What the hell is up with your county commissioners? Any chance someone decent might run against one of these heartless fossils?
Courtesy of Off the Kuff (be sure to read the linked story from the Chronicle. It's even worse than it sounds):
"They said I made too much," said (William) Wright, who would have to have earned less than $2,328 a year to qualify for indigent health care in Collin County.
Social workers in Plano, and Dallas County officials who say their public hospital is losing millions of dollars a year handling patients streaming in from their northern neighbor, have recently begun putting heat on Collin County to open its wallet and its heart.
But the county's fiscal conservatism has thus far proved to be an immovable force.
"You bet. We don't like to pay taxes," said Collin County Commissioner Jerry Hoagland. "Nobody I'm talking with wants to raise taxes to pay for this."
"They brag they haven't spent taxpayer money on this in 20 years," said Pam Kaus, health care coordinator for Collin County Interfaith. The group, which has been vocal on the issue, was rebuffed in 2003 when it sought county money to open a clinic.
[...]
[S]ome uninsured Collin County residents -- 237 in 2003 -- end up at Dallas County's taxpayer-funded Parkland Hospital.
Of those, Collin County reimbursed Dallas for one through its indigent trust fund.
Those in-patient stays, plus 4,575 outpatient visits by uninsured Collin County people that year, left Parkland $6 million in unpaid bills, according to an audit report.
Because of Parkland, Dallas County's taxes are double those of its northern neighbor.
"Parkland believes anybody who shows up should get health care. It's not our problem they don't qualify patients before they admit them," said Collin County Commissioner Phyllis Cole, who said she believes health care should be left to charities and the private sector. "I wish they would get off my back."
I cannot believe these people.
I think on Commissioner Cole's back is exactly where someone should be, as she's Vice Chair of the Health Care Foundation. What is the Health Care Foundation's charge, you might ask.
Good question:
To assist the Board of Trustees and Collin County in the development
and provision of health care and related programs for its indigent
citizens; to guide, support, and nurture efforts that will enhance the
quality and availability of health care services for the citizens of
the county.
Someone's been seriously derelict in her duties. Commissioner Cole should check in the library for a dictionary to make sure she understands the difference between develop and obstruct. That is, if she's not too cheap to have funded a public library system.
Anyone out there a Collin County resident? There's a chance to tell her so tomorrow morning:
NOTICE OF A REGULAR MEETING OF THE COUNTY HEALTH CARE FOUNDATION BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Notice is hereby given that the Collin County Health Care Foundation Board of Trustees will meet in regular session on MONDAY, February 7, 2005 at 10:30 A.M. in the Commissioners Courtroom on the 6th floor of the Collin County Courthouse, at 210 S. McDonald Street, McKinney, Texas.
The following business matters will be considered:
1. Consent agenda to approve:
1. Filing of the February
7, 2005, Regular Agenda;
2. Filing of the December
14, 2004, Minutes;
3. Filing of the December
21, 2004, Minutes;
4. Disbursements for the period ending
February 1, 2005, County
Auditor;
5. Creation of the Collin
County Taskforce on Indigent Health
Care, Administrative Services;
6. Submission to Southwestern Medical
Foundation for Shoap Foundation Funds
of $2,100 for training sexual assault
nurse examiners.
EXECUTIVE SESSION
2. Executive Session, in accordance with Section 551 of the
Government Code, to discuss the following business matters:
Personnel (551.074)
To deliberate the appointment, salary, employment, evaluation, reassignment,duties, discipline, or dismissal of a public officer or employee
Board/Committee Appointments
Appointment of the Collin
County Taskforce on Indigent Health
Care
The court reserves the right to convene into executivesession throughout this meeting.
3. Any action resulting from executive session.
4. Adjourn.