Department of Health and Environment hard at work

By Aaron Simpson and Brandon Hurn Staters Union While some departments are sitting idle, waiting for the budget to pass through Congress, the Department of Health and Environment is working to prepare for the future. Some topics of discussion including regional hospital locations, county clinics, clean needles to drug addicts, and grants to benefit various counties were discussed today in the Department. Over the course of the afternoon, several counties and cities approached the Department with grant proposals for the improvement of county life. These grants would serve to build water treatment facilities, parks, and recreation centers. The Department offered counties a deal; in exchange for a tax on soft drinks and other snacks, they would fund the construction of recreation centers. While some department members focused their efforts towards that, others had a very different goal. “Our goal is to mainly get hospitals out, bought, and constructed,” said CJ Williams of King County. One focus of the afternoon was the construction of regional hospitals and their location within the state. One of the largest obstacles in the development of these commodities, is the financial situation within the state. “Education is important, but as far as the simulation goes, you can’t just spread money on a situation and fix it, the economy is important,” said Thomas William of Pershing County.]]>