Election Tea Leaves: Health Care District

Yesterday's Daily Post had a helpful guide to the upcoming elections in the Fall.  There are only a couple of races of interest here in B'game.  They are the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District, the Harbor District (which is always entertaining if not all that visible to non-boatowners) and the Peninsula Health Care District Board which has five members listed here.

Three members are up for election in the Fall:  the Chair, Lawrence Cappel, and two B'gamers Helen Galligan and Dennis Zell.  They are being challenged by Douglas Radtke.  I'm acquainted with Helen Galligan and Dennis Zell since they have been active in B'game affairs for some time, but I do not know Douglas Radtke.  His website is found here.  One aspect of his platform is

Peninsula Healthcare District has in the past, rejected a potential consolidation with Sequoia Healthcare District. I support investigation into the possibility of instead forming a Countywide Healthcare District which would supplant both SHCD and PHCD – this would truly serve the actual needs of the entire county.

I would have to give that some thought since my natural reaction is that bigger is not always better.  I'll keep an eye out for the incumbents' position statements and any forthcoming debates.  In the meantime, here is an interesting YouTube clip from when Mr. Radtke ran for Millbrae City Council last year.

Comments

[Douglas Radtke]

Thank you for the exposure, I think the quote works better in context:

I also support putting the future of the Peninsula Healthcare District on the ballot and letting voters have a say in the future and direction of the District. Enabling the voters to make a choice is democracy in action, and should be considered.

This ballot initiative would be proposed after a LAFCo municipal review is performed, an action the PHCD has yet to perform. How can the board draw conclusions without a comprehensive review being performed?

The Healthcare Districts were not founded with the intention of being a taxpayer payer funded "United Way", acting as a grant giving foundation at the whim of the board.

I support the Grand Jury's findings and recommendations. Currently the District is exploring acquisitions of parcels of land on Trousdale.

The board has thrown out assisted care, the memory and community center in their feasibility studies according to the latest meeting agenda.

I ask, with our taxpayer payer dollars why is Peninsula Healthcare District getting into real estate development of what essentially are condominiums with some senior accommodations?

How is this serving the healthcare needs of the district they claim to serve?

The primary beneficiaries of the board's real estate activities are Pinto & Associates and whatever construction firm they decide to proceed with if their plans are executed.

Meanwhile, there are thousands of uninsured and legitimate healthcare needs within the district. The District sits on $61 million dollars and in my opinion did not give the Grand Jury a legitimate explanation of the high amount of reserves which serves no one.

A vote for me is a vote supporting the hard work of the individuals who staff the Grand Jury.

[Joe]

Thanks, Douglas. Some of our readers have a shorter attention span, but you are welcome to expand in Comments anytime.

[Douglas Radtke]

I disagree with the significant steps the district has committed towards developing real estate.

I disagree with Chappel's view of real estate development being a "cash hedge". This is a healthcare district, not Greenlight Capital and no one sitting on the board is David Einhorn.

The Healthcare Districts were not chartered to function as a real estate development firm.

The primary project of PHCD is no longer a community center, assisted care, memory care, mixed use, or medical office project. It is quickly becoming a residential only development - what business does PHCD have in building housing?

Councilmember Ortiz from Burlingame stated "it would not be politically wise to build only housing".

Hey, I agree. I don't think it is only politically wise, but it is frankly outright misappropriation of taxpayer funds.

The Board needs to submit to a LAFCo municipal review or engaged the voters and allow the citizens they allege to serve.

This has been addressed by the Grand Jury report. I highly encourage everyone to give it a read and let the facts and findings of the good people who volunteer their time to serve be your guide in this election.

http://www.peninsulahealthcaredistrict.org/wp-content/uploads/July-Meeting-Materials.pdf

[1) Renew, 2) Refocus, and 3) Reform]

Please don't be afraid to become engaged and active in your community, including debating policy issues and direction.

I know the existing Peninsula Health Care Board members well.

I've heard the CEO say to a group, "All I want to do is to help Hispanics!" (she's Caucasian) with the tax money that the Health Care District takes from YOU and redistributes to people/groups of her choice.

Just say no to racism and hard-core Socialism in Burlingame and in San Mateo County.

The Pen Health Care District was created to build a high quality hospital decades ago. It DID its job. Now what?

Please vote for new, smart candidates for The Peninsula Health Care District. The current oversee'ers need oversight and effort to:

1) Renew, 2) Refocus, and 3) Reform for the benefit of all residents, equally!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=RjPoEC0b7yQ

[daleholmgren]

Doug Radtke is the voice we need. Anyone that is sitting on a $61M slush fund of our money needs to explain themselves. I'm tired of government socking away our money and then crying that they need more. Did we even dream of the day when our sales tax rates would be this high? Totally despicable. At least Doug is offering accountability to the taxpayers - I don't hear that from the other candidates.

[Editor]

Reposted here on an appropriate post by the editor for Doug Radke as of Feb 26:

Joe, The Peninsula Healthcare District is appointing the person who will fill the vacancy tonight at 5:45pm in the Burlingame Council Chambers. I am stuck at PwC working 65 hour weeks and our filing deadline is Friday I can't get time off I will be working until 4am today most likely. I ask anyone who cares about the Burlingame community to attend the meeting for a bit tonight. I asked the board to please read my statement in lieu of my presence. It is absolutely frustrating about the timing of the appointment so soon after the election and during audit/tax season. As a working individual I should not be punished in consideration for this role - especially since I actually ran in the election. The other 8 candidates didn't have the energy to even do that: Dear PHCD Board, I am asking for this appointment to the board for multiple reasons, first and foremost I am asking you to honor Democracy. You are tasked with a very important choice today to fill the vacancy of the board by an appointment. We previously had an election where we asked the people of the county to decide who they want on the board. An overwhelming amount, nearly 13,000 said they would have liked me. I was told nearly 8 people have applied for this vacancy which I find curious since not one of those other 8 people decided to put their skin in and simply run. When the Board of Supervisors moved to appoint Carol Groom, numerous individuals, political parties, and the League of Women Voters called for a vote to happen instead of appointment. The reason that wanted an election is because dialogue, viewpoints, and transparency can't happen without an election. I understand the rationale behind the appointment, but I ask you to choose wisely. In lieu of an election I ask you to respect the democratic process. In Millbrae, when Councilwoman Nadia Holober passed away they rationalized that since Anne Oliva was the runner-up by a slim margin, she would fill the temporary vacancy until a formal election is held. I see this as a fair and equitable solution because Anne put her time and energy into getting on the ballot and running. The emphasis of PHCD has currently been a strong emphasis to serving seniors with the Assisted Living facility underway. The Marco Polo site is a prime 8 aces of land and Phase I shows that this is also primarily a senior living facility. Seniors make up 15% of the Burlingame population and are proportionally the same percentage district-wide. Social security and Medicare spending accounted for 20% of federal spending and has grown currently to 40% of all federal spending. By 2030, estimates have it pinned at half. In 1984, the wealth gap was 10:1 between ages 65 and older, and those working class individuals under the age of 35. By 2009, this gap has ballooned to 47:1. This trend is not only demonstrative of older Americans getting wealthier, but of younger Americans getting poorer. There is no one on the board my age who represents the 35 and younger demographic. The fact I am not physically present at this meeting is no demonstration of lack of passion - I have been working an average of 65 hours a week at PriceWaterhouseCoopers this busy season for the last 8 weeks straight. This is not reflective of my normal work schedule, and I went through considerable efforts to just arrive at the interview for the position. All Peninsula Healthcare District meetings should be filmed and available for streaming if not on a website, for free on YouTube. A youth advisory committee should be formed to steer more interests to children. Working families with school age children should be represented more because due to Proposition 13, the youngest and newest homeowners disproportionately pay into the revenue of the district more than anyone else. The district is overwhelmingly young with 50% of the population at age 35 or younger in most cities. Please make the right choice tonight. I ask the board to strongly consider what I represent and bring to the table. Regards, Doug Radtke

[Account Deleted]

I was at the Burlingame Elementary School District board meeting last night (during which the Hoover attendance boundaries were approved), and a representative from the Peninsula Health Care District presented about the major development plan currently underway for the property surrounding the hospital on Trousdale/Marco Polo. Here's a link with more info about the project:
http://www.peninsulahealthcaredistrict.org/marco-polo-site/