Congressman Allen Boyd paid a visit to the Suwannee Democrat Tuesday with the message that the needs and wants of his constituency are at the heart of his decision-making for 2010, specifically on hot button issues such as healthcare reform and energy policy. He also addressed redistricting and his own reelection bid.

Boyd, a Democrat, addressed his November vote against the healthcare reform bill, which passed in the House, 220-215. Reiterating his four criteria for healthcare reform - "cost, coverage, choice, and fiscal responsibility" - he said the cost of the current bill was of greatest concern.

"How do you wring the cost out of the whole medical system?" he asked.

Boyd said the rising price of healthcare services is simply too great for the average person to bear.

"About 17 percent of nearly every person's salary is spent on healthcare. Just 15 years ago, that number was 8 percent," he said. "We've got to find a way to cut out the waste and eliminate Medicare fraud."

He likened an ideal system to the way in which medical treatment was handled in the past.

"It's no different than how folks would pay for in-home doctors' visits, but that was in a time before the big insurance companies were thrown into the equation," he said.

"The problem is that people are constantly rendered services that they cannot afford. Those unpaid services are what continually places the healthcare system in the red. We've got to find a solution to deal with the problem as it is now," Boyd said.

Back in November, he released a statement saying: "My vote against H.R. 3962, the House's first attempt at the healthcare bill, is not a vote against responsible reform. Rather, it is a signal that our work in Congress is not yet complete."

Tuesday, he said, "the solution is to create a system that renders services that people can afford with premiums they can pay, and when folks are able to pay, it eliminates the constant cycle of unpaid care for treatment."

The final version of the health care bill is expected to come before the House and Senate conference committee sometime before February.

Boyd wouldn't rule out the possibility that the final draft would meet with his approval.

"I don't think it's out of reach, but we've got to work on the cost side," Boyd said.

The conversation quickly shifted from health care to energy as Boyd addressed his vote in favor of cap and trade legislation last June.

Under cap and trade, a limit, or cap, would be placed on emissions of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide. It's thought that some companies will find ways to become more efficient and emit less of these gases. Others will wish to exceed the limits of their permits.

That's where the "trade" part of cap and trade kicks in: The more efficient companies can sell their permits to the less efficient, thus allowing the free market to aid in reducing emissions.

It's a controversial stand for many, but Boyd stands by his vote. He said true environmental change requires an economic incentive.

"We have to influence people through the tax code to change their behavior," he said.

The bill passed in the House, but the Senate has not yet taken up the matter.

Boyd also addressed his reelection bid, specifically his decision to start running campaign ads last fall.

"It's expected to be a tough race," he said.

Though some early polls have favored Al Lawson, a state senator from Tallahassee -- particularly after Boyd's vote against the health care reform bill -- it's no secret that one key to victory for Boyd is visibility.

"I aim to stay out in the district," he said.

Boyd also spoke about the possible future configuration of that district.

Every ten years, after the census, state legislatures redraw the boundaries of congressional and state legislative districts.

However, some think the system has broken down, producing bizarrely shaped districts that put folks with few common interests in the same voting bloc.

A group called Fair Districts Florida says it wants to change that, and Boyd's all for it. Under a proposed state constitutional amendment, districts would have to be "contiguous ... compact, as equal in population as feasible, and where feasible must make use of existing city, county and geographical boundaries."

Boyd expressed a similar sentiment on the Blue Dog Coalition Web site back in July.

"Redrawing congressional district maps for political gain divides communities, polarizes voters along partisan lines and silences the constituency," he wrote. "Congressional districts should represent communities of interest without regard to party affiliation so that the American people can be truly and effectively represented."

At the end of the day, Boyd remains optimistic about Florida's future and his own.

He leaned forward, pulled his Congressional voting card from his pocket, and pointed at the title just above his name.

"This seat doesn't belong to a person, it belongs to the folks," he smiled.