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<br />'c') <br />L f.,J <br /> <br />TUESDAY <br /> <br />MARCH 9~ 1976 <br /> <br />West Piedmont Planning District in any one year~ <br />there will obviously be additional years in <br />which Martinsville has no direct representative <br />to the Board. I fear that in federal funding <br />and certificate-of-need decisions~ such as the <br />recent CAT Scanner purchased by local peop1e~ <br />Martinsvil1e may be denied and preferences <br />will be given to communities with larger <br />population bases. Or~ the reverse may occur. <br />One of the goals of the Act is "The provision <br />of primary care services for under served <br />populations~ especially those which are <br />located in rural or economically depressed <br />areas." This suggests to me that the HSA <br />will give funding preferences to communities <br />which have not been as far-sighted as Martinsvi11e <br />in providing for the health care needs of the <br />citizens. <br /> <br />On January 24~ I wrote Senators Byrd and Scott and Congressman <br />Daniel and asked them how they voted and why. Byrd and Scott <br />voted against the act, Daniel voted for the act. <br /> <br />Their responses are as follows: <br /> <br />Senator Scott: "I voted against this measure. Whereas I <br />recognized that some changes in present <br />programs and practices were necessary~ I <br />feel this bill contained too many <br />objectionable features which, in the <br />long run~ would have been counterproductive." <br /> <br />Senator Byrd: "I voted against this legislation when it <br />was before the Senate on November 2s~ 1974. <br />While it had some positive features, including <br />consolidation of some related programs, I <br />felt that it would undermine local and <br />regional authority in the health field. I <br />fear that, in the long run~ this statute <br />will lead to further centralization of <br />decision-making power in health planning--a <br />field which seems to me to be basically a <br />community function." <br /> <br />Congressman Daniel: "The bill passed by a vote of 236 to 79~ <br />and I voted for it. The main purpose of the <br />bill was to bring together~ in what purported <br />to be an orderly fashion~ a number of programs <br />which were health-re1ated~ so that they might <br />be adm~nistered in a more efficient manner. <br />A thorough reading of all available documents <br />