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There are other ways to fund trauma care units
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Editor, After watching Amendment 2 go down in defeat on election night, I am not surprised. The government is asking us to do two things that we are surely uncomfortable doing.
1. One is for Georgia citizens to foot the bill for all trauma care by adding a fee to our already-high vehicle registration.
2. Two is to trust government to do with our money what they actually say they will do with it.
I humbly would like to suggest how to overcome these issues. More than 18 months ago I contacted Sen. Eric Johnson’s staff in Atlanta and made the following suggestions:
1. Charge a small fee on all vehicle licenses tags.
2. On all moving vehicle violations, add a $15 or $20 fee or surcharge to fund trauma care. After all, people who get moving violations are more likely to end up in trauma care units.
3. Find out the total revenue that all law enforcement agencies take in on cash, cars, boats and all properties confiscated in illegal-drug busts.
Have the state government and law enforcement agencies come to an agreement of what percentage of this revenue will be directed to trauma care units. These drug dealers and/or users fill our hospital emergency rooms every day. Make the criminal element pay its share.
To address the mistrust of government, divide the state into (example only) seven trauma care districts, like the DNR does. Have one appointed member per trauma care district and establish a statewide trauma care district board presided over by the lieutenant governor.
This way, the people who use and need the trauma care units the most will help pay the cost.
We all pay for a better Georgia!

— Reggie Sage
Hinesville
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