Open Records, Snacks And Savings

By Bristol Herald Courier Editorial Board

Published: June 21, 2008

THUMBS UP TO:

Protecting and saving

High gas prices haven’t just hurt household budgets; they threaten to break the bank for local governments as well. Local leaders have responded with a variety of suggestions – trimming the workforce, an abbreviated work week among them. But we give points to Bristol Virginia for adopting an innovative approach that won’t reduce the level of service provided to city residents.

The city will require its police officers to park their cars for 15 minutes of every hour and turn the engine off, rather than continuing to drive on patrol. Officers will park in visible, public spots, so their presence will provide a deterrent effect. And they’ll remain ready to answer calls for help at a moment’s notice. Good thinking.

A gentler approach to long-term care

Tennessee Gov. Phil Bredesen was in Kingsport this week for the ceremonial signing of a bill that will give more of the state’s older residents a chance to age at home rather than in a nursing home. This is a welcome change for a number of reasons.

No doubt, most of our older relatives and neighbors would prefer to stay in their homes if they can receive the help they need – everything from assistance with housekeeping to nursing visits. The structure of the state’s TennCare program, which pays for health care for the poor and disabled, had prevented such a solution. The program would pay for nursing home case but not home health care.

The other primary argument against the status quo was cost. TennCare obviously paid far more for nursing home services than it will pay for home health services. This change means the $1.2 billion the state spends on long-term care will go further.

Government, as open book

Three cheers for all who worked long and hard to improve Tennessee’s open records law, which received the governor’s signature this week. The revisions give the law some bite – by setting a deadline for compliance with open records requests. Records custodians now have just seven days to respond. In the past, local and state officials had carte blanche to drag their feet for as long as they desired. Who knows how many people simply got tired of asking?

The revised law also outlines the duties of the state’s open records ombudsman. The ombudsman will, no doubt, have plenty of work to do making sure that government officials are complying with the law.

A tasty snack for the local economy

Sullivan County leaders had reason to celebrate this week. Canadian snack maker, Leclerc Foods, announced it had purchased the former Carta Mundi playing card factory near Tri-Cities Regional Airport. Leclerc plans to hire 70 workers and to open the new plant by the end of August.

The company makes granola bars and breakfast cereal for Target and other retailers. Notably, the facility will be peanut-free – making Leclerc’s snacks safe for those in our region, including many children, who suffer from potentially fatal peanut allergies. Bravo.

THUMBS DOWN TO:

A former lawmaker’s terrible gaffe

With friends like Fred Hobbs, Sen. Barack Obama has no need of enemies. Hobbs, a former state lawmaker and member of the Tennessee Democratic Party’s Executive Committee, made a statement that Obama might have terrorist connections. He has since retracted the statement, but not before Tennessee’s Republican leadership seized it and turned it into a nifty bit of anti-Obama propaganda.
Would it be too much to ask that the presidential race stick to actual, factual matters rather than the unsubstantiated, racially tinged rumors circling the Internet?