Monday, May 31, 2004

“Hey, No One’s Watching the Dogs!”

After the Alameda County Hospital Authority Board signed away the first $3,000,000 dollars to consultants, the public got a little concerned. When they then agreed to pay another $700,000 dollars for telecommuting consultant/executives to manage the Medical Center, shock set in. The Hospital Authority Board has been on a non-stop consultant-spending spree for months now.

The Authority Board contends that the only way to stop the financial crisis is to spend even more on consultants. “You have to spend money to make money.” It’s the consultant mantra. “Healthcare for all” the slogan used to get Measure A passed is just more California claptrap to our imported experts. They will focus on cost reduction first, and then they will explore “revenue opportunities.” Two thirds of the voters in Alameda County figured out that a critical lack of “revenue opportunities” necessitates subsidies for the public hospital. If insurance companies could suck a profit out of the very sick, the very poor and the uninsured, we wouldn’t need the Medical Center!

In addition to lavish spending on consultants the Board now needs five or more Sheriffs at public meetings. Are they afraid the Grey Panthers will storm the stage? Do they think the Medical Staff will attack them in a fevered frenzy? Who’s paying for all this firepower and do they have live ammunition or rubber bullets? Is this just another situation where we have to spend money to make money?

Well, the Dirt went back to Measure A and looked at the language. Nowhere within the text does it say, “You have to spend money to make money.” It does say something about a Citizen’s Oversight Committee. They’re supposed to look at the spending once a year and report back to the Board of Supervisors. The voters are paying for this mess, not the politicians. Besides, the consultants will likely have flown back to Tennessee, first class, long before this report gets written.






4 comments:

Mitsu Fisher said...

Holy smoke!

This is outrageous!

I do not want my tax dollars to go to pay for consultants!

I do not want my tax dollars to go for having a dozen Sheriff's deputies providing "security" at public meetings for anyone!

As one of the voters who made up the two thirds majority that approved Measure A, I want my tax dollars to go into providing health care for everyone in Alameda County, regardless of ability to pay.

"Read my lips," County Supervisors and Authority Board, "either redirect the consultants to begin work on real problems like billing and dumping, or send them home." You do not have a mandate for all this cost cutting bull. Fix billing and dumping, and the financial issues will be fixed. If these consultants are "one trick, cookie cutter, only know how to reduce cost by cutting headcound, empty suits," then perhaps it is time to re-evaluate the need for their services.

We do not need to pay millions of dollars, to have some "empty suit" tell us that we need to cut headcount in order to reduce cost. That is just plain bad advice. I would be happy to provide you equally bad advice at a much lower price...say a cool million!

Let me know!

Anonymous said...

WHO'S WATCHING THE DOGS CAMBIO CONSULTANTS RUFF! RUFF!, WHO'S WATCHING THE DOGS RUFF! RUFF! CAMBIO CONSULTANTS. WHO IS BETTER TO WATCH MONEY BUT THEMSELVES, THIS IS WHY IT CALL LAUNDERING MONEY. LAUNDERING ENOUGH MONEY COULD HELP THE MEDICAL CENTER CLOSE FASTER. AND HIRING OUTSIDERS(OUT CALIFORNIA) WHAT MAKE THE CONSULTANTS CARE ABOUT THESE PATIENTS. THERE'S NO BOND OR CONCERNS BECAUSE THEIR FAMILIES DON'T LIVE HERE TO REAP THE GRATIFICATIONS OF BEING ONE OF OUR PATIENTS. SO THEY WHY WOULD THEY CARE ABOUT THE BEST INTERESTS IN THE MEDICAL CENTER, BUT ONLY SPEND THE MONEY SOME WHERE ELSE, LIKE THEIR POCKETS.$$$

Anonymous said...

Well, well, well. It does appear that someone is being forced to keep an eye on Cambio and the rest of the county bandits. Welcome to the Grand Jury!!! It is about time. The details on this dirt will be be slightly more difficult to find but, never underestimate the power of thousands of pissed off people who have nothing left to lose. It looks like it is time to send cambio packing. We don't even care if you take our few million with you. Just take your shiny shoes and sherrif escort and get the hell out of dodge!!! As for the board of trustees, sorry but you must also go. Any group of educated individuals who are ignorant enough to not be able to see that the emporer has no clothes, you too must be sent packing. As for the county supervisors remember we vote. Please do not think for one moment that the fact that your seat is not open this election year will save you. If we can get Measure A passed, we can surely send you packing. Maybe Dave Kears and sherrif Plumber can have a bake sale to get the easy money they thought they were going to steal from the medical center. Good luck to all and, yes dead patients do tell tales!!!!!!!

Anonymous said...

Well, well, well. It does appear that someone is being forced to keep an eye on Cambio and the rest of the county bandits. Welcome to the Grand Jury!!! It is about time. The details on this dirt will be be slightly more difficult to find but, never underestimate the power of thousands of pissed off people who have nothing left to lose. It looks like it is time to send cambio packing. We don't even care if you take our few million with you. Just take your shiny shoes and sherrif escort and get the hell out of dodge!!! As for the board of trustees, sorry but you must also go. Any group of educated individuals who are ignorant enough to not be able to see that the emporer has no clothes, you too must be sent packing. As for the county supervisors remember we vote. Please do not think for one moment that the fact that your seat is not open this election year will save you. If we can get Measure A passed, we can surely send you packing. Maybe Dave Kears and sherrif Plumber can have a bake sale to get the easy money they thought they were going to steal from the medical center. Good luck to all and, yes dead patients do tell tales!!!!!!!