Pubdate: Sat, 02 Feb 2008
Source: Richmond Register (KY)
Copyright: 2008 Community Newspaper Holdings, Inc.
Contact:  http://www.richmondregister.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/4305
Author: Kelly Foreman

NO FEDERAL UNITE FUNDING

All Hope Not Lost

Hopes of obtaining funding to branch the Operation UNITE program into 
Madison County in the immediate future are looking dim, U.S. Rep. Ben 
Chandler, D-6th District, confirmed Friday.

But all hope for the initiative is not lost.

UNITE is an acronym for Unlawful Narcotics Investigative, Treatment 
and Education. The program "works to rid communities of illegal drug 
use through undercover narcotics investigations, coordinating 
treatment for substance abusers, providing support to families and 
friends of substance abusers and educating the public about the 
dangers of using drugs," the program's Web site states.

The existing UNITE program in southeastern Kentucky that has been 
funded through the efforts of U.S. Rep. Hal Rogers, R-Somerset, is 
facing financial concerns of its own. The state House of 
Representatives received a bill Thursday which would transfer 
$450,000 from the multi-county coal severance tax fund to pay 
employees in the southeast through June 30 if passed. One of the 
bill's sponsors, Tom Jensen, told CNHI Frankfort bureau reporter 
Ronnie Ellis that Rogers had hoped to secure federal funding to keep 
the program going after that date. The Richmond Register is a CNHI newspaper.

Funds to help a Madison County branch get off the ground were not 
included in the state budget. And Chandler said Friday that federal 
funds for Madison also don't look likely at the present time.

"Unfortunately, UNITE has not gotten enough funding in either of the 
past two years to even maintain its current level of effort," 
Chandler said. "This is largely because of the controversy 
surrounding earmarks."

It has been nearly a year since a community meeting was conducted at 
Richmond City Hall to inform citizens about UNITE and begin work 
toward establishing Neighbors UNITED, a program to take back 
communities in Madison, Estill and Powell counties from the grips of 
a growing drug problem. Efforts to ignite the program have been on 
hold while funding issues were being sorted out, local UNITE 
coordinator Eva Gay said.

But neither Chandler nor Gay are giving up on the local cause.

"While UNITE's funding may be limited, we are trying to work within 
these parameters to expand this successful program into additional 
counties," Chandler said. "Madison County would be one of the first 
counties to benefit from this expansion."

Gay attended a UNITE dinner where a Georgia man spoke about how his 
community implemented Operation UNITE efforts without federal 
funding, she said, and were doing it successfully.

Through the help of Madison County's faith-based community, business 
community and elected officials, Gay said that could happen here, too.

"I think a judge and a preacher (in Georgia) had gotten together and 
just really campaigned for the people to get involved, and they did," 
Gay said. "And they implemented a lot of the things that UNITE has 
done. So there is that possibility."

As for a timeline for when funding might be available for Madison 
County, Gay said we will have to "wait and see."

"We all need to band together to fight the drug problem in our 
communities," Chandler said.

To get more information about how to get involved locally with UNITE, 
call Chandler's Lexington office at 1-859-219-1366.
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MAP posted-by: Keith Brilhart