2020: Where do we go from here?
2020: A new decade dawns, where do we go from here?
Op-Ed By Michael Covington
(January 2020) The Perspective: After spending most of the 2010 decade advocating for expanded healthcare service access for East Knoxville, East Knox County and beyond, it’s now time to wait and watch while the powers that be determine what is most financially and politically advantageous. It’s sad that people’s lives and their well-being are, at best, a distant third to making money & possessing power but it is the world we live in. Now we wait. But let’s do so with our eyes open.
The Knox County Commission is now in a state of flux wrestling over which of two bad deals will be favored as we enter this new decade. Moving Knox County Schools to a TVA tower is a bad move on several levels but talk of a comparable move to what used to be East Towne Mall is plain ridiculous. Justin Biggs is pushing this move but his motives are not genuine. If they were, he’d have ‘sunshined’ a meeting at East Towne with two commissioners. His motives are clearly driven more by his future political ambition than any concern for what benefits either districts 1 or 2. Beware.
The Knoxville City Government is laser-focused on moving KPD & KFD to the old St. Mary’s Hospital campus and facilitating the Clayton Family Foundation’s development of a Science Center to be located where KPD will vacate. All that’s left is to observe, with quiet amusement, the ‘lunatic fringe’ that has loudly attempted to sour the city council on the proposed development. Beware of the ‘lunatic fringe’. Their motives are questionable!
If you’ve been a regular reader of the EKCM newsletter over the last several months you know that we’ve endeavored to put clear and concise perspective on the Governor’s Block Grant initiative to fund TennCare. The program may do all that the Governor claims it will but I don’t trust the Governor nor do I believe TennCare patients will be better off if the Block Grant is implemented. I would quite simply be lying to suggest otherwise.
Lastly, our EKCN blog series will devote a considerable amount of 2020 editorial energy to speaking in rather specific terms about the plight of those in our communities who are at the mercy of a healthcare system and an overseeing government that makes later and end-of-life care a nightmare.
Michael Covington is the founder a d moderator of the monthly East Knoxville Community Meetings at the Burlington Branch Library. You can respond to is commentary by using the link below; or by email, at ekcmtg@gmail.com.
