Hospital bond issue, well it's all over but the accountability

I was undecided when I last addressed this issue. The bond proponents targeted areas they thought contained vulnerable people, and heck, even my late father got a post card. The bond was approved by voters, and now the bond supporters are congratulating themselves over their success.

I eventually voted "for" the bond issue, but I haven't seen my reasoning expressed anywhere else, so here it is, short and sweet -- it was the "mafia effect." The medical profession has communities like ours by the throat. Many local doctors won't give the time of day to people who aren't already established as patients. Then there are the problems faced by uninsured patients whether they can afford to pay or not, but we'll leave that issue for another day.

So we had a hospital district that was actively involved in land deals and which wanted a bigger building. They got private pledges and sought voter approval for massive borrowing. But there was an implied threat. "If you deny us our desires you'll be sorry." If the bond failed we would be hearing it as an excuse every time someone complained about the health care, the hospital bills, or anything else involving the hospital. It was the mafia effect, and they scared enough people that it passed.

My concern now is that with so many people out there who were gung ho for the thing there is no one left who will hold them accountable for all that money.

Comments

[Dick B]

I share your view. What with West Campus and the semi-recent renovations at downtown, I question the need for New and Expanded facilities, but the MM is driving the bus, so we'll go where they wanna go.

When my wife was incarcerated at Midland Mudhole,
I couldn't help noticing the poor state of the housekeeping in the facility; the failure of food service to supply the correct diet, ordered by her physician and the casual attitude toward patient care in general.

I'm a hospital facilities inspector for the VA, I tend to see things most folks overlook. I cannot but wonder what scores MMH got at their last JCAHO inspection. (But that's another story.)

[Geo]

Dick B, I'm hoping that the success of the bond issue will inspire the hospital employees to work harder and try to live up to the customers' expectations.