By JoAnn Hellmann

In September IDIPIC went to Island County to reapply for 2010 funding. The director did not say, “More, please.” The director understood times were financially tough. Two of the commissioners were there, spoke highly of IDIPIC’s work, and smiled.

All seemed good until a few weeks later six elected officials made budget demands and things got all shook up. On the top of the list was the demand the county cut all “non-essential functions” like an “impaired driving prevention program.”

IDIPIC was not mad at “the six,” after all they were doing what they felt was necessary. And they made other suggestions to the county to help with the current financial fiasco. Some even said they would donate $250 to IDIPIC. While that is appreciated it’s stop-gap and not realistic to expect that $250 from a few elected officials will fix this.

Contrary to what you may have read in your local newspaper, government agencies can get funding beyond the county level. For example, police departments can get federal and state grants to help them with their cost of dealing with crime.

The part of the story the powers that be seem to be overlooking is this:

The courts routinely require people to attend an impaired driving impact panel; specifically in Island County, IDIPIC. It costs the court nothing; even the triplicate form used is paid for by IDIPIC.

Now that you have the facts from one of the “non-essential function” folks, you see that:

1. Many of our counties see DUI panels as essential by having government agencies run them.

2. The courts here see our DUI impact panel as essential by ordering offenders to attend.

3. Island County has a well-run panel nearly 10 years old that costs the county a fraction of others.

4. This panel has saved the county about $250,000 through the years.

But that’s only money. What makes IDIPIC truly essential is that it is working tirelessly and quite cost-effectively to save lives.

Every time someone attends IDIPIC, that’s maybe a DUI that doesn’t happen here someday.

Or a student who’s had the eye-opening experience of one of IDIPIC’s school programs, and doesn’t need to be rushed to the hospital due to alcohol poisoning. That surely costs the county far more than the $2,400 it is planning to cut from its current support to this community service organization. Most assuredly, IDIPIC is saving the county and the taxpayers money from the costs of police and emergency response, and maybe more, like DUI trials and jail time.

What IDIPIC is hoping for is that the county makes a now fully informed and favorable reconsideration regarding funding to IDIPIC.

If you feel that the county should not take away that which gives so much to so many for so little, and that lives very well are being spared because of IDIPIC’s work, please email your county commissioners not to reduce IDIPIC funding or to at least reduce it minimally for 2010: angieh@co.island.wa.us; H.Price_Johnson@co.island.wa.us; and johnd@co.island.wa.us.

Better yet, show up at its Monday, Dec. 7 budget hearing, where the board will take comments from the public. Please call 679-7354 for the time as it has not yet been set.

Safer kids, safer roads with your support … and the county’s.

JoAnn Hellmann is executive director if IDIPIC, the Impaired Driving Impact Panel of Island County.