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16. Conservatives agree that drug courts save taxpayer dollars
Drug Courts are supported and funded by professed conservatives: Tea Party in Congress; all Republican Governors who ran for President in 2016; every Republican Governor and Republican legislature in every state that borders North Carolina; each Republican Governor who resides in the Governor's mansion in Raleigh, North Carolina. Proof is as close as your nearest Google search.
Every year going back to the year of the North Carolina drug court cuts, the Republican-controlled US House and Senate have permitted increases in drug court funding. This includes years after ascendency of the Tea Party. The U.S. House permitted passage of $78 million for drug courts for Fiscal Year 2012. See www.nadcp.org for Dec. 19, 2011. Google "drug court funding" every year since. Or search National Association of Drug Court Professionals sites www.nadcp.org and www.allrise.org. For five years since 2011, the National Association of Drug Court Professionals is emailing me asking me to write my congressman to approve the increase in drug court funding. Then they write me and the membership celebrating an increase in drug court funding and thanking members for their support.
North Carolina's 2011 new majority should not be blamed for being skeptical of supporters of drug courts who stated that drug courts save money. When advocates for programming say, as drug court advocates said, "spend money and save money," it sounded like everyone's 13-year-old daughter or granddaughter who might say, "If you give me $200 to shop the sales, I will save you $400."
When there were 17 Republican candidates for President, a number were governors, and each governor had drug courts in the state. Several had remarkable press releases about the savings of drug courts. Governor Rick Perry of Texas received special recognitions for his expansion funding for drug courts in a number of press reports that show up on Google searches. The state of New Jersey faced crippling budget shortfalls resulting in layoffs of approximately 600 police officers. (105 in Trenton, 165 in Camden, 51 in Princeton, 167 in Newark) In 2011-2012, while cities were pleading for funding, Governor Chris Christie chose instead to funnel money into drug court expansion. "Expanding" is Gov. Christie's word, used in his press releases. Every state that borders NC was Republican controlled when drug courts were initiated or when they were expanded and all are expanding drug courts because drug courts save money. Don't take my word for it. Google "police layoffs, New Jersey," "expanding drug courts, New Jersey," and "expanding drug courts" for all of the candidates.
Finally, don't forget to research NC Governor Pat McCrory whose support for refunding drug courts goes back to his first State of the State speech.
