Louise Dustrude for EMS Levy
A recent letter to the editor concluded with the statement: “Rejecting the levy to punish EMS for past failures will only harm all islanders.”
I would add that rejecting it hoping to be offered a 35-cent levy in November, as advocated by Jack Cory and others, will also surely harm islanders.
Technically there could be another vote in November, but what keeps employees here with that sort of uncertainty? If they leave, who will replace them? Do we want to add more turmoil to a department that has seen its share in recent years?
The difference between a 35-cent and a 50-cent levy is just $60 a year on a property assessed at $400,000.
The 2017 budget unanimously approved last week by the public hospital district commissioners, and posted on line at sjcphd.org, reflects the reality we face today:
- Rising costs for everything, and reduced revenue from Medicaid, Medicare, and private insurance;
- Salaries for the four paramedics determined through collective bargaining mediation which are significantly lower than they could be earning elsewhere in the state;
- And of special note, emergency service provided to all residents at no out-of-pocket cost to the patient beyond what their insurance pays.
Could this be sustained with a smaller budget? No, it couldn’t.
I call this to the attention of island voters, because I think many of us simply assume that when we have medical distress of some sort there will be someone we can call who will come and help.
If that sort of service is no longer funded (and without passage of a levy it won’t be after the end of 2016) who will be there to come to our aid?
If we don’t fund the EMS, shall we also un-fund the fire district, the sheriff, the public schools, the library, and everything else that makes this a safe, civilized place to live?
Louise Dustrude
Friday Harbor