Editor,

I think it's a shame the hospital here in Man still sits idle. With more mines going in here on Buffalo Creek, you'd think some of our county and state leaders would take their blinders off and recognize the need for some type of emergency treatment facility to handle possible injuries from these mining operations, auto accidents, and major health emergencies. Most of us have been around here long enough to know just how dangerous mining jobs can be.

When Putnam General Hospital closed its doors, it took very little time for CAMC to step in and re-open it. It seems they've got so many hospitals around Huntington and Charleston they have to advertise on TV to compete. Give you a toaster to have your gall bladder taken out. Unfortunately, here in the Man area, we have no one to look after our interests. It seems our county leaders are more concerned with spending five million dollars on swimming pools, tennis courts, and creating a showcase between Logan and Chapmanville to be concerned with the voters on this end of the county. They talk about creating conditions for better lifestyles to justify those big expenditures, when all we want is a chance to treat and preserve lives. We need an emergency trauma center here in the Man area.

When my mother went into cardiac arrest in the mid eighties, she was taken care of at the emergency room at Man Hospital until she was stable enough to transport elsewhere. They saved her life. Now, you'll be lucky to survive until you get to Logan Regional with all the traffic and highway construction.

Do we exercise you ask? We try to. Try walking beside the road here on Buffalo Creek for exercise. if you don't get ran over by some of these children operating ATVs on the highway, you'll get ran over by one of these habitual DUI offenders or NASCAR want-to-be's who have no fear of being stopped by the police, much less taken off the road.

Did I say children operating motorized vehicles on the highway? I sure did. Not old enough for a license? No problem. We need the tax revenue, let em ride! You see, that's part of their plan, so they can't deter even children from riding on the roads, much less the convicted drunk drivers! Seems to me that comes under the heading of contributing to the delinquency of minors.

I feel sometimes like we in the Man-area have been written off. I feel like none of our county leaders or state representatives care whether we live or die as long as we keep paying taxes and voting them back in office each time. We've got enough swimming pools, tennis courts, and semi-pro baseball teams. An emergency trauma center is not a luxury. In our case, it's a necessity. I'm not so naive I can hope to get a hospital up here, just someplace to save lives. Is that too much to ask for?

Das vee don yah!

Thank you,

Mike Robinson

Accoville