People need to be re-educated on new hospital, bond

Are the “Friends of East Adams Rural Hospital” really friends of the present hospital? They appear to be friends of passing a huge, long-term bond to pay for a NEW hospital. They are now trying to re-educate us and convince us how wrong we were to vote against the last bond.

According to Mr. Eric Walker: “The points that seem to be heard most so far are: – too expensive, big and/or fancy; – not enough of the extant reserve fund was committed; – hate the site, must have Weber Road. The logic of those thoughts is immaterial; they seem to be what the voters feel, and so must be taken cognizance of.”

Does it seem to you that the Friends of the hospital are just slightly condescending? The logic of those thoughts is immaterial? I’d say it is exceedingly material. The logic of those thoughts is what defeated a bond issue. It is the American way of saying “No” with your vote. It is saying, “Now is the time for the hospital board and administration to look at other options.”

Doesn’t the Hospital Board and administration have a responsibility to look at all the options, however remote, with an open mind and pursue a back-up plan? What are they going to do if the new bond issue does not pass? The majority of the present board campaigned on “No new hospital” and now their only plan is to build a new hospital. They were not elected to build a new hospital. They were elected to represent the community. Turning down a bond issue, is the community speaking. If they are not willing or able to look at other options with a true open mind, we need to consider a recall election.

Maybe we need an East Adams Rural Hospital community support group. A group of people that are interested in supporting the present facility, and the community. A group that would work toward making our hospital and clinic self-supporting. We need people that would like to see the facility run like a business that appreciated and values its customers.

A group that would work at finding new ways to attract the large number of patients that have left our facility and taken their medical care elsewhere. They would make the hiring of another new doctor a number one priority. They would want to know what it would cost to bring our present hospital up to the state required standards. Not a huge upgrade of all its facilities, but a true cost of meeting the standards. Wouldn’t it be wonderful to have our Critical Access Hospital without a nine million dollar, 30-year mortgage hanging over our heads?

I’m aware that the EARH community support group sounds a lot like what the hospital board and administration should be doing as we speak. Are they? Is anything really happening besides campaigning for another bond?

How many of you are aware that the bond election that was defeated in August was reset for November, and then postponed again until April 2014? Why do you think it was moved to April?

Do you suppose it has to do with re-educating the voting public? Do you feel you need educating by a group that has only one plan? Why haven’t we seen any reference to this in the local paper?

James Preston, Ritzville