|
Aftermath of Proposition N
 By: Brazell H. Carter, MD
Proposition
N, the tax initiative aimed at fighting obesity by taxing foods
containing excessive amounts of sugar was a noble idea. Unfortunately
it was ill conceived as it unfairly created a rise in food costs for
residents of the city of Richmond, fortunately it was defeated. As a
physician I agree that for obvious health reasons we need to drastically
decrease the consumption of sugar in our diets. We also need to
decrease the amounts of fat and salt in our diets and emphasize exercise
as a balanced approach to better health.
The
health of Richmond community and inevitably the health of the nation
will hinge on our ability to better educate the populace around making
wise choices in our dietary selections. If we are to truly address this
issue, let us dedicate our efforts toward building a health
education/medical center in Richmond. We could not only provide
information about health for the community, but we could also provide a
modern medical clinic to attract more physicians to the city of
Richmond. Currently health services in the city of Richmond are limited
and are likely to fall short of expected needs with the advent of
Obamacare. Many Richmond residents seek medical care outside of the
city a trend likely to increase in the future. Dr. William Jenkins, a
practicing pediatrician in the city of Richmond for over fifty years
died recently, it would be quite an honor to dedicate a medical facility
in his name to further serve the people of Richmond.
| 
