HEALTH CARE

SEVERAL WEEKS AGO, ON A WEDNESDAY MORNING OPEN SESSION OF THE MOHEGAN TRIBAL COUNCIL, AN INCREASE TO THE BUDGET FOR HEALTH CARE WAS ASKED FOR.

THE PEOPLE FROM PUBLIC HEALTH EXPLAINED HOW HEALTH COSTS HAD RISEN AND THAT THE TRIBE WAS USING MORE HEALTH SERVICES THEN EVER BEFORE. THE POPULATION IS GROWING OLDER REQUIRING MORE AND MORE HEALTH CARE.

THEY ASKED FOR I BELIEVE IT WAS 1.485 MILLION DOLLARS ($1,485,000.00.) THEY WERE ALSO MOVING $200,000.00 TWO HUNDRED THOUSAND FROM SOME OTHER PART OF THE HEALTH PROGRAM. SO THE TOTAL EXTRA NEEDED CAME TO I BELIEVE 1.7 MILLION DOLLARS ($1,7000,000.00.)

PHIL CAHILL, WHO WAS ALSO SITTING AT THE TABLE WHERE THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT GIVING THE PRESENTATION TO THE TRIBAL COUNCIL, WAS ASKED A QUESTION. THE QUESTION WAS SOMETHING TO THE EFFECT, WAS THERE ENOUGH MONEY IN THE BUDGET TO DO THIS. HE ASSURED THE COUNCIL THAT THERE WAS. IN FACT I BELIEVE HE SAID THERE WAS ONE OR TWO MILLION STILL LEFT IN THE BUDGET. THE HEALTH CARE INCREASE WAS APPROVED.

I THOUGHT IF HEALTH CARE IS GOING UP, WHAT ABOUT THE EDUCATION FUNDING DEPARTMENT? I FIGURE IF MORE CHILDREN ARE COMING UP ALL THE TIME AND ARE ENTERING COLLEGE, THEN THERE HAS TO BE THE SAME POTENTIAL OF NOT HAVING ENOUGH MONEY. I ALSO THOUGHT THAT THE COST OF GOING TO COLLEGE EVERY YEAR HAD TO BE GOING UP LIKE EVERYTHING ELSE. I ASKED AROUND AND CAME AWAY THINKING THAT THE MONEY PROBLEM EXISTS THERE TOO.

WITH ALL THESE INCREASES CAUSING COSTS TO RISE, IT IS NO WONDER THAT THE GOVERNMENT IS LOOKING TO FIND NEW WAYS TO BRING FUNDS INTO THE GOVERNMENT.

MAYBE IT IS TIME THE GOVERNMENT THOUGHT ABOUT CUTTING ITS' BIGGEST UNDERTAKING THE GOVERNMENT/COMMUNITY CENTER WHICH MOST TRIBAL MEMBERS DO NOT THINK WE SHOULD BUILD AT THIS TIME. DO WE (TRIBAL MEMBERS) WANT A GOVERNMENT/COMMUNITY CENTER OR DO YOU WANT TO KEEP OUR PER CAPS, BENEFITS AND OTHER THINGS PROVIDED BY THE TRIBE?