4A The Mountain Messenger, Thursday, August 16,1990
+
by Senator Jay Rockefeller I
Working for
West Virginia+
RURAl+ HEALTH DIVIDENDS
II too often when 1 visit
heahh care centers, clinics
and hospitals in our state's rural
areas, 1 hear the sad refrain that
they cannot recruit enough doc-
tors, nurses and other health care
practitioners.
This is a complex problem
rural communities have long had.
The National Health Service
Corps program helped by placing
approximately 36 doctors annual-
ly in rural parts of our state. Un-
fortunately, the program has been
virtually eliminated under the
pressures of the past two
Republican administrations,
severely curtailing heahh care ac-
cess in isolated communities. Now
only three or four doctors are
placed each year.
loan program of the National
Health Service Corps.
Studies show that doctors and
nurses are more likely to practice
in rural communities if they
themselves are from a rural area
or have been exposed to a rural
setting during their training. By in-
vesting in talented local students,
'Studies show that doc-
tors and nurses are more
likely to practice in rural
communities if they
themselves are from a
rural area...'
Something must be done
about this health care crisis. That's
why l am enormously pleased that
a bill I cosponsored addressing the
problem was recently approved by
the Senate. Under the bill, local
communities would be assisted in
taking an active role in recruiting
health care providers. Coin-
muniues would be eligible for
federal matching funds to send
local residents to medical school,
nursing school or to receive phym-
clan assistant training. In return,
the Rural Health Care Provider
Recruitment and Education Act of
1990 requires the student to com-
mit to practicing in the area for
two to four years. The program
would be administered by the state
rural communities would real) the
dividends of having available
health care providers.
The Rural Health Care Pro-
vider bill builds on the successful
foundation of the National Health
Service Corps program. A similar
program, the Educational Seed for
Physicians, is at work in Wayne
County. Since its creation in 1978,
11 students have received financial
assistance for their medical train-
ing in return for a commitment to
practice in rural West Virginia for
at least five years. Ttfe Rural
Health Care Provider bill could
enable this model to be duplicated
all across rural America, and pro-
vide desperately needed health
care providers for West Virginia.
The Mountain Messen
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Big issues, some age-old, face us today.
The Mountain Messenger
Encourages you to
Let us know how you feel about:
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Your opinion is as important as ours.
It is through sensible discussion that we
grow and learn.
By Mary Pearl Compton erty in West Virginia this
The Second Extraordinary Ses- tremely necessary. The I~
sion of the West Virginia Legislature
ended just a few short weeks ago.
Since that time I have had a chance
to reflect on what took place during
the session. After overlooking all the
bills that passed, I believe that even
though the Legislature had a num-
ber of problems to cover in a short
time that we managed to accomplish
many of the tasks at hand.
One of the many concerns of the
Legislature during the special ses-
sion was trying to fix the "injured"
Workers' Compensation Fund. Al-
though all the problems of the Fund
could not be totally repaired during a
short special session, or with the
passing of one bill, I believe the pas-
sage of House Bill 213, The Work-
ers' Compensation Bill, put the Fund
on the road to recovery.
Some of the amendments to
Workers' Compensation contained
in House Bill 213 were: 1) transfer-
ring $250 million from the Black
Lung Fund to the Workers' Compen-
sation Fund, however the Workers'
Compensation Commissioner can
only use the investment interest
earned on this money. 2) creating
certain incentives so injured workers
will return to work. In~urea employ-
ees can return to work on a trial
basis w~th suspension of benefits.
but if they realize they are unable to
handle the job they can stop work-
ing and still receive benefits. Reha-
bilitation programs will also oe set
up so that injured workers will be
able to return to work faster. 3) part-
t+me workers wil be encouraged to
return to "work as soon as possible
because they will no longer receive
the same lost wage benefits as full-
time workers. 4) there will be stiffer
criminal penalties for people who
obtain or try to obtain benefits from
the Workers' Compensation Fund
through deception
Another important bill that
passed was Senate Bill 15. This bil
set up the West Virgmm Disaster
Recovery board and fund. I believe
in the wake of the floods that have
destroyed so many lives and ;)roo-
Recovery Board,
members, one the
and one being the
Department of Public
give out money from the
Recovery Trust Fund,
any money received throL
and/or private donations
which need assistance
ter.
The bill also says that
may serve on a board or
sion while collecting their
benefits and early
tive option if they do not
salary. However, if a
to receive a salary they
ceive their benefits but
receive their incentive
they finish serving on the
commission.
Senate Bill 8 and
transferred surplus moneYt
agencies to allow for a
ptoyee pay raise. The
use this money and
their accounts to give
$1008 pay increase. I
pay raise will be very
state employees,
who were paid tess than
year.
As your representative
you informed of what is
w the West Virginia
also value your views,
have comments or
call me.
The Legislature also
which cleared up terms
retired public employees
the state and work on
commissions. Senate
that any public employee
ceived early retirement
any type of employment
state or even work on
basis with the state
period of time is less than
or the salary is under
ever, the Executive
Public Employee
can make exceptions
cases.
Dear Editor:
Almost every day l read a
story about someone destroying
Old Glory. Perhaps the ultimate
punishment for such criminal
behavior would be to send them
to a history class, where they
could be instructed in the long
history of our nation and its flag.
The story of the Stars and
Stripes is the story of the nation
itself, the evolution of the flag is
symbolic of the evolution of our
free institutions and its develop-
ment into the greatest nation on
earth.
The first publi reference to
the flag was published March
10, 1774. A Boston newspaper
ran this brief poem to the flag:
A ray of bright ~glory now
beams from afar,
Blest drawn of an empire to
rise,
The American ensign now
sparkles a star,
Which shall shortly flame
wide through the skies.
In Taunton, MassachuSets, a
flag was unfurled in 1774 which
carried the British Jack in the
Canton, and was combined with
a solid red with the words "Lib-
erty and Union" printed on it.
The famous Rattlesnake flag
carried by the Minutemen in
1775 showed 13 red and white
stripes with a rattlesnake embla-
zoned across it and the warning
words "Don't tread on me.'"
After July 4, 1776, the people
of the colonies felt the need of a
national flag to symtxJlize their
new spirit of unity and inde-
pendence. Congress, on June 14,
1777, adopted the following
resolution: "Resolved that the
flag of the 13 United States be 13
stripes, alternate red and white,
that the union be 13 stars, white
on a blue field."
The significance of the colors
was defined thus, "white sigm-
ties purity and innocence; red,
hardiness and valo:; blue, vig-
ilance, perseverance and jus-
tice." Betsy Ross, a flag maker of
Philadelphia, is credited with
having made the first flag.
On Mav 1, our flag was
changed to 15 stripes and stars
with the inclusion of Vermont
and Kentucky into the Union. It
was this flag that was so gal-
lantly streaming over Fort McH-
enry when Francis Scott Key
wrote "The Star Spangled Ban-
ul
r|er.
Throughout the United States,
at U. S. bases overseas, at Ameri-
can Embassies, United States
Marines perform the official
honors to the American Flag.
Around the globe the Stars and
Stripes fly at more than 500 sta-
tions where Marines are on
duty,
The Stars and Strips that flew
over Pearl Harbor December 7,
1941, rippled aboye the Big
Three Conference at Potsdam,
This same flag was flying over
the White House. August 14,
1945 when the Japanese ac-
cepted the terms of surrender.
The famous picture of Marines
raising the flag on lwo Jima was
taken by a Marine photographer,
and later used as a model for a
monument in Arlington, Vir-
ginia a memorial to the U.S.
Marine Corps. The flag flies
there day and night by order of
President John F. Kennedy.
My heart is torn a little when I
read another story of someone
who tears, tarnishes, or destroys
the flag we fly so proudly as
Americans. I still hear the words
as 1 stare proudly at Old Glory:
"O, say can you see by the
da wn's early ligh t
What so proudly we hailed at
the twilight's last gleaming?
Whose broad stripes and
bright stars, through the peril-
ous fight,
O'er the ramparts we
watched were so gallantly
streaming.
And the rockets' red glare, the
bombs bursting in mr,
Gave proof through the night
that our flag was still there.
O, say does that star-spangled
banner yet wave over the land of
the free and home of the brave?"
Stephen W. Snuffer
Cool Ridge
Dear Editor:
I would like to respond to the
letter from Richard Ettelson that
appeared in the August 9 edition
of your newspaper. He proposes
that the management focus of
the ]efferson National Forest
(JNF) be changed from timber to
recreation due to "below-cost
timber sales." I do not agree. The
"below-cost" term is very mis-
leading, and the JNF is by law
managed for multiple-use with
no single management focus.
The ]NF sells timber on a
competitive bid basis. While
they could probably do it more
efficiently, it will always cost
them more than a private land-
owner. Numerous specialists ex-
amine the site, over 32 laws are
considered, and elaborate docu-
mentation is prepared all to pro-
tect the environment. Many ad-
ministrative costs not related to
the sale are included. Programs
such as wildlife and recreation
are often subsidized by timber
sales.
Timber is sold "below-cost"
on paper due to faulty a.ccount-
ing. Many resulting benefits
(such as wildlife habitat diver-
sity) cannot be quantified. The
timber sales program is one of
the few government programs
anywhere that provides a direct
return to the U. S. Treasury. And
25 % of the gross receipts are re-
turned to the county for roads
and schools.
Mr. Ettelson states that "re-
ducing the amount of clearcut-
ting will reduce the amount of
money being lost." Why
clearcutting? It is the most eco-
nomically efficient method of
timber harvesting. It provides
valuable habitat diversity and is
usually the optimum method of
oak regeneration.
Change to a recreation focus?
The "below-cost" situation
would be much worse. National
Parks exist for this purpose. The
JNF is managed for multiple-
use; recreation and timber har-
vesting are not mutually exclu-
sive. I believe the public interest
is best served by the wise use
and conservation of our re-
,sources, not preservation.
Sincerely,
Jay Farrell
Maxwelton
Dear Editor:.
It is alwavs the same pathetic,
heartbreaking scene we see on
TV as the "Special Reports (not
"Bulletin" any more) come
crashing at us with their awe-
some and terrible news.
It never gets any easier seeing
the young man and his sweet-
heart or wife in a last embrace -
before he goes off to what might
be another Vietnam. But we do
know what this one is all about -
that precious thing called oil.
Thousands of lives must be lost -
because of oil. It seems that most
of us are more concerned about
the high cost of gasoline than the
high cost in lives to gas up the
fast cars for more movies like
"Days of Thunder."
There will most likely be
enough thunder and violence
and obscenities as the battle
lines are drawn and the body
bags are made ready. Doctors
tell us to walk, walk and walk
and the joggers are jogging and
runners running and cars run-
ning on solar fuel. So, can't we
live without oil from other coun-
tries?
Wouldn't it be better to try
rather than send Americans to
We must make August 22 a
significant day. 1 urge every
able-bodied West Virgiman to
rneet in the Capitol Rotunda to
protest the exorbitant taxes we
are already paying, and to say
loud and clear "no more taxes!"
Don't forget August 22. Stand
and be counted before it's too
late!
Taxpayers it's up to you! If
you choose to do nothing, our
state will not survive.
George Bickham
Charleston
Dear Editor:
l believe my articles on Blue
Sulphur Springs were well re-
ceived so I'll try another: Salt
Sulphur Springs.
William Shanks was the first
owner of these springs. This
land was a grant from Virginia
in 1787 -- 595 acres. Ervin Ben-
son bought the site in 1797 but
little or nothing was done or
promoted Until Isaac Caruthers
and William Erskine married
two of the daughters of Benson.
These two men made it what it
was,
Salt Sulphur was most popu-
lar with the people of South
Carolina. A row of cottages was
kicks in the rear and
his way. Time 1864.
Beckner was placed,
house ufltil the
claimed it.
This information
me by Charles Kessin
Dale. I knew the
the particulars.
Charley md 1 had
about the of
and the Sht
went with me up
tain above the Salt
tel to the Fo~,
a tombstone was ph
ancestor of mine,
ander Clark,
Alexander
land right below the
acres) because he
before January 1,
tation passed
hands and then
Campbell Ballard"
session of it. "Little
captain in the
wasn't a small
name was placed
tinguish him from l
"Big John"
who was about 6
was my great
"Little John"
uncle.
be slaughtered once again? "Aeven named "Nullification Row"About a mile or
generation of young men who, for their pleasure, the Salt Sul ,
though they may have escaped This old hotel was used as a "Little John's' brick
its shells, were destroyed by the rest area by both northei}i~ an~t several years he
war." (quote from "All Quiet On southern armies, field to the hotel.
The Western Front").
The final degradation - young
women.., combat ready.
Sincerely,
Henry Dunn
Lewisburg
Dear Editor:.
Thank you for printing this
letter. West Virginia taxpayers
awake! The August 22 Special
Session of the Legislature is
poised to do us in again.
You can blame the Governor
as long as you have breath but
folks, it's the legislators who
vote en masse against the
people!
The burden of taxes is placed
It is not too well known but
some of our citizens made a liv-
ing by simple murder during the
War Between the States. Any
soldier or straggler who fell be-
hind was shot, stabbed and then
robbed, if an opportunity arose.
Both armies, north and south,
had a standing order that any
person caught with a firearm
along the line of march was ei-
ther hanged or shot on the spot.
One Union soldier was shot
but before the:body could be
searched and robbed, the perpe-
trators were captured. There
was a drum head trail and a Mr
Lewis Beckner was tried and
shot in front of the cliff which
was located between the bath
on the backs of those who can house and the main hotel build-
least afford it. We are facing the ing. His companion, a young
November 6 election. We mustboy of 14 or 15, was turned loose
vote only !or those who support because he had no weapons on
the people s intereSts! Only the him. The soldiers gave the boy,
voters can change West Virginia. his name was Watts, several
the "Jousting M
horse racing, cock
large part of the
place. Let's not for
ing. More duels
the "spas" in
Monroe counties
place in the south.
best kept secret of
because it was
one taking part lost
ship.
The old log
stood at the
the 40 acre field.
But, part of the old
across Indian
One additional
story Hugh Ike
field publisher
wife was returning
ington, D.C. several
plane. Engine trouble
Soo
