Joe B wrote on Aug 4, 2008 8:07 AM:Great piece Jim. I liked it.

Randy wrote on Aug 4, 2008 8:14 AM:Whether you love or hate Tri-City's administration/management team is not relevant to the issue. The hospital needs to be replaced and renovated. A bond is the only way to raise enough money to accomplish this task. If the hospital were managed by Sharps or Scripps, the District would still need to float a bond to replace and renovate the hospital. Vote YES on A, for the sake of yourself, your children and your grandchildren.

Randy wrote on Aug 4, 2008 8:53 AM:In today's San Diego Union, there is an article on B1 titled, "City offers unusual deal to struggling Sharp facility." The City of Coronado is offering $20 million for the land beneath the hospital. Grossmont Hospital District floated a bond in 2006 for their facility, which is managed by Sharp.

Mark wrote on Aug 4, 2008 1:45 PM:A bond is NOT the only way to expand or renovate a hospital! Scripps Encinitas is undergoing a major expansion and you don't see them using scare tactics to steal your money for the next 40+ years!

Do yourself and your grandchildren a favor and vote "NO" before you tax us out of existence. Close the hospital district and sell everything to Sharp, Kaiser, or Saddleback. You will get a better end result. Most importantly, those who use the hospital will pay for it with their health insurance coverage. Let's get this monkey off the backs of the homeowners who are unfortunate enough to live in the district's boundries.

Tell a friend to vote "NO"

beatupfromfeetup wrote on Aug 4, 2008 1:49 PM:Jim, God forbid your family members from out of the area get in a accident and have to use THAT HOSPITAL!!! Send em back where they live, or you need medical assistance outside your cacoon, may the emergency workers SHOP for the least popular emergency room. Must be nice to be so heathy you can only think of yourself! Mahalo

Vote Yes wrote on Aug 4, 2008 2:28 PM:The problem with your assumption is that Scripps Health is a billion dollar system with extensive gift endowment funding in excess of 30 million a year just from their community. Scripps has its financial issues but you just cannot compare a stand alone facility with a multi hospital/clinic/insurance system with a much better payer mix to Tri-City Hospital.

Our community needs a modern facility and the hospital helps support property values and provides over 2500 job for the community. This does not include the physician who work and have their offices in next to the hospital. Please vote yes as I did. I live in the community and fully support what the hospital is doing.

Mr. Crostini why don’t you want the citizens of the district to have the best health care in North County? You may use Scripps but most of the district community uses the hospital they have a right to want the best hospital in the County.

Howiek wrote on Aug 4, 2008 2:31 PM:No, Mark! Maybe you would prefer to see the hospital leveled and some nice hi-rise condos put in it place—check out the abomination they call housing in La Mesa near the Trolley station.

I live there wrote on Aug 4, 2008 2:56 PM:Mark,

Do you live in the District? I think not by the wording in your blog.

Thanks wrote on Aug 5, 2008 7:04 AM:For the advice, Randy. But I already voted NO and I'm telling everyone else to do the same.

Just One Question wrote on Aug 5, 2008 7:06 AM:If this bond passes, and the hospital builds "shells" to be finished later, where will the money come from to do that?

Gimmeabreak wrote on Aug 5, 2008 7:17 AM:Okay, cut the CEOs salary in half. What kind of upgrades to the aging facility can you pay for with an extra $250,000 for a few years? not that d**n many. So keep it up taxophobes, "no" your way out of a hospital. It's coming, all you gotta do is keep thinking short and small.

Nicodemus wrote on Aug 5, 2008 8:02 AM:Four NO, NO, NO, NO votes were mailed in from this household yesterday. I wonder how many of the doctors and nurses from TCMH actually live in the cities that will be paying for this bond. Bet you that Gonzo and Schallock are outside the area.

This bonds just the beginning wrote on Aug 5, 2008 8:06 AM:I read in this paper recently that TCMC admits that this bond won't be enough to complete their plans--some buildings will be "shells" to be completed at a later time. So I'm wondering...how far into this 40 YEAR BOND will district taxpayers be when they try to float the next one?

Open your eyes wrote on Aug 5, 2008 8:12 AM:Prop A is not to cover expenses unpaid by illegals or the uninsured. Prop A is to build a BRAND NEW hospital. What's wrong with the old one, you ask? It doesn't meet seismic standards and will be closed by 2010. Why not retrofit it, you ask? Engineering studies showed it would cost more to retrofit than to tear it down and start over. Vote yes or prepare to travel farther for your hospital services.

R not impressed wrote on Aug 5, 2008 8:33 AM:I wonder how many of the "Yes" folks are home owners within the district. I would surely vote yes to if I, and my kids and grandkids didn't have to pay for it. All who use the facility should pay their part, and they have not yet come up with an equitable plan to do this. Maybe a failure to pass (again) will prompt a better and more equitable method. And this bond does not complete the project, so they are sure to come back for more money later.

HowMuch wrote on Aug 5, 2008 11:59 AM:Just how much money will actually be needed to finish the job that Prop. A starts? The board acknowledges that, if all proposed work under A is completed, there will be buildings that are nothing but unfinished shells. Let's say that all this work is done by 2013 (the magical retrofit deadline). We then have several new unfinished buildings, shells. Will construction costs have FALLEN by 2013? So, what is the plan for financing completion of these shell buildings? Or does this board already know that they'll have to come back to the voters for more money? This should be called "Prop A Part 1," because surely they'll need more of our money to complete the job. VOTE NO ON A!

To HowMuch wrote on Aug 5, 2008 12:40 PM:Shhhhh! You're not supposed to ask those questions; it isn't polite. Prop.A is just taking its cue from PPH's BB. They will let you know when it is time for the next installment. Just turn off your brain and everything will fall into place. Trust me.

Yeah right Jim wrote on Aug 5, 2008 12:59 PM:less than $100 per year will force the "older" residents into forclosure. You can't be serious... These "older" residents are the ones who most need this facility. I cannot believe the selfishness of people in this community. I'm seeing a pattern here that most of the people against it are ex hippie, yuppie soon to be retirees...... Put off replacing the two-year old Lexus for another month....

YES is the only way wrote on Aug 5, 2008 1:12 PM:When Tri city folds and shuts down I hope when a emergency is needed with your family the ambulance can get them to Escondido fast enough to save their lives. It is crazy to not vote YES for your health and everyone else. What part of life does not and has not increased over time. For me to spend another 50/100/ 200 a year myself on tax's is nothing to save my life or someone else's. We need upgrades, We need more space their..I have spent hours in the ER waiting to be seen/ handled etc.. Tri City needs help to HELP US!......

sorry Charlie wrote on Aug 5, 2008 2:02 PM:But we older residents are NOT the one who need this hospital. We have Scripps and other insurance. I am sure if they had limited the bond to emergency room upgrades and power plant upgrades we could have voted for it. But we will NEVER be inpatients at that hospital. And thank you, the ER does a great job the two times I have been forced to use it.
We have voted NO and will continue to do so. Besides, they do not have to have a seismic retrofit, it at all, until 2030. Last, having small hospital rooms is no excuse to build new, extremely costly ones. This is hospital, not a hotel.
Property owner, each parcel of yours will add another $100-300 or more per parcel per year. You will pass this onto your tenants and there we go..more things that become unaffordable. NO NO NO a thousand times no on this bond. Don't forget to mail your NO vote in.

Victoria wrote on Aug 5, 2008 2:13 PM:I can't believe that so many of you think that the extra taxes are ok with you. Ok that when you pay them it gives people who are not from our cities, or country the luxury of imrovement while you and I, legal residents and proud homeowners, are forced to stand behind them in line.

My 8 year old has Type 1 Diabetes, insurance, a primary care physician and a mother who pays her taxes on time, only to have her wait in line behind uninsured, illegals who treat the emergency room AS IF it were their primary care physician.

Something about all of this just ain't right!!! Thank you, Jim for bringing this situation forefront and up close for the ignorant people of the community.

Our household voted not just no, but, HELL NO!!!!!

TellMeWhy wrote on Aug 5, 2008 2:27 PM:Why is it that proponent's seem to always resort to the "If the bond doesn't pass, I sure hope your father/mother/son/daughter/ aunt-in-law never needs emergency care..." argument. I know, I know, fear works (just ask GWB), but have a little honesty, folks. If the bond doesn't pass, and Tri-City really does close, do you think it's possible that some for-profit (horrors!) hospital group won't see the vast underserved population and buy it? It's a shell game. Prop A is a loser. Vote No.

We have time wrote on Aug 5, 2008 2:29 PM:A significant percentage of hospitals surveyed in California are SPC-1 facilities, constructed between 1950 and 1975. The methodology used for the seismic evaluations is NEHRP Handbook for the Seismic Evaluation of Existing Buildings (FEMA 178). Since the publication of FEMA 178 in 1992, significant progress has been made in understanding the seismic performance of buildings, especially in performance based design. HAZUS-MH has contributed in a major way to our ability to assess performance of buildings in earthquakes.
In November, 2007, the California Building Standards Commission approved the use of the HAZUS-MH Advanced Engineering Building Module (AEBM) to re-evaluate hospitals in California. The Commission's action amends the rule for implementing SB 1953.
The use of HAZUS-MH instead of the FEMA 178 methodology will offer significant cost savings for California's hospitals. As Chris Poland, former President of the Earthquake Engineering Research Institute explained, "This new method is not only more accurate in assessing a hospital's risk of failure in a 500-year earthquake, but it also saves the state billions of dollars in repairs that do not need to be completed until 2030. Many of the buildings that are safe from collapse have been inaccurately labeled as unsafe by previous rudimentary measurements."
The application of HAZUS-MH for hospital risk assessment in California has paid immediate and potentially far reaching dividends. In January 2007, the California Health Care Foundation issued a RAND report entitled, Seismic Safety: Will California's Hospitals be Ready for the Next Big Quake? The report indicates that SB 1953 could have cost $110 billion and that nearly half of the hospitals needing retrofitting would not be able to meet the 2013 deadline.
The ability to adapt the AEBM methodology to the evaluation of hospitals in California provides the state with a much more accurate assessment of the seismic safety of these essential facilities, and in the process is saving the state billions of dollars.

Unanswered questions wrote on Aug 5, 2008 3:09 PM:I visited the website for Summary of Requests for HAZUS Re-assessments which was revised on 7/17/08. TCMC submitted a request on 1/22/08 and there are no results for all 3 of the buildings because more information needs to be submitted for a determination.
Why haven't they finished the request? Will the deadline be moved to 2030? Are they going to ask for more money to finish the job? Will management take a pay cut or forgo raises and bonuses to help out?

To Victoria wrote on Aug 5, 2008 4:12 PM:Victoria, we're not ignorant, nor are we bigots. We're proud people of our community that want a top-notch hospital in our area. Maybe some will never be in-patients because they're privileged to have better insurance than some. The sad thing is these are the same people who can afford a quarter a day. Maybe that’s how we all should become privileged, pinching pennies and being stingy to others.

Why is it the opponents always have to resort to the illegal immigrant issue? I guess if we don’t have the facilities they’ll go away. For that matter, let’s just get rid of our homeless shelters so they can all migrate elsewhere. Then we can have the utopia you’re dreaming of. Let’s also get rid of the police service and fire departments. They get involved with all types including illegal immigrants. Eat your cheap strawberries, sip on your 5-dollar latte and keep burying your head in the sand.

Lastly, don’t think this extra tax will force foreclosure on those with fixed income. Mr. Crostini is a local real-estate agent. His profession has proven itself to be one of the main constituents that has brought us to the current atmosphere regarding housing…….

Mark wrote on Aug 5, 2008 5:00 PM:Funny how none of these reasons to vote "NO" on the Prop A tax never make it into the NCTimes. This fish wrap is so biased in its coverage that they really don't qualify as journalists. They are more like sensationalists. They choose to print the scare tactics and omit the facts. Anyway, I went to the website put up by the stoptaxingus group and found it to be very enlightening.

BarbsKid wrote on Aug 5, 2008 5:38 PM:You know, I can agree that TCMC needs overhauling....but I have already voted against this measure, and will likely continue to. Why? The way the measure approaches the funding....that is, as a property tax. It's just an absolutely inequitable form of taxation. It, in essence, is penalizing home owners, while those of us who rent pay nothing! And I seldom utilize services at TCMC, I'm pleased with Kaiser, thank you and wish they had a NoCo hospital!

But I digress...on the TCMC measure, I think that I, along with other renters, should pay my fair share...not just be carried by those who own homes in the area. Not that I want to have additional fees and so on, but if the homeowners have to pay into it, why shouldn't I?

victoria wrote on Aug 5, 2008 5:38 PM:To my Responder,
My husband and I have reviewed your "statement". I was just stating the FACTS!! Have you personally ever sat in the TCMC Emergency room after your CHILD has suffered some sort of attack while you, as a parent, or grandparent, watch as so many others are before you??? So many others that are viable as "humans" but not taxpayers.

Let me tell you, as a parent, I feel helpless and unsure as to how to comfort my child as she sees children with stuffy noses are being seen before her when I literally found her BLUE!!! You raised a hair on my back, I am sorry.

There is not enough money available by taxpayers to improve this facility.

Why not let some larger institution take over the premises with substantial reserved funding, such as Scripps, and get things under control at no ones "expense". I am sorry to be so rash, but like I said, you raised a hair on my back.

Thank you again, Mr. Crostini, for making the facts known.

And by the way, when my daughter is to be treated for Emergency Care, I have chosen to take her to other facilities that see the urgency in her condition, because they are facilities within my insurance plans that are exclusive to the insured, only.

And also if I may say, I have immense respect for the Hispanic people, I do not appreciate your "bigotry" implication. I belive in America and everything it stands for. And Citizenship is a very big part of it!

Local Boy wrote on Aug 5, 2008 6:39 PM:I understand that our local Hospital is in need of repair. Why did it come to this? I have used these facility. I paid my bill.Go some where else and get the $. Stay off of my property.I am being squezzed everywhere I go. When I sat in the waiting area at the ER you are telling me that the person in front of me did not pay there bill!!! Why dont we get the IRS to get the $ from the deadbetes...We have bigger problem then this and if we inforce the laws that I live by maybe we would be sending praise to the folks that are trying to do ther jobs. I do hope that if I have to go to TRICITY for urget care that I get the best care avalible. I am asured that the medical bill will beat me home.

Local Boy wrote on Aug 5, 2008 7:15 PM:I will vote No again.Who will represent us if our tax dollars are used. TCMC needs a manegment overhaul.I have been in need of there services and I paid my bill.Stay away from my property taxes...Whats next!

No comparison wrote on Aug 5, 2008 7:42 PM:Interesting that bloggers frequently suggest TriCity does not compare to Scripps in regard to quality patient care. LA Times recently had an article about serious patient errors in California hospitals. Guess which hospital was named in the article. Hint: It wasn't TriCity.

from the back gate wrote on Aug 5, 2008 7:47 PM:Once again, no voters, including the people who work for tcmc and vote no, have missed the point. You all jumped on the band wagon, not once, but twice for a school bond for O'side and I personally dont believe that i am receiving my moneies worth. At least with a new hosp, I might reap a bit of a benefit from it if I have need of medical attention. People treat Tri-City like a hotel and expect it to be 5 Star. Get real, TCMC is 50 years onld in the center and decay has set in. As a 30 Plus year resident of Oceanside, I have used the hospital on numerous occasions for my childrens bumps, bruises and broken bones and stichable cuts. The emergency room took care of these events on a case by case basis as to the severity of the problem. If you love scrips so much, go there and while you are at it, sell your more affordable home in O'side and move closer to your beloved scrips. Other wise, stop whining and pay your part for living here. If you wish you can send me money for my payement of taxes for the school system wich i no longer have use of and did not use for my children. My choice, so put up or shut up as I have. If you are going to talk the talk, make sure you can walk the walk

Re No comparison wrote on Aug 5, 2008 9:07 PM:It wasn't Scripps Encinitas either.

Umm.. wrote on Aug 5, 2008 10:50 PM:Some pollster called to see if I got my "little blue envelope" today, and if I was going to send it in. They were all giggly and pretty unprofessional sounding. Guess what I told 'em? "I voted no, licked it and mailed it. It's gone, sorry, you're too late."

Well Now wrote on Aug 6, 2008 12:38 AM:I was going to vote yes.

Fully intended on doing so.

Began checking a few things out. Didn't like what I saw.

* The fee for the bond is an ESTIMATE per $100,000.

* "Building shells" not completed to be done so at a later date.

* Only a portion of the cities involved will carry the burden.

Bet ya the government, in one form or the other, pitches in to save this public hospital, like they are doing in other areas.

BTW, we should NOT have bonds for schools, either.

~~~~

Victoria -- if you found your child blue, why didn't you call 911? They'd take her in the back door.

Hospitals triage patients. That means, the worst goes first; not who has the most money or the best insurance.

TCMC is a good hospital. However, they do need to spend their money more wisely.

You know, if the insurance companies paid more, then the uninsured can pay less. Hmmm... have to ponder this idea. Maybe I am missing something but it just popped into my mind.

~~~~

As for real estate agents MOST of them are legit and do NOT want people to buy houses they cannot afford.

They did not solely cause the housing market fiasco.

People who lied about income and (some) unscrupulous lenders were a HUGE part of the meltdown.

~~~~

Illegals, no matter what their country of origin is, DO drain the systems (medical, educational, legal).

To Victoria and husband wrote on Aug 6, 2008 10:37 AM:So much talk about privatizing this hospital. Victoria talks about the wait behind the illegal immigrant's sniffles and sneezes. So will Scripps put an armed guard outside to keep the illegals out? I sure hope it doesn't come to that in this country...... Vote the current board out if you’re unhappy with their performance. Don’t vote a community hospital out of the area to be replaced with one for the privileged only…..

Sobering Fact wrote on Aug 6, 2008 1:46 PM:What many of you are missing here is Emergency Preparedness in our community. If you receive your care at one of the other hospitals you may ask why support the program at Tri-City. Aside from the 2500+ well paying jobs the hospital provides to our citizens we must be prepared disasters a society. We must ensure North County has the emergency infrastructure to support a large influx of patients in a disaster natural or man made.

If the San Andreas Fault breaks at the Salton Sea area with a 6.5 earthquake San Diego will take a major hit. Many structures will experience significant failure. We most likely will lose all power for several days and probably have major disruption to our water supply.

There will be many fatalities and injuries also known as mass casualties. Tri-City may not fall down but it definitely will be taken out of service. The core building is over 50 years old with most utility lines supporting the rest of the facility running through the 50 year old core. The hospital would probably be permanently out of service and will not be able to treat a single patient during the crisis.

Palomar and Encinitas hospital will be overwhelmed with the mass casualties. Your family and mine! Society will completely break down as you know it. If you think for a minute that the other local hospitals can handle the normal volume of patients they see you are sorely mistaken. In even a small disaster North County will not be able to handle high volumes of patients with all hospital running.

The sobering fact is that the above scenario could happen today. Some will say this is scare tactics. They are wrong! Are you willing to bet your life and your family’s life on their rhetoric?

To Sobering fact wrote on Aug 6, 2008 3:21 PM:It is well known that California is going to break off and fall into the ocean. That core building won't float.

victoria wrote on Aug 7, 2008 7:46 AM:My husband and I are a couple of the most "humane" people that I know. And what is so wrong for wanting "preferential" treatment?

We work hard and pay our taxes here in America for that honor. There are numerous "free clinics" in the area where no one is turned away, why is it too much to expect to receive what WE as citizens pay for??????

Free Clinics...NOT wrote on Aug 7, 2008 9:06 AM:TCMC has 2 "ER's".

One is more of an urgent care. It's open until midnight or so.

The other is the normal EMERGENCY room.

~~~~
Victoria, Aug 7th, @ 7:46AM:

You are right about the free clinics -- Vista Community Clinic, for one. But people ARE turned away if they don't have the money to pay the fees.

For instance, I KNOW of a "white" girl who went to the free clinic because she was sick (she met the criteria for "free services"). She was CHARGED a fee. After MUCH discussion, they stuck to their "She has to pay." Luckily I was there to pay it.

At the same time, a "brown" girl was in the clinic with the same exact medical and monetary condition (knew it because I had talked to her while waiting). She got services for FREE.

After much talking to the clinic personnel -- AGAIN -- all they said is the "brown" girls monetary situation is confidential and would NOT refund the "white" girls money.

I even told the clinic the "white" girl was part Samoan, just to see, if that netted her with the same privileges as the "brown" girl. Nope. The clinic did not believe us -- even tho' it was the truth.

Why didn't the "white" girl go to TCMC? She was not sick enough and did NOT want to leave a HUGE bill behind that she could not pay.

Raquel wrote on Aug 7, 2008 10:54 AM:I have to agree to vote no on Prop "A" but for different reasons. I feel that they should tax everyone. So many times you hear people complaining that the facility is so outdated and the care there is less than perfect. Well why not do something about it. Let us all as a community pay for the upgrades that need to be made and not just the homeowners. Those that obviously sit at home up to no good use the facilities probably more than you or I do and why should I pay for their stupidity. While they are buying their beer and junk that they don't really need let them pay a higher tax. So in turn they are also paying for the facilities they use. I would love to see the hospital facilities upgraded and brought up to date but why should I as a home owner being the only one doing it. Let everybody in the surrounding cities that would use the facility step up to the plate.

SANDY wrote on Aug 19, 2008 10:50 AM:CAN SOMEONE TELL ME WHERE I CAN GET A BALLOT FOR THIS PROP A BOND? I HAVE NOT YET RECEIVED A BALLOT.I WOULD LIKE MY VOTE TO BE HEARD AS WELL.



THANK YOU SO MUCH,
SANDY ... CITY OF VISTA

Homeowners shouldnt have to foot the bill wrote on Aug 22, 2008 10:04 PM:I hope those who are voting on this are actually reading the ballot info. I agree with Raquel, why are only the homeowners paying for this bond. There are plenty of others who are using TCMC and I don't feel like I should have to foot the bill. I'm saying NO.
BTW-Sandy, contact the registrar of voters they will send you a ballot if you are eligible to vote on this Prop.