Post by Logan on Apr 8, 2017 8:40:08 GMT -6
Gov. John Kasich said recently that when it comes to the opioid overdose epidemic, Ohio is “paying the price right now for a lot of the neglect that happened in the past.”
Well, no kidding. Mr. Kasich has been governor since 2011. During that time, Ohio has become the nation’s leader in opioid overdose deaths. We’re No. 1, which is humiliating and shameful for Ohio. And it happened during this governor’s watch.
So the governor should take a good, long look in the mirror when he talks of neglect.
Ohio had 2,106 deaths blamed on opioids in 2014. That number rose by more than 20 percent in 2015. There are no solid numbers yet for 2016, but Montgomery County, which includes Dayton, added 12 additional beds to its coroner’s office in 2016, and it still wasn’t enough, so the 2016 numbers will probably outpace those of previous years.
If blame has to be assigned, Mr. Kasich would be a logical person to point the finger at. For too long in 2016, the governor was on the campaign trail, touting his $2 billion rainy day fund as his chief qualification for being president. Even after Donald Trump won the Republican nomination, Mr. Kasich continued to be an absent governor, positioning himself for a 2020 presidential run during appearances in New Hampshire.
Read more: www.toledoblade.com/Featured-Editorial-Home/2017/04/07/Toledo-Blade-featured-editorial-John-Kasich-discovers-opioid-crisis.html
Well, no kidding. Mr. Kasich has been governor since 2011. During that time, Ohio has become the nation’s leader in opioid overdose deaths. We’re No. 1, which is humiliating and shameful for Ohio. And it happened during this governor’s watch.
So the governor should take a good, long look in the mirror when he talks of neglect.
Ohio had 2,106 deaths blamed on opioids in 2014. That number rose by more than 20 percent in 2015. There are no solid numbers yet for 2016, but Montgomery County, which includes Dayton, added 12 additional beds to its coroner’s office in 2016, and it still wasn’t enough, so the 2016 numbers will probably outpace those of previous years.
If blame has to be assigned, Mr. Kasich would be a logical person to point the finger at. For too long in 2016, the governor was on the campaign trail, touting his $2 billion rainy day fund as his chief qualification for being president. Even after Donald Trump won the Republican nomination, Mr. Kasich continued to be an absent governor, positioning himself for a 2020 presidential run during appearances in New Hampshire.
Read more: www.toledoblade.com/Featured-Editorial-Home/2017/04/07/Toledo-Blade-featured-editorial-John-Kasich-discovers-opioid-crisis.html