Money Should Go to Health Care

The host of Orange County organizations devoted to health care rightly have felt entitled to most, if not all, of the money the county will receive from the national settlement with tobacco companies that helped destroy the health of millions of Americans for decades. But the Board of Supervisors has stiff-armed the health care groups.

In a generous compromise, the Health Alliance to Reinvest the Tobacco Settlement has offered to let the county have the bulk of the tens of millions of dollars coming its way each year for the next five years and spend it to pay off debt and build new jail beds. In exchange, HARTS would get nearly all the settlement money in later years.

HARTS brought together doctors, hospital officials, leaders of the county chapters of the American Lung Assn., American Heart Assn. and similar groups, and clinics that minister to the poor. For years, those trying to improve health care for the county’s less fortunate have received less than they deserved from county supervisors. The bankruptcy five years ago made matters worse.

But the tobacco settlement would provide enormous help. Though there is no legal requirement that states, cities and counties spend the money in a certain way, the right way would be to spend it on health. Orange County is expected to receive $30 million or more in each of the next 25 years, perhaps longer.

To spend the money on debt retirement, jails or similar programs is a cynical perversion of the tobacco settlement. But with the compromise, money for health care is assured, even if not until several years from now.

The supervisors need the state Legislature to pass a law allowing them to spend the money the way they want--paying down debt incurred in emerging from the bankruptcy and adding jail beds. HARTS members say there is no chance of that law passing without the support of coalition members. The supervisors apparently believe otherwise.

Raising the stakes even more is a possible initiative prepared in two forms. One allows Orange County to spend the money on debt retirement and jails so long as future sums go to health. Another version requires that all the money go to health.

If the supervisors refuse to accept the compromise, the all-for-health initiative is the one supporters will try to get on the ballot next November. That’s a high-risk gamble for the supervisors. The county does need more jail beds. Paying off the debt would be good as well, so long as the money saved on interest payments by retiring debt early is used to restore funding for areas such as parks that have been short-changed since the fiscal disaster. But tobacco settlement money should ultimately go for health care. HARTS has drawn up a detailed compromise. The supervisors should thank coalition members for taking the lead and accept the offer.