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"PLAN SHUT IT DOWN"    

* Responsible methadone treatment is needed in the Roanoke Valley. The problem is finding a suitable location for this treatment. Hershberger Road is not a suitable location for this treatment.

* The Roanoke SCLC will use peaceful, nonviolent protest to shut the methadone clinic down once it opens. The Roanoke SCLC will ask all opponents of the methadone clinic to do the same.

* CRC Healthgroup has played Plantation Politics in the methadone clinic controversy. When CRC Healthgroup found the could not buy off the Roanoke SCLC, CRC Healthgroup enlisted the help of the other Blacks and Black organizations in Roanoke Va.'s Northwest community in an attempt to smooth the road to allow the clinic to open. Some of these people and organizations were bought off by CRC Healthgroup. 

* The Roanoke SCLC feels CRC Healthgroup has been dealing in bad faith concerning the relocation of the methadone clinic from the Hershberger Road site. 

* SCLC encourages the community to view a videotape from the Santa Ana, California Police Dept. on the abuses of a methadone clinic that was finally shut down in that city. This tape clearly disputes all claims made by the Hershberger Road methadone clinic supporters who say methadone clinics do not cause problems in a community. To view the videotape, (about 30 minutes in length), you may contact the Roanoke, Va. SCLC at (540)206-2741, (540)243-0166, or (540)344-7064. 

* The Roanoke SCLC encourages all citizens to contact CRC Healthgroup concerning the relocation of the Hershberger methadone clinic. You may do so by logging onto their website at www.crchealth.com. You may also e-mail CRC Healthgroup at jpritchard@crchealth.com. You may call CRC Healthgroup at: (609)714-9001.   

* Roanoke City Government has failed the Northwest community during the methadone clinic controversy. This failure began with the failure of Roanoke City Government to properly investigate National Specialty Clinics, now owned by CRC Healthgroup, before giving the company a business license to open the methadone clinic on Hershberger Road.

* The purchase of National Specialty Clinics by CRC Healthgroup did not just happen as both companies would like for people to believe. It is the belief of many that this merger was planned for the very beginning, that if the clinic could not open in Roanoke County, Va., it would be dumped in Northwest Roanoke, Va.

* CRC Healthgroup had a different criteria for placing a methadone clinic in Roanoke County, Va.'s White community than it had for placing a methadone clinic in Roanoke, Va.'s Black community.

* Once the clinic opens, the clinic will be monitored at all times. Any violation of any law at any time will not be tolerated. These violations will be reported to law enforcement agencies, Roanoke City Council and to the Roanoke SCLC. To report any violation of any law at the methadone clinic, please call (540)206-2741, (540)243-0166 or (540)344-7064. You may also e-mail www.jeffartis.com to report any violation of any kind at the clinic or report any instance of the clinic being a "bad neighbor."

* Once the clinic opens at its current location, every law on the books at the local, state and federal levels will be used to shut the clinic down whenever there is any violation of those laws or when the clinic becomes a "bad neighbor."

* If Roanoke City law enforcement fails to do its job concerning activities at the methadone clinic and/or activities related to the methadone clinic, state and federal law enforcement agencies will be called into action to take care of this situation.

* Current Roanoke, Va. City Council members, members of the Virginia House of Delegates and members of the Virginia State Senate who did not fight hard enough to stop the Hershberger Road methadone clinic from opening or who decided to accept the opening of the Hershberger Road methadone clinic will be targeted in the upcoming 2005, 2006 and 2007 state and local elections. These individuals will be targeted for failing to represent the Northwest community and for failing our children who now have to go to school in the shadow of a methadone clinic.

* Current Roanoke, Va. City Council Members Sherman Lea, Brian Wishneff should be commended for their strong stand against the Hershberger Road methadone clinic.

* The Roanoke SCLC will ask Roanoke City Council to revoke the business license of CRC Healthgroup to operate the Hershberger Road methadone clinic when the clinic becomes a "bad neighbor." It is the position of the Roanoke SCLC that Roanoke City Government gave CRC it's business license illegally, given that CRC Healthgroup obtained their business license to operate its methadone clinic in bad faith.

* In spite of our differences with Roanoke City Government, SCLC will continue to meet with members of Roanoke City Government to find a suitable location for the methadone clinic.

* The community will be educated about clinic clients who are considered threats to the community by any and all means available.

* The Roanoke SCLC supports the community in legal action against the clinic. The Roanoke SCLC asks the community to contribute money to community groups who take valid legal action against the clinic. The Roanoke SCLC will join the community in peaceful, nonviolent picketing of the methadone clinic when it opens. We also ask the community to continue to boycott businesses associated with the methadone clinic. Businesses currently being boycotted are Valley Cleaners and ADT Security Systems.

* The Roanoke, Va. SCLC will not support nor will allow racist economic development to take place in Northwest Roanoke, Va. The Hershberger Road methadone clinic is racist economic development.

THE ROANOKE SCLC and www.jeffartis.com THANKS YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT.

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jeff@jeffartis.com

THE METHADONE CLINIC CONTROVERSY:

WHAT IS THIS FIGHT REALLY ABOUT?

    
     National Specialty Clinics, the original company that wanted to place a methadone clinic on Hershberger Road in Northwest Roanoke, Va. was sold on 1/5/04. NSC was bought out by CRC Healthgroup, the parent corporation of Life Center of Galax. CRC is the company that tried and failed to put a methadone clinic in Roanoke County, Va. CRC Healthgroup is now the company trying to open a methadone clinic on Hershberger Road. The Hershberger Road clinic will be run by former National Specialty Clinics staffers. 

     CRC's purchase NSC was a merger. CRC did not have to go through the business license process again, though the business license of NSC had expired. Under law, CRC was allowed a grace period to renew the license. Any new legislation or ordinances passed by city or state government after November 1, 2003 have no bearing on the clinic's operations since the clinic was given it's original business license before any new legislation or ordinances went into effect. However, the clinic will be subject to any and all ordinances, laws, and regulations at the Federal, State and Local levels regarding its operation and adverse impact on the neighborhood. Because of the merger, NSC's business license was simply transferred to CRC.

     At first, Virginia House of Delegate member Onzlee Ware has worked with the Northwest community to help resolve this controversy. However, Delegate Ware now says the clinic will open on Hershberger Road and the community needs to make the best out of bad situation. To date, Roanoke City Council and Roanoke City Government led by Roanoke City Manager, Darlene Burcham say there is nothing the city can do to stop CRC from opening the methadone clinic in Northwest Roanoke. The Roanoke SCLC strongly disagrees with this assessment.   

     The controversy over the methadone clinic started in late October 2003, when National Specialty Clinics, (NSC), of Nashville, Tenn. was able to get a business license from the City of Roanoke, Va. to open a methadone clinic at 3208 Hershberger Road, NW. This location is in Roanoke's Black community. To say Roanoke's Black community was and still is upset about the dumping of a methadone clinic in our community would be an understatement. Given the past business practices of NSC, it is clear that NSC engaged in economic racism in finding a location for their clinic. NSC came to Roanoke looking for a location for their methadone clinic where the zoning laws were the weakest and least likely to be enforced. In Roanoke, Va. this location is in Roanoke's Black community. NSC, now a part of CRC Healthgroup denies any claim of racism in their business decisions.  

     Roanoke's Black community's was and is equally angry toward Roanoke City Government in this situation. Roanoke City Government appears to have sold out its Black community. How? First, by failing to do a proper investigation into the business practices of NSC. According to a 12/7/03 article in The Roanoke Times Newspaper by Laurence Hammack, NSC, now a part of CRC Healthgroup, was sited for 64 violations at six of the methadone clinics it runs in West Virginia. These violations include too many patients assigned to counselors, inadequate treatment plans, incomplete record keeping, insufficient training for some employees, and failure to investigate complaints about possible misuse of methadone by its patients. These concerns were voiced to Roanoke City officials a month earlier. These officials said there was nothing to worry about, that these concerns were being exaggerated. 

     How else did Roanoke City Government sell out its Black community? Second, for trying to scapegoat and attempting to place the blame for NSC getting its original business license on the shoulders of Commissioner of Revenue Sherman Holland, a Black elected official. Third, by failing, until July, to work with Roanoke's Black community to find a suitable location for NSC's methadone clinic. Fourth, by Roanoke, Va. City Manager Darlene Burcham, who appears to have put potential tax revenues from the methadone clinic over the well being of Roanoke's Black community. Ms. Burchan has met with NSC. I was told this meeting involved NSC getting it's paperwork in order so it could open. NSC has confirmed this meeting. Burcham has also been attending meetings sponsored by Roanoke's drug treatment community. Burcham has yet to meet with SCLC membership on this controversy.  

     The Roanoke SCLC is not against methadone clinics. We are against the location of this one. A methadone clinic needs to be in a secure hospital setting. In addition, there is a federal program called The Enhanced Use Lease Program which would allow this very clinic to relocate on the grounds of the Veteran's Administration Hospital in Salem, Va., less than 5 miles away. This program has been used at several VA Hospitals nationwide to treat veterans and non-veterans who suffer from drug addiction. An article by Dr. Reginald Shariff of Radford University appeared on the roanoke.com website explaining this program in fine detail. I have read about the program in detail. This would create a win/win situation for everyone involved. However, the Salem VA has said no to this proposal. SCLC has also offered other possible locations for the methadone clinic to Roanoke City Government and CRC Healthgroup. 

     Again, we are not against methadone clinics. We are against the location of this one. The location of this methadone clinic is within three blocks of three public schools. Two of these schools can be seen clearly from the parking lot of the clinic. The methadone clinic is within close proximity of 8 public schools. In addition, the clinic is less than one hundred yards from a youth center currently being built by a neighborhood church. We also feel a methadone clinic does not need to be in a residential neighborhood nor in a burgeoning business area, as is the case in Northwest Roanoke. Five years ago, businesses would not relocate or build in this area. That has changed. However, we must ask ourselves how future economic development will be impacted once a methadone clinic moves into the area? After all, what new business would want to relocate to an area or build in an area that has a methadone clinic in the general vicinity? 

     We have voiced our concerns about this clinic to the appropriate people in Roanoke City Government. Their response has been that the city is against the location of methadone clinic. However, City Council members have said the city does not want to get involved in a lawsuit by NSC, now a part of CRC Healthgroup, against the city for refusing to issue a business license for the methadone clinic or revoking the license from the clinic.

     What's interesting is the very same thing that is happening in Roanoke, Va. has happened in Roanoke County, Va. CRC Healthgroup, the parent corporation for the Life Center of Galax and of NSC, wanted to put a methadone clinic there. Roanoke County Government issued a business license to CRC. The citizens of Roanoke County let their feelings be known. Roanoke County Government decided to fight the company that wanted to put a methadone clinic in that community. CRC changed its mind and dropped its fight against the Roanoke County Board of Supervisors, saying a legal fight would be bad for business. Again, NSC has been bought out by CRC Healthgroup, the company that tried and failed to put a methadone clinic in Roanoke County. The sale was announced January 5, 2004.

     Con men have a term for what happened on January 5, 2004 with the sale of NSC to CRC. It's called a Bait and Switch. As far as the Northwest community is concerned this action should be called a Racist Bait and Switch. CRC and NSC claimed that they did not work together in trying to get a methadone clinic in the Roanoke Valley, that one day the two companies just decided to join forces. The Roanoke SCLC feels otherwise. After all, anyone who knows anything about the merger of two companies knows that these things take months to put together. Company mergers just don't happen.

     In our opinion, National Specialty Clinics did their job well. Their job was to take a public relations hit concerning the opening of their methadone clinic in Northwest Roanoke, identify all of the opposition to the clinic, identify the tactics the opposition planned to use to stop the opening of the clinic and then be bought out by CRC; a classic Bait and Switch.

     Why is this a Racist Bait and Switch? It's simple. CRC knows that the zoning laws in Northwest Roanoke, Va. are the weakest in the city. CRC also knows those zoning laws are less likely to be enforced. In addition, the same reasons CRC gave for deciding not to open a methadone clinic in predominately White Roanoke County, Va. do not apply to the opening of a methadone clinic in Black Northwest Roanoke, Va. One of the reasons CRC gave for not opening a methadone clinic in Roanoke County was they didn't want to be a bad neighbor, that being a bad neighbor was not good for business. This is clearly a racist double standard that we will not stand for. Again, CRC Healthgroup denies any claims of racist business practices.

     Opening this clinic at it's current location is a disaster waiting to happen. Who's going to suffer most when this disaster happens? My neighbors, the neighborhood pastors, the school children attending schools near the methadone clinic and the neighborhood businessmen trying to run legitimate businesses near and around the methadone clinic. We will not allow this to happen. If this clinic ever opens, our goal is to shut it down and force it to relocate. We will shut this clinic down through nonviolent peaceful protest by any means necessary. The Roanoke SCLC thanks you for your support.

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