Clinics, Residents Could Suffer With Issue 1 Failure
COLUMBUS, Ohio—Columbus residents will go to the polls tomorrow to vote for or vote against Issue 1.
Issue 1 is the city’s proposed half-percent income-tax increase.
Voters will vote on whether or not to increase Columbus’ income tax from 2 percent to 2.5 percent.
City leaders have said the increase will produce $90 to $100 million dollars in revenue that would be used to maintain health and safety services.
They also have said if the proposed increase weren’t to pass, there will be more cuts and consequences.
NBC 4’s Candice Lee reported on WHY IT MATTERS.
Without the increase, police officers and firefighters could lose their jobs.
Issue 1 failure also may shut the door on dental and health clinics.
When Sandi Covert lost her job in April 2008, she lost to ability to pay for medical and dental care.
It seemed like no big deal until six months ago when Sandi noticed her tooth was aching.
“I nursed it along. Then in February and March, I noticed facial swelling. I had difficulty swallowing, and I was having these awful headaches,” Covert said. “She said it was very rotten and it had rotted clear to the nerve, so they pulled it and it broke off and they had to go up in there and do extra stuff.“
Dentists refused to treat her without full payment, something Covert could not afford on unemployment.
Two weeks ago, she discovered the dental clinic run by Columbus Public Health.
Her visit, including X-rays and a tooth extraction, cost her only $40.
Those services sit on the chopping block if the city’s income-tax increase were to fail Tuesday.
The five neighborhood health centers that Columbus funds are also in jeopardy. More than $2 million in funding will be cut, forcing the closure of one or two clinics, massive layoffs and no medical care for the poor and homeless.
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Reader Reactions
Yea, oh well. I pay for my dental and health coverage. I am tired of them condoning the laziness of the individuals that refuse to work because the government is always giving handout that we pay for. I hope everything fails and Coleman has to release his personal security along with his minute taker.
I remember reading in here a week or two ago about a few Million $$ the city rec’d from the “Stimulis”, for police & fire depts. Where’d that $$ go??
I 100% agree with ‘pwhited”
VOTE NO on Issue One, and VOTE THESE BUMS OUT in 2010.
come on blc, you don’t have to make things up just to get people to vote no!
That is dirty. People will vote no anyways..
Grow up for cryin out loud.
VOTE NO THEY ALL “UNIONS” MAKE TO MUCH MONEY… HIRE SOME IN AT 8-10 LIKE ALL RESTAURANTS DO AND GO FROM THERE….......................
Don’t cave into Colemans threats. Did you see the paper today where Gov. Strickland pays his own health insurance and took a 10% pay reduction, making his salary $19,000 less than Coleman. What has Coleman given up? NOTHING. People will always need help with medical/dental. That’s life. Look at all the immigrant benefits, illegal or legal, that Franklin County gives out. LEAVE THE POLICE AND FIRE ALONE. TAKE AWAYS COLEMANS PAY CHECK.
IM tired of paying for everthing and everyone.Get Jobs people.
I pay for my Healthcare and my Food and my House.Its called work!
Do it. I owe you nothing why should i impoverish myself for others who do nothing?
“"Issue 1 failure also may shut the door on dental and health clinics”“....They waited too long to pull this threat out of the hat, I think. Bad enough that they threaten to cut safety services, but now they’re going to cut health services too? Notice a trend here folks? Safety and health. Things that concern HUMANS, and not “stuff”. In other words, it’s all about the “stuff” they DO care about, and it’s YOU - the people who pay their salaries - that they do NOT care about. If they cared about the people of this city, none of these threats would be made and they would work like crazy to find other ways to work the budget into submission. But NO, it’s YOU who will suffer and they don’t care one bit about it. VOTE NO on Issue One, and VOTE THESE BUMS OUT in 2010.
The silver lining….start taking better care of yourself. You are responsible for your well being!
Oh well.
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