THE WEEKENDER by Clyde Black: Can’t Never Could Do Anything

The Weekender’s been around a long time.  This may be the most IMPORTANT article written. 

 Houston County is fortunate to have Fred Newtz as it’s county veteran’s service officer.  He has helped a bunch of local vets.  Fred is passionate about his work and is a positive thinker.  He looks for solutions to problems rather than find ways to ignore them.  Like most of us Fred is aware that the county has lost it’s hospital.  Some believe a tax increase is needed and others feel that our tax base is just not big enough to support a hospital especially when there are so many who pay no taxes and don’t pay their hospital bills.  The middle class of Houston County can only handle or tolerate so much costs then this source of financing ends.  The middle class will say NO!

 Fred Newtz realized that Houston County and surrounding counties is home to 26,000 veterans.  These vets have to travel to south Houston or Temple to receive Hospital treatment.  Fred asks, why not make the Crockett facility a Veteran’s Hospital paid for by federal funds?  He has gone so far as to get Congressman Brady to write a letter to the VA center in Houston to consider the idea.  Our own County Judge, Jim Lovell has written as well.  I am on board and throwing my support to Fred.  He plans to travel to Houston soon to lobby for a VA Hospital here in Houston County.  Besides the health benefits just think of the economic benefits to our county and jobs to be filled.  I’m talking hundreds. 

 In a letter written October 12, this year, the Secretary of the US Department of Veterans Affairs, wrote to his staff that the VA is focusing on providing more resources to the field, reduce bureaucracy, focus on what is important to vets and update facilities.  He has an opportunity to do that right here in Houston County.  I urge you to contact Fred at his Houston County Courthouse office and offer help with this project.  Write your contacts and Congressman for support.  There will be naysayers who say it can’t happen.  Well, can’t never could do anything.