Beware of bandits
Re: Out-of-area construction firms spend heavily to influence bond votes, Free Lance, Oct. 11, 2024.
This is a stick-up. We are looking right down the barrel of a gun. Some construction firms are not the only bandits who want our vote. A healthcare firm also spends heavily for our vote so they can buy the hospital and make money.
Just like out-of-area construction firms these bandits are an out-of-area private for-profit healthcare company known as Insight. These bandits ride into town as big wealthy spenders before donning masks for the heist. The only way to corral our hospital is through this heist of confusing misinformation on Ballot Measure X asking for voter authorization to sell our precious hospital.
However, the bullets in their six shooter are blanks. These fakes are empty threats of losing our healthcare if we don’t give up our vote required to sell our hospital. Our hospital is currently rich with doctors and nurses working under difficult circumstances to provide good healthcare plus additional surplus funds of over $15 million. Bandit bullets are blanks because we already have fully functional healthy healthcare.
Our used-to-be-small-town no longer exists. Hollister is currently the fastest growing community in the state, showing no signs of slowing down. No reason exists to sell our hospital; rather, every reason exists to keep and grow this healthcare gem in our own community.
We also remember how Hazel Hawkins Memorial Hospital began as a pure gift memorializing the tragic death of a 9-year-old girl. A broken hearted grandfather sturdily built it, filled it with equipment and supplies then turned over the keys to trustees 127 years ago. Although now more buildings with supplies and equipment exist, we would be foolish people to vote this inheritance away.
The biggest catastrophe ever to happen in Hollister would be a vote to sell this treasure to Flint, Mich. bandits so they can ride out of town and laugh all the way to the bank.
Mary Zanger
Hollister
No more spending for high school
Hollister High School is once again asking residents for more money—measures L and M. Our family is currently paying over $500 per year in taxes from previous bonds to the high school and will be paying this amount for years to come.
Not too long ago, the high school received over $100 million. There were student safety and overcrowding issues at that time; however, the administrators of the money decided a $50 million pool and millions more on tennis courts and a barn were the more important uses for the money.
As a long time resident of Hollister, I realize there are many worthwhile projects the city needs financed—a new community center, affordable housing for the unhoused, a hospital, bike trails, etc. When an institution is given $100 million, I expect them to uphold certain standards of guardianship for those precious funds that we the people are providing.
We have the most amazing public high school on the Central Coast. For rural little Hollister to have a high school that looks more like a university is pretty special. If we were a community of billionaires I could understand it. I am not willing to give more.
I am sorry they were not able to meet their goals with the generous funds they received. I am curious as to the percentage of the high school population which benefits from the pool and tennis courts and barn.
The state of California will also be asking for more money in taxes for schools to be built on the next ballot. The city of Hollister receives impact fees for every new home built, which goes toward important projects. Amazon is committed to supporting this community. The high school has money to run campaigns, asking for more money in almost every election I can remember.
I’m just not convinced we need to vote yes.
Daren Kortsen
Hollister
