Crime down, giving up & Medicaid cuts

THUMBS UP TO:

Crime decrease in Bristol, Va., and Tenn.

Crime is down on both sides of the state line, more dramatically in Bristol, Tenn., and continuing a five-year trend. This includes the most serious crimes, such as rape, robbery and aggravated assault.

Police department reports show a slight increase in some monetary crimes, such as theft and theft from vehicles.

But overall, police departments in both Bristols report an overall decline in violent crime over the past five years.

This is an excellent trend and one we hope continues.

Charitable effort by Mellow Mushroom

Niswonger Children’s Hospital, part of the Johnson City Medical Center, will celebrate its first anniversary in its new, family-centered facility March 2. The Mellow Mushroom Restaurant on North Roan Street in Johnson City, Tenn., is participating in the celebration and will donate 15 percent of all sales from March 1-7 to Niswonger Children’s Hospital.

The efforts stem from the personal experience of Ryan Mathesius, co-owner of the Johnson City location. His nephew recently spent a couple of weeks at the Niswonger Children’s Hospital and he decided to have the fundraiser to raise awareness for the facility and its staff.

The restaurant also plans a Kids’ Night event March 1 from 5-7 p.m. to start the celebration. Children ages 12 and younger will receive a free soft drink.

We give a big thumbs up to the Niswonger Children’s Hospital, which focuses on the needs of its youngest patients, and to the local Mellow Mushroom, which opened earlier this month and already has a charitable focus for the region.

THUMBS DOWN TO:

Higher speed limit, no clear reasoning

A bill to raise the speed limits on some Virginia highways from 65 mph to 70 mph ripped through the General Assembly and is headed to Gov. Bob McDonnell’s desk. The House of Delegates, without discussion, voted 76-22 to pass the measure, which McDonnell supports. The problem? Increasing the speed limit always leads to increased accidents and injury.

The aim is a good one – to move people and goods faster along some routes where the higher speed limit could make sense. Where exactly the speed limit will be raised will be determined by transportation officials, after conducting traffic-safety studies. This will be in areas that already have a 65 mph speed limit.

Some legislators opposed the higher limits, saying there was no reason to increase speeds. Others said the legislation doesn’t compel anyone to drive 70 mph. For safety’s sake and moving with the flow of traffic, it must. And do you want to get caught behind a person who is either afraid or thinks the higher speed limit doesn’t apply to them?

Medicaid cuts hurt doctors, system

We told you continued Medicaid cuts were a bad idea in an editorial published more than two weeks ago, but the idea keeps lumbering through the Virginia General Assembly because there are no easy answers in a state with a $2 billion budget hole. Earlier this week, Virginia doctors warned that continued cuts to the state’s Medicaid budget will put health care access for those patients at risk.

The doctors warned that if the Medicaid program is cut 4 percent to 5 percent as proposed, a recent survey indicates that as many as 75 percent of doctors might limit the number of Medicaid patients they see, or eliminate them altogether. It’s self-preservation for physicians and their practices, according to Dr. Daniel Carey, president of the Medical Society of Virginia, who spoke at a news conference Tuesday.

Refusal to treat patients will drive more to the emergency rooms of hospitals, which drives up medical costs for everyone.

Virginia, which is ranked 48 for Medicaid reimbursement rates in the nation, must find a way to better care for the poorest in society, while also fairly reimbursing medical professionals for their care.