What KVHD's Measure G will look like on the November ballot

The KVHD ballot measure

Unfortunately, after 234 years of America government, we still do not have the ability to say that our election process is clear of bias and unfairness.

Watching Jerry Brown and Meg Whitman clawing at each other as they fight for the California Governnor's mansion, makes us "have to" change the way we elect officials to office. I am positive we have other options than these two people acting worse than couples in divorce court.

And the unfortunate latitude given to "property tax" driven measures such as the GOB the Kern Valley Healthcare District has put on the November ballot, must be changed to be specifically understood by the average voter.

Much like we "translate" government documents into many languages, Spanish, Vietnamese, etc., to accommodate all, election ballots should be required to translate the legal and couched descriptions so that we are able to understand precisely what we are voting for.

Let's analyze the measure based solely on the verbiage only, no supplemental information, as if you never knew a thing, but came across this as you were "voting" and thinking you were doing your duty as a citizen of neighborhood, state and country.

But if you didn't research, have any sort of background, then you might find this measure difficult to sort out as to make an intelligent vote.

And because you are deciding what you and your community will pay, consideration of others comes into play as well.

Let's look at this ballot language

Proposed Measure G: (Shall the voters determine that ) “To improve healthcare in the Kern Valley, build a new emergency room, meet current seismic standards, purchase mortgaged assets to reduce annual operating costs, and provide modern medical technology, including cardiac, ultrasound and radiology, shall the Kern Valley Healthcare District be authorized to issue up to $22,700,000 in bonds at legal interest rates, with an independent Citizen’s Oversight Committee, annual audits, and provided no funds are used for administrative salaries?”

1. "Build a new emergency room." (We need an urgent care as it costs more for residents to go to an ER. This has not been addressed. If a voter were to have no information they might think putting a new ER on a 40 year old building which will be out of commission in less time than it will take to pay off Measure G is a good idea.)
2. "meet seismic standards" (one would have to know that the hospital DOES meet seismic standards and has all the way to 2030 to replace the building. Otherwise it sounds like there is some urgency when, in fact, there is none.)
3. "Purchase mortgaged assets to reduce annual operating costs" (Most people will quickly read through this and have no idea that it means they are paying a "portion" of the "old debt" from the last attempted construction project in 1986. The average person will not understand that they are NOT paying the whole debt, then are leaving half of the old debt. This may "reduce," but does not eliminate the debt. )
4. provide modern medical technology including cardiac, ultrasound and radiology. (what savvy voter would know the Hospital Foundation purchased cardiac equipment in 2007, and ultrasound and radiology are both established already. What should be here is chemotherapy and dialysis and even the less radioactive tests such as an MRI instead of the CT scan which is being used constantly at KVHD as they have nothing else because of the "old debt." which won't even be paid off within this bond.)
5. be authorized to issue up to 22.7 million in bonds at legal interest rates (Can you see property tax increase anywhere in here? Well, that is what this means. And I will be posting next the "estimated" tax rates, not the real ones which nobody will know as it is contingent on the valley staying economically viable. If half the community moved right now at the all time low of assessed property values , and some of these homes were sold, some abandoned, that would immediately change the tax base. WE ARE THE COLLATERAL, get it? There should be a rule, if you vote for this, you can't move away)
6. Independent Citizen's oversight committee (I have submitted two complaints asking for investigations of fraud, waste, obstruction of public rights, and nothing ever occurred. A committee selected by the board of directors does not convince many that their money is safe.)
7. no funds are used for administrative salaries (That part was done at the same board meeting the hospital voted to put the bond on the ballot, they also put more money in the pocket of the CEO. Does every voter know that the CEO was already over the top range of salaries for a small rural hospital, but an additional raise added insult to injury?

The hospital and it's consultants wrote the ballot obviously to make it a sweeter sounding deal than to say, we need your money as it was wasted and used unwisely for years by some of us who are still there.

Yes, they could have clarified these things, but the Kern County Counsel allowed it, let it go, even though the average voter could not understand the deeper ramifications that come along with the tax initiative.

I think the election at KVHD is a perfect example of a need for intelligent campaign and election reform. Read the sample ballot which I will get back to, as I am "the argument against" the proposed tax measure.