Comments on Advance Indiana™: More On Wishard Referendum

Saw the evening news clip and appropriate comment....

2009-10-19T06:17:15.487-05:00

Saw the evening news clip and appropriate comment.

My big problem with the Star right now is hypocris...

2009-10-19T00:08:13.507-05:00

My big problem with the Star right now is hypocrisy. They are big into lobbying and redistricting reform, but the editorial Sunday morning simply blew off as no big deal that the question did not identify they were building a new hospital or how much they would be borrowing. How could a newspaper dedicated to reform simply overlook that.

It's the end justifies the means mentality. The Star has repeatedly overlooked dishonest tactics employeed by HHC because, hey what the heck, it's for a good cause.

Mr. Ryerson seems to complain about unfair misperc...

2009-10-18T18:36:54.117-05:00

Mr. Ryerson seems to complain about unfair misperceptions. There's a suppossed lack of appreciation of the Star's nuances between "reporting" versus "opinion" versus "editorials". News Flash for the Star: They're tough to appreciate when they're basically identical:

1)More local school funding, regardless of not knowing where the existent funding is going
2)More Wishard funding, regardless of a questionable cash flow scheme in a time of massive foreclosures and unemployment
3)National health care legislation- regardless of it being unreadable, unaffordable, and inapplicable (to Congress).
4)Unwavering support of President Obama, despite being the first modern President to refuse to share birth, health, college, and political records.

There was an excellent sign at another Star-ignored political rally yesterday: "Media: Want to make a profit? Try reporting both sides."

I have an alternative: Why don't we tell the ...

2009-10-18T18:18:26.898-05:00

I have an alternative:

Why don't we tell the Capital Improvement Board we want them to operate our county hospital?

Wishard could be run by the outstanding business managers and financial experts that operate our Conseco Fieldhouse and our Lucas Oil Stadium!

HERS Foundation, I'm not going to go out and b...

2009-10-18T09:59:37.686-05:00

HERS Foundation, I'm not going to go out and buy the book to find out what it says. Why don't you just cut and past the appropriate passage if you want the readers to know what it's all about?

Thanks, Pat. I used the higher figure included in ...

2009-10-18T09:41:04.894-05:00

Thanks, Pat. I used the higher figure included in the public notice. Cat Stevens got that number from the proponents. Yeah, they pulled out the big guns didn't they, Pat. I thought Deborah Daniels was going to become completely unhinged before Cathy eventually called on her. As she said, "I don't work for Wishard. I'm just a volunteer." I guess the $267,000 Health & Hospital paid to her law firm so far this year doesn't count.

Read about the protest at Wishard, and what patien...

2009-10-18T09:38:20.117-05:00

Read about the protest at Wishard, and what patients said in the new book THE H WORD, p.102-106, www.thehword.org.

You did an excellent job of laying out the history...

2009-10-18T08:38:56.500-05:00

You did an excellent job of laying out the history, the issues, and the complexity of the Wishard referendum. I was surprised how the paid proponents packed the room. You would think they could have been more polite and not kept trying to have the last word, the next to last word, and the one before that, and ... -- all the while not providing any real insight as to why the referendum language is sufficient, why they need to secure the bonds with property taxes all the while telling voters they won't need property taxes, or even what the final cost to build will be.

You mentioned in WTHR report that the project will cost $630 million. I would just point out that the legal notice, which at least defines the upper limit of borrowing (not spending) says they can borrow up to $703 million, then they can add the $150 million they already saved (yes, as you said Saturday, that is a shocking amount to have squirrelled away), then they can add the estimated $120 million interest pay-down from the 'Build America Bonds'. That adds up to $973 million. Then, on top of all that, they can pay interest on the bonds up to $830 million. So, if the referendum goes through, the final cost to the taxpayers could reach a very cool $1.8 billion.

I give H&H and the city 5 years by which time I expect the payback on the bonds will be entirely shifted to the property tax rolls.

Again, great job on Saturday. If voters really want to be informed on both perspectives about the referendum, they should catch a replay of the McANA meeting when it gets into the Channel 16 rotation.