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From: bowles@lll-crg.llnl.gov (Jeff A. Bowles)
Newsgroups: soc.motss,sci.med.aids
Subject: Re: Woodrow Myers as NYC Health Commissioner
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Date: 22 Jan 90 02:27:14 GMT
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JONESRA%AQUA.decnet@silver.ucs.indiana.edu (REX A. JONES 857-9563) writes:
>As of Friday, Jan. 19, Woodrow Myers was offered and accepted the post of 
>New York City Health Commissioner.
>
>Due to the importance of the Commissionership in NYC, it may be worthwhile 
>to hear what people who know of Myers think about this appointment. What 
>effect will his appointment have upon the AIDS epidemic (through his 
>actions-good or bad)? Should any of the high risk groups have any fears 
>about Dr. Meyers? Will he be the strong commissioner that people in the 
>media in Indianapolis have portrayed him as being capable of being?

Certainly the protests on Thursday and Friday should tell him one thing:
that New York City isn't Indiana.

The protests were over his statements that quarantine of certain HIV-positive
persons might be justified, and that contact tracing/mandatory reporting  of
HIV carriers to the city health department might be a good idea. When he
accepted the position, he stated that "quarantine isn't a viable alternative
in New York City." He also said that it was his impressions that contact
tracing mechanisms had been started [after a fashion] in NYC and that he
wasn't going to change how things were until he had a chance to study it.

Former Commissioned Stephen Joseph proposed "mandatory reporting" and contact
tracing, and caught hell for it. Myers, it seems, views Josephs proposals as
a fait accompli. That sounds like a political move.

Unless someone shoots him, he's here, and he'll stay for a while. We have to
hold our collective breaths and watch him carefully.

And there are much better people to shoot :-)

	Jeff Bowles
	New York City