With sunshine warmth, spring breaks and Easter season upon us we must go to the beach. At the ocean—smooth with few white caps—we see a lifeboat rising and falling in swells with paddlers poking the blue. The people in this lifeboat are not in deep water but they are in over their heads.
We could think that the Hazel Hawkins Memorial Hospital Board is in this lifeboat at bay for help. They do not seem to see the group on shore waving. Maybe the dark glasses the people in the boat are wearing prevent them from seeing safety on the sandy beach.
Some in this team of rescuers have rolled up their pant legs and are wading in the surf to get closer to the lifeboat willing to risk dunking in order to drag the vessel ashore. This team is like our San Benito County Board of Supervisors, who have researched a plan to save our hospital adrift in the lifeboat. The supervisors’ plan provides the structure and management like food and water, plus more skilled people and doctors for the people in the distressed lifeboat.
But look what we see out in the deep harbor. It looks like a big white Princess Cruise. It appears that the people in the lifeboat are paddling toward this attractive ship when they could be paddling to shore and be saved. This ship is like the plans to buy and privatize the hospital.
This big whiteness is a mirage. In fact, this ship appears to be steaming away.
Still, the team on shore is waving and encouraging the lifeboat occupants to paddle to shore. In fact, the tide is favoring the direction of shore. The paddlers only have to bravely swallow their fear and ride the breakers in. The whole county is cheering the lifeboat over the waves into safety.
When the HHMH Board gets their feet on the ground they will thank the SBC Board of Supervisors and work enthusiastically together to save our hospital.
Mary Zanger
Hollister
