Mike Moser "I Say" Published Feb. 27, 2004

Dr. Bill, Jeffersonians, TennCare and other thoughts

I was honored to be in the presence of a true gentleman last week as he was recognized for many many years of service to his community, serving on the Crossville Regional Planning Commission.

William Selecman, called by all who know him simply as "Dr. Bill," surprised many of us last month when he announced at the end of the regular monthly meeting of the plan board that he thought it was time he stepped down. You have to envy a man who ends a ride on his own terms.

I have known Dr. Bill just about as long as I have lived here on the Plateau and have always found him to be the rare breed of businessman, church leader, community cheerleader and gentleman.

Like so many of us, Dr. Bill came from somewhere else years ago and while Crossville wasn't a chosen destination in life, he and his bride, Sammye, landed in Crossville, adopted this as their home, raised a family here, enjoyed a successful dentistry practice, joined with others to organize a growing, vibrant and thriving church and along the way, never forgot from where he came.

He loves this community and only sees the good that it has to offer.

Dr. Bill made it his vocation to minister in so many ways to others and I will always cherish his friendship and his love and his care. It was bittersweet watching Mayor J.H. Graham III present Dr. Bill with a plaque and then attend a reception in his honor. He certainly deserves the recognition. I just hate to see him retire from service.

Dr. Bill truly is a sparkling gem, representing all that is good and right with our community, and I join the city in saying a heartfelt and profound thank you.

A Jeffersonian challenge
Here is a challenge not only for the Jeffersonians but for all Cumberland Countians who love our children and care about education. Wish I could claim the idea for myself but again, it was suggested by others and I am just passing the idea along.

Wouldn't it be wonderful if visitors to Crossville would notice something very unique about our community? We can make Cumberland County a leader and make a statement for all to see.

This month I received notice to renew the license plates for my two vehicles. I will be purchasing school tags for $50 of which $31 goes to Cumberland County schools. I urge Jeffersonians to consider doing the same.

Not only will we be contributing to education in Cumberland County, we will be making a public statement about our support for schools.

Wouldn't it be nice for visitors to Crossville to see hundreds and hundreds of vehicles sporting license plates that read, "Helping Our Schools"?

TennCare repair
Last week Gov. Phil Bredesen laid out his plan for repairing the out-of-control spending within the TennCare program while setting a goal of protecting those who need the program the most ­ children, pregnant women and the disabled.

I must admit that I have been absolutely surprised and pleased with the performance of Gov. Bredesen who has tackled the state's top job exactly as he said he would ­ from a business prospective.

Confidants say that most of the TennCare initiative announced by Bredesen are his ideas. The governor hopes to generate $2.5 billion in cost-savings over the next four years. "To do it, we need to take the reins back and to establish that we are going to do more than just pay the bills."

Bravo!

Already organizations like the Tennessee Medical Association and Tennessee Farm Bureau are embracing the governor's plan to limit prescriptions, limit hospital days to 45 a year, limit outpatient visits to eight a year, limit physician visits to 10 a year, limit lab and X-ray occasions to 10 a year, set a standard of using generic, lowest-cost and some over-the-counter drugs and establish a tiered system of copays.

Those of us with insurance who must meet deductible minimums do not enjoy even that level of medical care over the course of a year. If Bredesen is successful he will have accomplished something that has not been accomplished since the inception of TennCare.

This plan deserves our support.

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Mike Moser is the editor of the Crossville Chronicle. His column is published periodically on Fridays.