SalemNews.com, Salem, MA

Opinion

Discussion

The Salem News has a real-name policy for commenting. Users may sign in using the Facebook Connect tool above the comments field. Once your first comment is posted by a moderator, all future comments will post automatically. If you prefer not to use Facebook, send an e-mail with your comments user name (which must be the same as your real name), city or town, street address and daytime phone number to comments@salemnews.com. A staff member will contact you directly to confirm your identity. It may take a day or two before you can post comments. Only your user name will be public. All users are required to follow our rules for commenting, which can be found here.

comments powered by Disqus
February 27, 2013

Letter: Size of Salem health board should be reduced

The Salem News

To the editor:

I am writing in response to the article “Salem council wants to keep health board as is,” published Nov. 16, 2012. According to Massachusetts law, a city board of health should consist of three members, one being a physician, so when the current seven-member Salem board requested to reduce its size to five members, the City Council should have approved the request. The Salem board was originally expanded to seven members to oversee a hospital that no longer exists. Reducing its size now would allow the board to reach a quorum and make important decisions regarding public health. I would call for a further reduction in the size of the board to the three members directed by statute. This would steer the board members toward their primary responsibility: protecting public health, rather than becoming sidetracked with their own pet issues.

I respectfully request a meeting with the mayor, health board, City Council and solicitor together to discuss the matter further, as well as to discuss the parallel issue of regionalization for cost efficiency.

Robert Blenkhorn

Salem

Retired certified health officer

Commonwealth of Massachusetts

Text Only | Photo Reprints
Opinion

AP Video
Probe Begins After Conn. Commuter Trains Crash NTSB Begins Investigation Into Conn. Train Crash Lotto Fever Sweeps the Country Conn. Commuter Trains Collide; 60 Go to Hospital Coffee Run Leads to Hatchet Hitchhiker Arrest Fmr. IRS Head Insists No Politics in Targeting CDC: Fecal Bacteria Common in Swimming Pools $1 Million in Jewels Stolen at Cannes Film Fest NM Mom Chases Down Child Abductor Raw: Crash Sends Car Into Fla. Pool Raw: Obama Sits Down With Elementary Kids Raw: Bear Falls From Tampa Tree Ousted IRS Chief: Errors Not Caused by Politics Terror Suspect Due in Court in Idaho Friday Raw: Driver Ejected From Truck, Over Bridge Could Tobacco Be the Next Biofuel? Wash. State Releases Draft Rules for Legal Pot Dying Man's Blinks Lead to Murder Conviction Officials: Texas Tornado Likely Had 200 Mph Wind Brothers Arrested in NOLA Parade Shooting
Comments Tracker
Roll Call
Helium debate
Helium