment; whereas addicts in Berwyn area have a variety of possibilities within close proximity. Elizabeth Buonauro should focus on providing services in areas where there is limited resources for opiate dependent people.
I believe it is the responsibility of Ms. Buonauro to demonstrate a “need” for a new methadone treatment program specifically for Berwyn. A needs assessment “is the process of obtaining and analyzing information to determine the current status and service needs of a defined population and/or geographic area.” The types of data for this need assessment should include documentation of a recent incline in heroin/opiate overdoses from the MacNeal Hospital Emergency Room Department. She should also report from the Berwyn Police Department recent increased arrests for heroin possession and drug trafficking. Many private methadone treatment facilities also do not have waiting lists and can take new intakes within a few days. The information on the length of time it takes for a person to enter treatment from their initial phone call could also be considered for the need assessment. The information from these resources may substantiate a need for more services in Berwyn. As a counselor, I haven’t heard from
Page 2
patients or received any printed information from the substance abuse field of any overdoses in this area. My husband is also a local area police officer for several years and is unaware of any increased arrests for drugs in the area. The local paper and the Berwyn Police Blotter website have no information of increased overdoses or drug arrests in the area. As a Berwyn resident, I would expect to have the needs assessment data from Ms. Buonauro.
Aside from having opiate addicts in our area, which has been a major concern for the Berwyn resident, I believe it is important to explain how a methadone clinic could negatively affect our area on a daily basis in regards to high amounts of traffic and additional parking. New patients entering methadone treatment (intakes) are required to come in six days per week to drink their methadone observed by a nurse for a minimum of 180 days. The amount of intakes varies but can typically be around 10 new patients per week. These 10 people come in 6 days a week for 180 days and then 10 more patients the next week, etc. This can lead to a high amount of traffic in the business district area which is a major concern. There is also no ability to assess or predict how long a patient may be in the clinic for medication, counseling sessions, etc. The area is already highly congested with Metra commuters, patients for other doctor offices, patrons of the restaurants and ice cream parlor and parents for the daycare center. As a parent of two small children, I understand the frustrations in regards20to no parking and carrying a sick child two blocks away or more to their doctor’s office visit. Many of our elderly citizens’ doctor’s offices and those receiving orthopedic care and cancer treatment services visiting Oak Park Avenue, also need access to close parking spaces for their appointments as well. Citizens Community Bank will need to be patrolled for parking as they are one of the few parking lots that don’t require permits in the area. There is also the added concern of customer safety. As a customer of the bank, I would also consider using their other locations for my own safety.
The traffic situation will also be a problem for the Berwyn Police Officers and my concern is in regards to the police officers having to do constant traffic control instead of working on other, more pressing, issues. Patients do come earlier than the clinic is open and this will be additional work for the police officers to patrol the area in and around the clinic prior to opening, as well as all day long traffic control. Aside from parking issue, when no parking is available, one also needs to consider the patient’s ride that will be cruising around while a patient is in the methadone clinic. This area has a park and several schools and churches in the area with small children playing. We do not need our children at risk of being hit by a car or influenced in any way by a car cruising the area while waiting for a patient. The compensation of the pay to the police officers comes from Berwyn, whereas Ms. Buonauro would profit from the methadone clinic as a service provider.
I am at an advantage to fight against the proposal for a Berwyn methadone clinic being a counselor with 10 years experience working at Chicago and Downers Grove methadone clinics. Berwyn is centrally located between my offices and I can assure you that Berwyn
Page 3
opiate addicts have adequate access to local treatment options. Again I would hope that Elizabeth Buonauro would take advantage of her ability to expand to a second clinic in an area limited for treatment options. There is no need for a methadone clinic in Berwyn compared to other areas of Illinois.
Attached I am providing information the websites for need assessments, CTCC and the listing of the 25 area methadone treatment providers as well as the website information for other Illinois clinic locations. I hope the information I have provided is useful to all those involved in the fight against the proposed clinic. If I can be of any assistance as a Berwyn resident or a substance abuse counselor, please feel free to contact me.
Sincerely,
Annette Bennett
Website Information
Needs Assessment:
http://coach.aed.org/pubs/factsheets/NeedsAssessment.pdf
Chicago Treatment Counseling Center:
www.chicagotreatment.com
Methadone Clinic Locator:
http://pharmaceuticals.mallinckrodt.com/AddictionTreatment/ClinicLocator.asp
