Question that needs asking

[PAL]

Another thing to consider is staffing at Brewster. A lot of the specialists come up from Wenatchee or over from Omak. Is it another, build it and they will come? Staffing as it stands now, is ok, it seems. I don't have to wait months but this is at the Women's Health Center there.
Perhaps staffing would continue as it is now.

Guess what. That MPD levy will not pass!

[just-jim]

I intend to vote “what serves me”, just as you will, I’m sure, Chris.

No where did I propose closing the facility in Brewster. Nor did I say that I WAS voting no.
I do think we need to examine where and how health care money is spent. I was agreeing with Pearl, who quoted Peter and David’s letter.

I will, however, listen to the considered opinion and experience of Peter Morgan, who spent a career in hospital administration. Rather than your opinions and anecdotes.

Shoot ….maybe the answer is we build a hospital in Methow. And just to be extra super-duper safe……another one in Carlton.
Yep, that should do it!

[Fun CH]

Consider that the hospital levy is an excess levy so low income seniors and the disabled on the State tax exemption program do not pay that excess levy property tax for all three income tier levels of that program. Zero, that levy doesn't have take one cent from low income seniors and the disabled. Low income families not on that program will have a modern medical facility where the medical care itself will be low cost or free.

The Mega MAC prop 1 is a regular levy where the top tier low income seniors on that program still pay the entire regular property tax levy. The other two income tiers still pay part of that property taxes tax levy. The Mega MAC will be built and run on the backs of low income families with little to no benefit.

A Mega MAC Metropolitan Park District can return to the voters for an excess levy beyond the MPD regular levy of .75 per$1000 in assessed property value.

[PAL]

Your points are taken into consideration as well Chris. Brewster is easy to get to in the middle of the night. I know full well as I had to make the midnight emergency drive for my husband. They took good care of him. Afterward, however, a doctor said we should have kept going to Wenatchee. Why, I don't know as he got what he needed in Brewster.
I don't know if Mid-Valley has anything really state of the art as compared to Brewster. Brewster no longer delivers babies but Mid Valley does.
One theory is that if the hospital Prop One does not pass is that the 3 hospitals would have to start pooling their resources. However how long would that take to happen? In the meantime, people could be dying on the way to Wenatchee.
I'm still undecided. It is another big chunk of money but much more worthy than a luxury aquatics center. And it would save on people getting cancer treatments in Wenatchee.

[Fun CH]

Well Jim, if you want to really stick it to low income families, vote no on the hospital levy and yes on the Mega MAC like one of the FOP board members told me they were doing.

Perhaps think about the low income family member in Brewster who is injured doing hard physical labor who may need emergency care and needs it right away to save a limb or a life.

Back in the late 70's and early 80's I was working on a cattle ranch up the Chiliwist Valley. A neighbor child of a low income family died when he could not get emergency care in Omak late at night after a he hit his head while riding a kids sled.

During the pandemic his sister died of Covid after contracting that disease while working in a Brewster packing shed.

Imagine low income family members who have to work having to travel to modern hospital in Wenatchee for cancer treatments, maybe needing to find a place to stay, or drive back and forth to be near their sick loved ones.

Maybe that could be seen as inconvenient, but I suspect not as inconvenient as not being able to go for winter swim or hot tub in the proposed Mega Mac facility that runs at a $500,000 a year deficit.

One more story:

We moved my Dad, a WWII combat veteran, to be near us here in Winthrop after he retired. At one point, late at night he needed emergency care. Methow rescue arrived at his home on Wolf creek and transported him to the Brewster hospital, most likely giving him fluids on the way.

He was loosing blood at a steady rate, the emergency medical care he received saved his life.

But hey, vote for whatever best serves you.

[just-jim]

I agree Pearl, I thought David and Peter’s letter was very timely. Whenever levies for the Brewster hospital have come up for a vote in the past, I’ve often thought about how it is we think we can support 3 ‘full- service’ hospitals (Brewster, Omak and Tonasket) in this County and part of Douglas County with what - maybe 50-60,000 population? And a fourth one in Chelan!

I see the need for replacing the Brewster facilities, but wonder if we shouldn’t be thinking bigger picture and looking at more central facilities. Not sure how to vote on this one…

[Fun CH]

At least some of the pool advocates I have spoken to have wanted at least some access to the pool to be free for residents. What exactly that will all mean in the end is of course not at all clear. Because nothing is clear right now.

of course some of the pro pool people want free access. Those of us who will never use the pool, even if it had free admission, will just have to pay a bit more in property taxes. So let's dig deeper to support those who want us to pay for their Mega Mac and their free admission. Heck, let's buy 'em a few free hotdogs and a coke from the snack bar while we're at it.

That's how boondoggles work.

Or how about the people who want the pool, pay for the pool. It seems less entitled that way.

[PAL]

After reading the letter in the MVN by David Clements and Peter Morgan, both from the medical field, their explanation made sense not to vote for the hospiatl Prop. The smaller hospitals are all competing for dollars. One central one in this region would be wonderful. But where? Obvious answer is over the hill in Omak. I'd prefer it in Brewster. No going over the pass in winter, but that is another Prop to be presented.

[mister_coffee]

At least some of the pool advocates I have spoken to have wanted at least some access to the pool to be free for residents. What exactly that will all mean in the end is of course not at all clear. Because nothing is clear right now.

[pasayten]

I am betting both Proposition 1's will fail significantly...

[Jingles]

Ok let's say that Prop 1 for the MPD/MAD passes is this taxing District going to give AND YES I MEAN GIVE, every household in the school district that is paying for the Mega pool or what ever they want to call it, LIFETIME passes to use the facility? After all this is a lifetime tax so a lifetime pass would only be fair
After all if you are paying even 350.00 per year shouldn't you be able to use it without additional cost? And those that are paying more should certainly have the right to use it when they want, within reason, without having to fork over a user fee.