This has to be one of the stranger stories lately. Apparently the hospital and church were gifted this mineral lease back in 2000. The hospital and the church will apparently get a minimum of $36,000.
A local watchdog, according to the story, has already requested that the Governor step in and stop this kind of leasing from public facilities. It is ironic that a public healthcare facility would be profiting from a technology that is harming the health of citizens, rivers and air in North Dakota.
It brings into question whether the hospital and other public entities in PT should have instructions given them about divesting in oil and gas exploration investments. I believe that would an appropriate decision. Perhaps a ballot initiative is needed?
Not sure why our firebrand liberal “Occupy” hospital commissioner Matt Ready only gave a tepid “abstain” vote. Maybe he would like to clarify that in our comments. I would have expected a stronger vote than that from him.
Perhaps the money could be donated to the Mountainview Swimming Pool and workout facility fund, to help get us closer to a pool upgrade. There is of course, the still hanging issue of why the public hospital is teaming with a non-profit (the YMCA) to build and run a facility when we have 3 working health clubs already in town, paying city taxes, struggling to survive, and providing working class wages to a lot of people. Oh, and the Sequim pool levy apparently failed to pass, meaning that it’s future is in doubt. Worth thinking about that for the future of the pool levy here. Do we need a workout facility tied to the pool given the voters lack of enthusiasm for ongoing funding of these facilities? Lots of questions.
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Filed under: Puget Sound | Tagged: Jefferson county hospital, Puget Sound |
The reason we need the YMCA, is because guess what, poor people live in our town too. Ones that can’t afford the aforementioned health clubs which are “struggling” while “paying a living wage”. Maybe the owners should accept a lower standard of living and lower their prices to stay in business? In the meantime, the poor look forward to a place to exercise out of the cold and rain, or heat, or dark.
Geradine, their is no guarantee the Y will be cheaper for the poor. We have no idea what it cost anyone yet. There is no free lunch, as Sequim is finding out. The city could subsidize the poor to use the existing health clubs.They could do it today. It likely would be cheaper than building a new facility. Or they could contract with one of the existing facilities to run it. I think you would surprised that the owners of these health clubs are not as well off as you seem to think. Have you ever even met one of the owners?
Tacoma Y rates: http://www.ymcapkc.org/rates/
PTathletic (one example) http://www.ptathletic.com/membership
The rates are essentially the same, even though the Y is non-profit.and let’s not even get into the notion of city money funding a Christian organization, rather than and over a secular non-denominational business.
Then forget about calling for an initiative. A charter is the only way to get an initiative on the ballot. And it doesn’t matter whether or not you fear a charter county. It’s a (cumbersome) means to help voters control their government. It’s the only thing out there unless you wish you wish to rely on ‘good will’.
Matt is a good fellow and tho I don’t agree with his vote, I was not the one to ‘fling stones’ – you were. And I’m not here to explain his actions to you. Ask Matt
And BTW Al, there are many ways to participate in government, not just your way.
Norm Norton
I don’t have a clue what you mean by “my way.” I don’t invent ways to participate in government. Either you do or you don’t. There’s no other “way.”
“Well, Norm, if not a ballot initiative, then I’m sure there are other ways to make it happen. Like participating in government, rather than flinging stones at it.”
“I don’t have a clue what you mean by “my way.” I don’t invent ways to participate in government. Either you do or you don’t. There’s no other “way.”
Al:
Our way of participating in government: spending thousands of dollars of our own money and months of labor to promote issues we felt important and beneficial to our county. Your way: Biz as usual.
There are many out there, Al, who, like myslf aren’t interested in biz as usual – your way.
You’re stuck in a crack, Al There are many other ways of participating in government than from your safe place inside the box.
Government means ‘Government by the People’. Article1, Washington St. Constitution
Norm you do yourself a disservice when you make assumptions about what I believe in. You remember what an assumption stands for right? Anyways I’m really over this discussion. You have devolved this from a discussion about an issue into a personal attack on me, and that really serves no purpose Norm. Best of luck on future endeavors. Over and out.
“Anyways I’m really over this discussion.”
Suits me.
Well, Norm, if not a ballot initiative, then I’m sure there are other ways to make it happen. Like participating in government, rather than flinging stones at it. While I might criticize Matt Ready for doing an abstain vote, he’s still out there involved, so until he let’s me know why abstain was better than no I’ll cut him some slack. I continue to believe that we would not be better off with a Charter county, this issue not withstanding it. I look around at the other charter counties and have yet to see anything that I feel we should be emulating here.
Jefferson Healthcare and Grace Lutheran Church lease gifted mineral rights in North Dakota to frackers:
This has to be one of the stranger stories lately. Apparently the hospital and church were gifted this mineral lease back in 2000. The hospital and the church will apparently get a minimum of $36,000.
A local watchdog, according to the story, has already requested that the Governor step in and stop this kind of leasing from public facilities. It is ironic that a public healthcare facility would be profiting from a technology that is harming the health of citizens, rivers and air in North Dakota.
It brings into question whether the hospital and other public entities in PT should have instructions given them about divesting in oil and gas exploration investments. I believe that would an appropriate decision. Perhaps a ballot initiative is needed? ”
A ballot initiative? How ya gonna do a ballot initiative without a charter. Home Rule Charter was killed in 2013 by the voters, including ‘liberal firebrands’ from OPEN, (this publication), and the Jefferson Co. Democratic Party and the current administration. We need a charter to do a ballot initiative.
C’mon folks. We voters NEED to control our leaders from the bottom up to insure we get what we need after they attain power. It’s beyond foolish to intentionally squelch the means to do that , then call for a ballot initiative when it is not available.
For crying out loud, there is no controversy. There is no debate. Cynical politicians like Rand Paul and Chris Christie may pander all they want to frightened moms and the tinfoil-hat crowd-just as 49 US Senators can deny man’s role in climate change. But there is no rational basis for their beliefs. They are simply wrong – and when the media frame such idiocy as one side of a debate, they are not only legitimizing ignorance and demagoguery, they are threatening the lives of children.
Here’s the thing about reality: it doesn’t care what your opinion is. It doesn’t care what your ideology is. It doesn’t care what you believe in your heart. It doesn’t care what a website says. And it doesn’t even care what a majority of Americans think is true. Reality just is. It can’t be “balanced” by lies, superstition, or even true conviction. And any attempt to do so courts catastrophe by aiding and abetting very dangerous fools..
“We don’t have a right to ask whether we’re going to succeed or not – the only question we have a right to ask is: What’s the right thing to do? What does this Earth require of us if we want to continue to live on it?” Wendell Berry
Capitalism, unrestrained by the requirements of Planetary life support systems, is guaranteed mutually assured destruction. Socially enabled capitalism is clearly a failed paradigm. Help end tax funded pollution of the commons for starters.