Letter to the Editor

The News Courier encourages letters to the editor. Submissions should be no more than 400 words and include name, address and telephone number for verification. Submissions that do not meet requirements are subject to editing. Writers are limited to one published letter every 30 days. Send letters to P.O. Box 670, Athens AL 35613 or email to adam@athensnews-courier.com. The deadlines are noon on Mondays and Wednesdays.

In favor of road fund

Dear Editor:

We all like to make progress in our lives, higher salary, new car, etc., but not all progress is positive. For instance we all progress in age, but this progress means we die.

Gov. Ivey called the gas tax progressive, and commissioners Turner, Black and Sammet thanked the legislators for passing it. Does this make them progressive? The same three commissioners have voted for economic development, thus giving your tax dollars meant for roads to big corporations and calling it progress.

The state legislators passed online sales tax, known as the Amazon tax, a whole new revenue stream for state and county and called it progress. Has any of this new revenue made it to roads? Very little, because apparently the majority of our county commissioners believe using your tax dollars on everything but roads is progressive.

The county has multiple new streams of revenue. It seems logical to put this new money into roads. From my research, only one very small stream has been put on roads, why not others?

To suggest new techniques and processes in road construction may not be as glamorous as increasing economic development, the sheriff’s budget or the like, but after all, our roads are the commissioners’ primary job.

How much common sense does it take to suggest experimenting with lowering costs on roads rather than raising taxes? Remember, our taxes are at an all time high.

Commissioner Harrison has been the only commissioner to advocate diverting these new streams of revenue to roads. He has also tried to move the $500,000 currently given to Huntsville Hospital to roads. Commissioners Black and Sammet both have horrible roads in their districts, yet they’re not seeking their share of road funding, except by raising your taxes?

I have been very interested in following the idea of a district equalization fund. I believe that my district deserves its fair share, but I also want to see more money put on roads, period.

In my understanding, Harrison’s plan lifts his, Black’s and Sammet’s road funding to an equal level with Turner’s, and once they reach equalization, all four districts would begin to receive equal road funding.

There doesn’t seem to be any negatives to this fund, as it only uses the previously mentioned new and additional funding for roads. If we want progress in our roads, we must put the money on roads, and cut the waste.

Sincerely,

Jeremy Hall

Tanner

Alabama can do better on premature birth rate

Dear Editor:

Alabama recently received an “F” from the March of Dimes for its high rate of premature births — a rate that is the second highest in the country. We can definitely do better.

According to the March of Dimes, one out of every eight Alabama babies is born early, increasing the risk of future health complications and resulting in stress for both families and our health care system. And, according to the report, while the number of premature births in Alabama had been decreasing, in the last three years it has been rising.

While there are a number of risk factors for premature birth, often early deliveries can be caused by the poor health of the mother. The National Institutes of Health includes high blood pressure and diabetes in its list of maternal conditions that place the pregnancy at risk for preterm birth. These are conditions that land Alabama at the top of many national lists, and being at the top of these lists is not a positive.

The March of Dimes report recommended a way to help Alabama overcome this problem — expand health insurance coverage. The report noted that in 2017, about one in seven women of childbearing age (14.3%) was uninsured in Alabama. These are women who don’t have access to the preventive care and medications they need. They often present to hospitals without having any prenatal care and end up delivering very sick babies. Expanding Medicaid would provide health insurance to these women and give them access to the care they need to have healthier pregnancies and healthier babies. Expansion has also been shown to reduce infant mortality. According to a study in the American Journal of Public Health, the decline in infant mortality in Medicaid expansion states was more than 50% greater than in nonexpansion states.

There are many things hospitals are doing in conjunction with physicians, the March of Dimes, the Alabama Department of Public Health, the Alabama Medicaid Agency and other stakeholder organizations to improve the health of mothers and babies. However, unless we provide the health coverage needed, many women in our state will continue to have premature births, poor birth outcomes and lasting health problems. Now is the time for us to invest in a Healthy Alabama Plan to expand access to care for everyone … an investment that would help impact the youngest and smallest Alabamians.

Sincerely,

Donald E. Williamson, MD,

President

Alabama Hospital Association