Union-Tribune Editorial - More Disclosure on PPH/Kaiser Deal
Union-Tribune Editorial
More disclosure
Public access needed at Palomar Pomerado Health district
2:00 a.m. June 7, 2009
We are grateful for the time and effort that 19 volunteers (usually retirees) put in every year to serve on the county grand jury. Grateful to them, but certainly not always in agreement with them.
As it did two months ago when it recommended the adoption of a $52.7 million annual trash pick-up fee for San Diego homeowners, while mischaracterizing the nature of the city's pension deficit, the grand jury has gotten another one terribly wrong.
This time, the earnest jurors were bamboozled by the slick talk of the people who run the publicly owned Palomar Pomerado Health district in North County. The issue at hand was the hospital district's insistence that it can keep key details of contracts hidden from the public because they arguably could be used for competitive advantage by private hospital groups. Residents have requested details of a particular deal, but been denied.
The good jurors, according to their report, were satisfied by assurances from district officials that there were no “problems involving public disclosure.” They also reviewed sections of state law and agreed with Palomar Pomerado officials that the law grants them the right to make secret deals. Our reading of those sections suggests otherwise. And, as we have said, if they are ambiguous, the Legislature should rewrite them in favor of the public's right to monitor how elected officials spend tax dollars.
That, of course, is the issue here – the critical importance of open government. One need look only at what problems caused by secrecy have done to the reputation of the neighboring Tri-City Hospital district.
Palomar Pomerado, which serves San Marcos, Escondido, Poway, Ramona, parts of Rancho Peñasquitos and Rancho Bernardo and other areas, is supported by property taxes. In 2004, residents, who elect the district's governing board, voted to increase their taxes for a $496 billion bond issue to fund a new cutting edge hospital in Escondido and other improvements.
Counties, cities, school districts and other government agencies are required to make their revenues, expenses and contracts available for public review. Public hospital districts should not be entitled to any less rigorous scrutiny, despite what a panel of well-meaning volunteers concludes.
In the Union-Tribune on Page F2 (06/07/2009)
More Disclosure Editorial
More disclosure
Public access needed at Palomar Pomerado Health district
2:00 a.m. June 7, 2009
We are grateful for the time and effort that 19 volunteers (usually retirees) put in every year to serve on the county grand jury. Grateful to them, but certainly not always in agreement with them.
As it did two months ago when it recommended the adoption of a $52.7 million annual trash pick-up fee for San Diego homeowners, while mischaracterizing the nature of the city's pension deficit, the grand jury has gotten another one terribly wrong.
This time, the earnest jurors were bamboozled by the slick talk of the people who run the publicly owned Palomar Pomerado Health district in North County. The issue at hand was the hospital district's insistence that it can keep key details of contracts hidden from the public because they arguably could be used for competitive advantage by private hospital groups. Residents have requested details of a particular deal, but been denied.
The good jurors, according to their report, were satisfied by assurances from district officials that there were no “problems involving public disclosure.” They also reviewed sections of state law and agreed with Palomar Pomerado officials that the law grants them the right to make secret deals. Our reading of those sections suggests otherwise. And, as we have said, if they are ambiguous, the Legislature should rewrite them in favor of the public's right to monitor how elected officials spend tax dollars.
That, of course, is the issue here – the critical importance of open government. One need look only at what problems caused by secrecy have done to the reputation of the neighboring Tri-City Hospital district.
Palomar Pomerado, which serves San Marcos, Escondido, Poway, Ramona, parts of Rancho Peñasquitos and Rancho Bernardo and other areas, is supported by property taxes. In 2004, residents, who elect the district's governing board, voted to increase their taxes for a $496 billion bond issue to fund a new cutting edge hospital in Escondido and other improvements.
Counties, cities, school districts and other government agencies are required to make their revenues, expenses and contracts available for public review. Public hospital districts should not be entitled to any less rigorous scrutiny, despite what a panel of well-meaning volunteers concludes.
In the Union-Tribune on Page F2 (06/07/2009)
More Disclosure Editorial
posted by Robroy at 12:44 PM
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