Re: Legislator’s unwritten rule, Free Lance, Sept. 27, 2024
Because of the need for discussion and debate voiced by a concerned California legislator we need to discuss our November ballot. Measure X’s wording is carefully crafted to deceive the voter. Similarly, the electric car was trashed 18 years ago.
In 2006, General Motors, without explanation, recalled all its electric cars, crushed them and sold the wrecks for scrap metal. Oil industry executives destroyed the popular electric car because it would reduce their corporate profits.
Similarly a company from Flint, Michigan where corporate profit reduced the auto industry want again to wreak havoc.
Ballot Measure X would destroy our hospital because of confusing and misleading language.
The ballot misleads by trying to connect the hospital to a tax increase. This meaningless threat is like a gas car trying to run on an empty tank.
Continuing to mislead down this road in the opposite direction we need to look at the map to know where we are going. The map is our property tax bill.
When homeowners examine their property tax bill they see they already pay for our hospital in a bond. Worse is that the Insight sales contract specifies buying only assets like equipment, supplies, bank accounts and cash.
The buyer remains free of all the liabilities like upgrade costs, pensions and improvements that remain to burden taxpayers. Voters must understand the fact that selling the hospital doubly burdens taxpayers by continuing to pay for bonds while losing the income which offsets the investment.
The ballot further elongates by listing hospital services while tilting the response toward a “Yes.” Overly lengthy language insinuates that healthcare provision requires selling the hospital.
In reality, the hospital generates funds while providing healthcare. Don’t be misled! Measure X offers the voter healthcare services only if a private corporation can make a profit.
This corporate company, Insight, will trash our system of local control taking us backward to limiting doctors, reducing services and raising prices for profit. Measure X deserves a “NO” vote!
Mary Zanger
Hollister
