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To the Editor:

In addition to being the Mayor of Ahoskie, I’m also a public health professional who has spent my entire career fighting to close health disparities across North Carolina – particularly in rural communities like ours. I’ve seen the devastating consequences when our people are left behind, and I refuse to stay silent as Washington tries to repeat history.

The proposed cuts to Medicaid are not just irresponsible—they are dangerous. And they would have catastrophic consequences for towns like Ahoskie and for millions across our state.

Let’s be absolutely clear: Medicaid is not a luxury. It is not just a line in a budget, it’s a life line. In rural North Carolina, it is the backbone of our healthcare system. Without it, hospitals close. Jobs disappear. People suffer and people die.

Hospitals, rural clinics, and community health centers are not optional. They are critical infrastructure. They are where mothers give birth, where grandparents manage their chronic conditions, where accident victims receive emergency care. These institutions serve entire regions – not just one town. And they are already operating on razor-thin margins.

If Medicaid is slashed, hospitals won’t just struggle – they will fail. That means closed doors, lost jobs, and communities left without care. And when a rural hospital shuts down, people don’t just lose access to healthcare – they lose hope.

We’re not talking hypotheticals here. We’re talking about real lives. When someone in Ahoskie has a heart attack and the nearest hospital is suddenly an hour away, that’s not just inconvenient – it’s lethal. And it doesn’t stop there. From cancer screenings to prenatal care, from mental health services to managing diabetes, Medicaid makes all of it possible.

Cutting Medicaid doesn’t save money—it shifts the cost onto rural families, overburdened ERs, and already-struggling local governments. It’s not reform — it’s abandonment. And let’s call it what it is: a calculated decision by Republican lawmakers to sacrifice the health of our people to cut taxes for billionaires.

But we, as Democrats, believe something different. We believe that healthcare is a fundamental human right. We believe that no one should be denied care because of where they live, what they earn, or the color of their skin. And we believe that our government should work for the people—not against us.

While the savings for billionaires are measured in dollar signs, the cost to our communities will be measured in closed hospitals, lost lives, and shattered families. I pray that Washington hears the pleas of healthcare workers, rural mayors, Democratic leaders, and people all across North Carolina when we urge them not to make these cuts.

Weyling White

Ahoskie