Meatpacking challenges rural health care
By Don Walton, The Lincoln Journal Star (Nebraska)
The relatively new concentration of meatpacking plants in small towns has created a challenge for rural health care providers.
That's one of the least-publicized problems facing immigrant and migrant workers in Nebraska, an East Carolina University researcher says.
Already well-documented are the high injury rates, including repetitive motion disorders, that plague meatpacking workers and the challenges they face in receiving workers compensation, David Griffith says.
But other health concerns include reproductive health care, child health care, alcoholism and drug abuse, poor nutrition, sexually transmitted diseases, lack of knowledge of the U.S. health care system and non-compliance with prescription drug regimens.
The rural health care system faces challenges with shortages of doctors and nurses, language translation, establishment of trust with immigrant workers and their transportation hurdles, Griffith says.
In addition to increased resources for rural health care, he says, the fundamental issue of workplace illness and injury should be addressed by strengthening the standards and enforcement of the Occupational Safety and Health Act.
Griffith addressed a Saturday conference in Omaha on Latino and immigrant issues sponsored by the Office of Latino/Latin American Studies at UNO.
Finishing up:
* Maurice Carroll, director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute, speaking to The New York Times about Bob Kerrey's flirtation with running for mayor: "What's his base? A bunch of New School undergrads and grad students, for crying out loud? This guy, maybe he was a pretty big deal out there in Nebraska, but this ain't Nebraska."
* Hey, easy, Morris. Gedawdaheh!
* Census projections: Florida will move ahead of New York as the nation's third most populous state by 2011. California and Texas will lead the pack. North Carolina and Arizona will replace Michigan and New Jersey in the Top Ten by 2030. Here comes the sun.
* Chuck Hagel's Sandhills PAC has raised $198,000 this year, according to a report filed with the Federal Election Commission. His Senate campaign committee raised $144,000. Among his April disbursements: $5,000 to Gov. Dave Heineman's brand new Hagel-endorsed campaign.
* The largest chunk of Ben Nelson's PAC receipts in 2003-2004 came from the finance, insurance and real estate industries, according to compilations by the opensecrets Web site. Also high on the list were health and agribusiness.
* Tom DeLay's political committee last month donated $10,000 each to the re-election committees of four House members, according to Political-MoneyLine. Among them: Jeff Fortenberry. The Lincoln congressman's new FEC report shows $228,000 raised this year and $132,000 in cash on hand at the end of March.
* Hagel has lined up Democratic co-sponsors for each of his three climate change bills. They're Mark Pryor of Arkansas, Mary Landrieu of Louisiana and Robert Byrd of West Virginia.
* Two evangelical Christian leaders have targeted Hagel among a handful of Senate Republicans they intend to pressure to support a GOP effort to eliminate the right to filibuster judicial nominees, the Los Angeles Times reported. "We need to shake these guys up," said Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council.
* Among the 16 students in the inaugural class at the new Clinton School of Public Service at the University of Arkansas: Alisa Rosales of Lincoln, who will earn a University of Nebraska law degree next month.
* AARP Nebraska reports 4,062 member contacts with Nebraska's congressional delegation since January opposing Social Security personal investment accounts.
* Let the speculation begin: Who will be President Bush's next nominee to be U.S. ambassador to the United Nations?
Reach Don Walton at 473-7248 or at dwalton@journalstar.com.
