Highland Hospital

 

Dirt Readers Rock the Board

Under intense pressure from the voting public the supes managed to do good, 8 millions dollars worth of good. Super Supes Keith Carson, Nate Miley and Scott Haggerty came together to help out healthcare. Supervisor Gail Steele was the only supe to object. After almost having lost her seat due to her dismal record on healthcare, she plans to serve her last term being even more mean-spirited. Oh well, at least she’s consistent.

We obviously should be talking to our local politicians more often and more honestly, left to their own committees they come up with some really bad ideas. A thousand thanks to everyone who wrote, emailed, called, and faxed. Vote Health’s Kay Eisenhower and Brad Cleveland spent most of their weekend on this campaign, as did most of the hospital’s shop stewards.

It is shocking how invested people are not just in the Medical Center but also in Measure “A”. People really want the promises of Measure “A” to be protected and they will stand up and fight if they feel someone is undermining its success. Nice to see people fight for our patients, it makes those of us who work at the Medical Center feel really good.

We Got 8 Million!

I guess it's true. I read it in the Tribune the supes came up with 8 million.
Read all about it:

http://www.insidebayarea.com/oaklandtribune/ci_3971271

Stay Turned...

We may live to fight another budget battle. Supervisor Keith Carson has put together a plan to get us 8 million dollars. Susan Muranishi, the county's Chief Administrative Officer found the cash in her other shoe. She makes a cool quarter million a year because of moves like this, but what do I know about high finance.

So Carson's proposal goes to a vote and if it passes the Medical Center will feel much better. Cross your fingers, hold your breath, pray, whatever works, we deserve a break.

Budget Crisis Coverage

Well the Berkeley Daily Planet did it again, best coverage of Oakland and healthcare issues. To read Jesse Allan-Taylor's piece about the budget hearing click here:

http://www.berkeleydailyplanet.com/article.cfm?issue=06-20-06&storyID=24432

More Measure "A" Money Games

 

Help the Medical Center Now!

Care about healthcare here's you chance to act.

Sign the petition to insure that Measure "A" dollars are spent on healthcare.

http://www.petitiononline.com/HelpACMC/

To read about the supes latest move on the Medical Center click here:

http://www.insidebayarea.com/oaklandtribune/ci_3952370

Milking Measure "A"

The Bond Boondoggle

Well the board of supes continue to milk Measure “A” revenues out of the Medical Center and back to the county coffers. That’s right between rent increases, undocumented “debt” and that debt’s interest public healthcare will be subsidizing the county budget to the tune of about 20 million.

The county supes have shown great initiative and motivation with a couple years of practice and low resistance they will be sucking the full 75 million out of the hospital and into their own pet projects like prisons and puppies for Supervisor Gail Steele.

The “Dirt” interviewed real people about the current state of financial affairs.

“I voted for Measure “A” and all I got was this sheriff’s substation.”

“I voted for Measure “A” and the County Supervisors got a thirty thousand dollars raise.”

“I voted for Measure “A” and all I got was this lousy blog.”

MSM

That’s right MSM (Main Steam Media) got Oakland all wrong all the newspapers: the Chronicle, the Tribune and the Express all endorsed Ignacio for mayor. The press forgot to talk to the public they just spoke to the politicians. Jesse Taylor from the Planet and the blogs got it right they went for Dellums. What’s the message? What difference does it make to the Medical Center?

Lots you see Larry Tramatula, the political consultant who ran De La Fuente's Karl Rovesque campaign which appealed to the pissed off and priced out of San Francisco yuppie elite of the Oakland hills, also ran Measure “A.” He just got his clock cleaned trying to get approval to build a hospital up in Sonoma County, maybe that’s why he appealed to self-righteous self-interest.

Who knows, still watching this campaign many were moved to help themselves not the poor. If the Medical Center plans to continue to exist we depend on the public and the press’s better nature. Public healthcare is about our willingness to care for each other and to foot the bill for our common humanity and decency. While decency and a humanistic vision prevailed in the mayoral race, our politicians, press and pollsters found a huge pocket of self-interest. This view of Oakland as under serving the over privileged and over serving the poor will play prominently in the future of the Medical Center.

If you want to know what’s really going on read the blogs and the Berkeley Daily Planet they’re smarter than the MSM (Main Steam Media.)

Kid Oakland http://kidoaklandblog.blogspot.com/
The Berkeley Daily Planet http://www.berkeleydailyplanet.com/index.cfm?issue=06-13-06

Early Election Results

I'm too old to stay up all night but right now, we got good and bad news, the Super Chicks :Gail Steele and Alice Lai-Bitker are winning. Boo hoo but Ron Dellums is also winning, whew. Here's the numbers:

Dellums 44.3% De La Fuente 36.2% Nadel 14.6% Oz 2.8% & Arnie Fields 1.4% (4.73% reported)

Alice Lai-Bitker 48.6 % Sheila Young 31.8% Jim Price 8.8% Glenda Nardine 6.5 % Lou Filipovich 4.1% ( 4.4% reported)

Gail Steele 54.3% and Richard Valle 45.5% ( 2.16% reported)

Here's the link for those who can stay up all night:
http://www.acgov.org/rov/current_election/custom.htm

A Better Blog

For those infrequent travelers in the blogosphere here's a treat:

http://kidoaklandblog.blogspot.com/

Vote Health- Highland Hospital

Vote for health, for hope and for our children. Jim Price and Richard Valle for County Supervisor and Ron Dellums for Mayor of Oakland.