Pubdate: Thu, 27 May 1999 Source: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (WI) Copyright: 1999, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Contact: 414-224-8280 Website: http://www.jsonline.com/ Forum: http://www.jsonline.com/cgi-bin/ubb/ultimate.cgi Author: Eugene Kane CZAJA'S DECISION HAS A PUZZLING POLITICAL SPIN Czaja's decision to seek help is a good one. Even though, clearly, it wasn't his first choice. When a Milwaukee County Board supervisor goes and gets himself busted outside a known drug house -- a prostitute and a knife in the car with him -- it's time for some serious spin control. To his credit, Anthony Czaja did all the right things after being released from jail. He offered heartfelt apologies to his family, friends and constituents. He promised to clean up his act, literally and figuratively, while announcing his immediate plans to enter an alcohol and drug treatment program. According to police reports, Czaja told officers he was lonely and looking for companionship during his lost weekend on the north side. The entire episode fit neatly into the 24-hour news cycle; public disgrace followed by sympathetic contrition. Just another example of the pitfalls of human frailty. Except many in the recovery community -- former addicts and alcoholics who depend on social service agencies for help in fighting their own demons -- have a nagging feeling Czaja is getting off easy. "Hey, this is a guy who voted against all kinds of drug and alcohol program funding for lots of poor people!" This anonymous caller, who works for a community organization, specifically mentioned Career Youth Development, the north side agency run by Jeannetta Robinson. CYD's funding was drastically cut last year after an audit found evidence of mismanaged funds. The caller named Czaja as a politician who consistently voted against funding for CYD and other agencies that provide drug and alcohol programs on the north side. "Now he's coming to the north side looking for drugs and women! Why doesn't he stay out there in West Allis instead of coming into our community!" I placed a cautious call to Robinson to ask about Czaja. (Cautious, because the small fireball of a woman everybody calls Jeannetta has been blazing mad at me for months because of a column I wrote last year criticizing the agency's sloppy accounting procedures.) Robinson confirmed Czaja had been a particular thorn in her agency's side. Last year, after an audit, Czaja voted for cuts for CYD's funding, which included money for the agency's drug alcohol treatment program. At the same time, Robinson offered spiritual support to the disgraced supervisor: "I'm a Christian, I pray for him and hope he gets well." Robinson said that despite setbacks, CYD is still in business, trying to serve its impoverished clientele with drastically reduced funding sources. "We don't have the money anymore, but we still do what we have to do," she said. "It's a commitment with God; as long as they need us, we're here." The people CYD serves don't have money or insurance to pay for expensive trips to lush rehabilitation facilities. A point not lost on my caller. "Here he is, coming down to a black neighborhood to buy drugs, he gets caught, and now he's going to go off to some rehab paid for by taxpayers!" What the caller meant was that Czaja's stay in drug rehabilitation may be paid by his county medical insurance. Regardless, Czaja's decision to seek help is a good one. Even though, clearly, it wasn't his first choice. When he gets out, maybe the politician will want to reconsider some of his votes that denied money for drug treatment programs for people who live in the city's most drug-infested neighborhoods. Maybe he'll remember, back when he was feeling lonely and at rock-bottom, these were the only friends he could find. - --- MAP posted-by: Patrick Henry