With arrival of fall, list of concerns arise

Officially, we’re 11 days from the fall season and if you’re not a football enthusiast you don’t have much to look forward to. America, and the rest of the world, is waiting for an anticipated outbreak of swine flu, or as it’s officially known, the H1N1 virus. Also on the fall horizon are health care concerns – will we have universal coverage or not – a Virginia employment outlook that’s stagnant and the upcoming state election for governor.

When the Centers for Disease Control sent out alerts late last winter, most of us thought there’d be ample vaccines available for distribution by the start of flu season. We now know it won’t happen.

Manufacturers are working overtime but can’t make dosages fast enough for nationwide distribution, so vaccinations will be prioritized. Health care professionals, emergency personnel, mothers-to-be, seniors, schoolchildren from pre- to college-aged are to be vaccinated first.

In the meantime, the best prevention is what our mother’s have taught us for years: if you’re ill and coughing or sneezing, do so into your blouse or shirtsleeves. Wash your hands with soap and water or use hand sanitizer at every opportunity and stay home.

As for the coming health care battle, maybe the fall season with its falling temperatures will also reduce the noise and rancor of town hall meetings. Critics of President Barack Obama and the congressional Democrats (who penned the health care proposals) have carried the day so far.

Because Obama wants a government-offered option to compete with private insurers, the far right have gone ballistic. His detractors call him evil incarnate, from a socialist to Hitler. Many town hall protesters have argued (and believe) the government-run coverage will determine whether seniors receive care, and may even result in some being left to die.

Obama’s defenders wish that he had presented, before last night’s address to Congress, more details and in simple terms exactly what he wants the government option to provide. They also want him to stop trying to reach across the political aisle to get consensus. The oddity is that most conservatives and liberals agree; health care needs fixing.

If I could advise the president, I’d suggest lowering the age of eligibility to receive Medicare with the added stipulation that each recipient pay for services according to his or her ability to do so. Children and expectant mothers already are covered by expanded coverage Obama signed back in February.

As for employment or the lack thereof, I think Republicans in the Virginia General Assembly will regret their decision to refuse federal dollars for extended unemployment benefits.

Before unemployed parents see their children and families suffering because state unemployment benefits stop, they’ll do whatever is necessary to provide food and shelter for them. It’s the “whatever is necessary” our elected leaders should be thinking of and then reconsider the money they turned down.

Last, there’s the election of our next governor. I’m a state employee, so my only advice is for each voter and potential one to do his or her homework on the issues, and vote!

Nelson Graves, of Augusta County, is a columnist for The News Virginian. E-mail him at