Parker is putting your money where her mouth is

Mayor Cherelle Parker has talked the talk, and is now trying to walk the walk by asking City Council for $100 million for a drug treatment center and shelter for 600 people. [Update: Council approved her request.]

Any way you look at it, $100 million is a shitload of money, a shitload that requires tight supervision to make sure it is spent on quality treatment for the “residents.”

But if you — like me — oppose the soft headed and softhearted addiction-enabling policies, such as those that distribute “clean” syringes or offer a so-called “safe” place to shoot up, providing treatment is the logical alternative.

As the new sheriff in town, Parker already moved to shut down Kensington’s revolting open-air drug market, and has repeatedly talked about “public safety,” which is the substitute phrase moderate Democrats use instead of  “law and order.”

Looking at her public safety programs, I have facetiously referred to Parker as “Frank Rizzo in a dress.”

It’s beginning to feel like a real thing. A safe city is better than a politically correct city.

But shaking $100 million loose from City Council is no walk in the park, because of progressive members such Kendra Brooks and Nicolas O’Rourke, who are so far left they didn’t even run as Democrats; plus progressive African-American Jamie Gauthier, open lesbian Rue Landau, and South Asian Nina Ahmad. I’m pretty sure they prefer the soft glove approach, while more traditional Council Democrats such as Mark Squilla, Mike Driscoll, Jim Harrity, might choke on the price tag. Council President Kenyatta Johnson himself is moderate.

The choice is either pay for treatment — even involuntary — or live with drug-addicted zombies forever, and the social cost they incur. I choose the former.