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The Weekly Stash Newsletter “ Investigating the human condition”

Date: 3/26 ~ 4/2 2010 Volume 1, Issue 2

“My interview with one of H2otowns most

SYNOPSIS: prolific pharmaceutical entrepreneurs"

Watertown has seen an It was about 1:30am when I met the “Shoot, she was a junkie first rate. She died
increase of drug use gentlemen in a secluded area down on the when I was ten.” I pass along my
and an epidemic of
addiction, the shores of the black river. I promised I condolences and he just
availability of hard wouldn’t reveal his name so smiles at me with a
drugs is so prevalent we will call him “G.” He crooked grin as he
that prices are agreed to this interview for sidesteps a mud puddle .
dropping and the
Jefferson county jail is two reasons. 1.) I used to be There is a part of me that
practically at capacity. one of his friends biggest wants to tell him all the
What is it about our customers when I was using problems I’ve had with
sleepy little burg that and 2.) He tells me he actually drugs, and how it’s dealers
draws so many dealers,
and creates even feels bad sometimes when he like him that made life so
more? We did the leg thinks about all the lives in difficult, for so long. But I
work to get you the this town that he has helped to decide that I want to ask him
story. ruin. “ I mean the kids, man. more important questions,
The older people are making so discretion is the better
up their own minds. But the part of valor, at this point. “
kids of those people, the Watertown’s Your not from here right;
ones who buy shit from me; Epidemic so how did you come to
They get their minds made sell stuff up here?” At first
up for them. Then their parents sell all the he shrugged his shoulders, scuffing the
shit from the house ; and the kids go with pavement with his gleaming white Nike
out while mommies in the closet with the uptowns. Then he began to fill me in. “ See, I
stem.” He is shaking his head.as he say this had this fiend that lived on the block back
like he could will the picture that he most home in the city, He tells me that a n******
likely has in his mind, of a little kid sitting in can make mad loot up here. He yells me that
an empty living room while mom and dad for dope you can get (3) to (4) times more
are in the bathroom for hours at a time. I up here for what you can back home. So me
ask him why he deals, it if it makes him feel and a couple of my boys we take a ride up
that way. “Gotta get mine though.” He tells here last summer and we got us a hotel
me. We start to walk slowly and he begins room. Then we just went out to the club and
to tell me that he has seen the same thing as scoped it out. We met this fiend (drug
blogtalkradio.com/grid lock
those kids in the empty living room. “ Your addict) ………. (continued…….
8pm Mon/Tues/Thur/ LIVE! mom was hooked on drugs? I ask him.
 …..) and she put us on to this dude. We
made us a deal with him that we make sure
he’s taken care of and he does all the hand to
hands for us .
I notice that he is fumbling around in his
pocket for something, then I hear it, it’s his
phone, on vibrate. He looks at it and tells me
he’s got to take this call and steps away from
Tel: 315-782-2002 me. I make sure that I walk far enough away
Mobile: 315-523-6143
:theweeklystash@usa.com
so I don’t hear what he’s talking about. As I
light up a cigarette I notice the glint of moon
light reflecting off the glass laden surface of
the mighty black. I flash back to being a kid,
jumping the fence across the street from
Art’s Jug so we could get to the service
catwalk, and cross over to the water street
tussle. We used to go there as kids and
explore the abandoned warehouses. I’m
reminded of how much Watertown has
changed. In those days we didn’t mother’s
selling their body for a crack hit or people
overdosing on heroin at a stop light. We
didn’t have the population that we have now
either. Nor did we have the rate of
unemployment due to the level of unskilled
population. Seems like even though we have
She is seventeen, on her a comparable amount of manufacturing and
own, pregnant, And has
been addicted to cocaine a developing diversity in the range of
for almost two years. employment available, we still don’t offer
much in the way of job training for those
that are permanent residents. I digress, and I
notice “G” is off the phone now and walking
back to where I’m standing. “ listen bro, we
got to speed this up, I got places to be” I nod
my head and toss out my cigarette, expelling
Manufacturer’s of a plume of smoke. “Okay man, I just have a
Suboxone r couple more questions anyway” I tell him. “ I
“community at it’s was hoping you could let me in on how the
Very best” operation works, you don’t have to be
specific just the broad strokes of it. “ Yeah,
sure, I mean it’s really no secret. We come
up here with about three or four guys we
trust from back home. We bring up about
*** coke and then we sell it as fast as we can
and get the hell out of here. Then when we
are ready to come back we bring three or
four different guys with us. So we don’t have
the same faces out there making sales to the
fiends. It seems to work on a few different
levels, it keeps the cops from recognizing the
same faces, it keeps the fiends from getting
friendly with the guys and hustling them out of
product, and it makes the guys hustle harder
so they have enough money to last them till
they can come back to make more.” He smiles
at me like he just revealed the holy grail to
me. Just then his phone rings again and this
time he doesn’t seem to require privacy so I
just wait for him to finish and he says, “ sorry
bro but I gotta go get this money” as he
reaches out for a hand shake. After our “bro
hug” I graciously tell him thank you for being
so candid, and assure him that his identity is
safe. He pulls his hood up over his head and
hunching his shoulders he strides down the
walk way where a car pulls up just as he
reaches the end. He gives me a little salute,
jumps in the front seat, and he’s gone. As I
walked back to my house I thought about what
I had learned tonight.
Watertown is flooded with hard drugs. The
people who bring the drugs here, simply do
not care if people are ruining their lives. They
see the population of Watertown as nothing
dumb hicks and “fiends.” The people that
“host” these out-of-towners actually believe
that these people are their friends. But are to
often used and disrespected in their own
homes. For the most part the self esteem is so
low and the addiction threshold or craving is
so high that they either don’t care or see it as
an even trade. They give up their dignity, take
the risk of going to jail, and are hardly
compensated for the risk they take in turn
they get the privilege of furthering their
addiction with people like “G’s” drugs. We
have so many drugs here because of several
reasons. The first being: Selling drugs in
Watertown, is easy and exaggeratedly
profitable. The price here is easily three to five
time as much as it is, even in Syracuse. That
kind of profit brings the captains of the
industry to the area………..Continued.

The Business of Addiction
The practice of addiction treatment facilities in the Watertown New
York area, of “cutting short” the treatment of addicts, at precisely the
same time as their insurance runs out, is reprehensible and detrimental
to the well being of the patient. In Watertown, there is a pervasive
practice of manipulating addicts while they are most vulnerable. There
is the common instances of coercing those with manageable addiction
issues, into entering unnecessarily into in-patient treatment facilities.
Then there is the “get even” attitudes of some addiction professionals.
For instance, if the person seeking treatment should have the audacity
to retain independent thought, and wish to take part in structuring his
or her own treatment; they are treated as though they are incapable of
co-managing their own care. While being presented with an attitude
that is both callus and arrogant. According to OASAS, NIDA, and the
International Center for Advancement in Addiction Treatment, (all of
which are the foremost authorities on Addiction) The single most de-
cisive factor in creating a comprehensive recovery program that is suc-
cessful and permanent, is essentially empowering the patients in their
own healing process. However, it seems that in our region, some ad-
diction professionals are more concerned with being right, not having
their authority challenged, and filling the beds of in-patient treatment
facilities. They have struck up a symbiotic relationship with these facil-
ities, with the goal of “hording“ patients and their Medicaid insurance
payments. Instead of treating the patient with dignity and respect, they
are treated as a means of cash flow. Regardless of the well being of the
patient, they are coerced into treatment solely for the collection of
Medicaid funds. This practice ignores the welfare of the patient and
focuses only on the extrication of dollar amounts from the Medicaid
program. This is happening everyday at the Samaritan Behavioral
Health out-patient care facility on outer Washington street in Water-
town. There is a sense of indifference toward the concerns and input
from patients. There is an attitude of superiority, where every addict is
looked at as unintelligent yet manipulative. There is also the intoler-
ance of independent thought. If a patient has his or her own beliefs
concerning spirituality, the disease model of addiction, or the manner
in which he or she would like to address their issues. They are treated
with distain not only by staff but by other patients at the goading of
staff. I have personally been told by staff, “if you do not find god then
you will never stay clean.” This of course is the opinion of a single staff
member and not the entire program. However, this demonstrates the
lack of respect for independent beliefs, and the audacity of staff. This is
a problem that needs the attention of someone who can enforce state
policy. And see through the staging of administration.
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Tel: 315-782-2002
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……...From page 1
The second reason is the ease at which dealers
can operate in this town. They don’t stand out
on street corners and flag down cars here. They
sit in a house and play Playstation while they
have their “fiends” run all over town selling
their dope for them. Then it’s just a matter of
sitting back and collecting the money. Another
reason, more to the heart of the problem is of
course demand. Watertown has 13% addiction
rate to go along with about a whopping 19%
user rate. Let break that down. According to
the National Institutes for Drug Addiction,
Watertown has approximately 4,300 persons
addicted to either cocaine, heroin, or a mixture
of drugs that include methamphetamine, psy-
chedelics, marijuana, and assorted pills, that if I
named them all, would take up the entire page.
According to that same study, Watertown has
an additional 1000 users of drugs. These are
people that admit to using but have never
sought any form of medical care due to their
usage. Now here is where it gets stunning. Wa-
tertown’s population in 2008 was 27,310. That
is nearly 1/5th of the population.
Watertown has little or no activities for our
children of low income. There is practically no
community activities geared toward troubled
neighborhoods, we used to have playgrounds
that had activities in the summer. Or at least
the programs that are in place are not well
advertised. And there is hardly any employ-
ment opportunities or training for those that
are unable to qualify for loans. It is as if our
community has lost all sense of responsibility
to each other. If there is no hope of ever elevat-
ing oneself out of poverty then medication of
the soul seems like an attractive alternative to
the feelings of inadequacy and shame that are
so prevalent in our community today. We have
no more outrage at the condition of our broth-
ers and sisters. It is hope that wakes the tired
eyes in mornings of discontent and allows us to
not only “get by” but thrive on the challenges
that life has in store. When we allow our com-
munity to become stagnant, and it’s people to
fall on the way side, we allow the same for our
moral convictions. Soon we become as stone.
Unmoved by the plight of others,. unfazed. We
haven't got the time. Between episodes of “Jersey
shore” and our dedication to our gadgets. We con-
vince ourselves that someone else will help them.
When we decide collectively to commit the selfless
act of concern, and when we can look past our
stereotypes, prejudices, and assumptions, we
are truly helping ourselves become the person
that we wish we were. In turn, making the com-
mitment to uplifting your community as a means of
insuring that your family has a community that of-
fer's the best chance possible for its residents to not
only survive but flourish, with each person having
the opportunity to reach their unlimited potential.
By…...Joey Spencer
Silver7s Foundation was founded with the principle The First Annual Meeting Of The
that individualized addiction treatment, allows the Silver7s Foundation ~~ The meeting
addict to be more comfortable with the idea of what schedule is tentatively set for 7pm on
recovery is, and it also allows the empowerment of
inclusiveness. In creating his/her own recovery
Wednesday April 21st. This is a strategy
program, they became invested in their own future, session for completing the non-profit
while bolstering their sense of self. It also produces a status paper work. This is also chance to
more invested participation. We are opposed to any bring up ideas for public notice of our
treatment that requires the addict to surrender there services. Snacks and drinks will be
will and life over to the care of anything other than
available. Please confirm your attend-
themselves. We are not subscribers to the theory that
addiction is an incurable life long disease. These are ance with Joey Spencer. 315-523-6143
poisonous ideals, coercive and destructive in their The meeting will take place at:
practice. And Proven to be unsuccessful. 173 E. main street apt# 1
We are dedicated to helping addicts gain the Watertown ny 13601.
knowledge, confidence, support, and finances, in order
to get comprehensive treatment, for the individual.
Instead of manipulating the addict to change any life
long belief systems.
We hope to accomplish this through our research into
behavioral modification technics, medication as need-
ed, group counseling, and positive reinforcement
through family involvement and/or group activities.
The financial aspect will be administered through
donations, grants or endowments.
We would greatly appreciate any support.
Donations to be made out to:

The Silver7s Foundation

173 E. Main Street
Watertown NY 13601
Ph. 315-782-2002
Fax. 315-658-4751
Email: silver7s@live.com

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