Do you care?
Editor: Last November voters overwhelmingly approved Measure P, which authorized the Sonoma Valley Health Care District to sell $35 million of general obligation bonds for specific uses. It now appears that the district did not fully understand the requirements to gain approval to operate the hospital until 2020. As a result, the decisions to issue and sell a portion of the bonds and to determine the expenditure of those funds must be made before the district knows if it will be able to operate the hospital beyond 2012.
Did you believe that Measure P would guarantee the existence of the hospital until 2020? One of our council members recently voted for Measure P believing that, with approval of Measure P, the hospital could operate until 2020. That’s no surprise in that the voter information booklet stated that Measure P “will allow the hospital to continue providing services for at least another 20 years.”
At the time the district authorized the election on Measure P, the administration and board expected approval to operate the hospital to 2020 under SB 306, a California law designed to aid hospitals with serious financial difficulties. The state’s Office of Statewide Planning and Development (OSHPD) oversees the application request. When approved, the extension to 2020 assists hospitals by giving them additional time to comply with seismic requirements. Our district’s application to operate to 2020 was not filed until Nov. 3.
Unfortunately, the application was denied on Nov. 20 based on the district’s failure to meet two of the three financial ratio requirements. After the district advised OSHPD of an error in the application and its belief that one of the financial ratio requirements was inconsistent with the intent of the law, OSHPD accepted that the district met two of the three requirements. OSHPD, however, affirmed its position that the third ratio was correctly defined in the application and that the district failed to meet that requirement.
As things stand now, the district does not have authority to operate the hospital beyond 2012, and there are no known exceptions for which the district could apply. It is our understanding that the district has been in touch with Assemblyman Jared Huffman’s office and is relying on him to successfully introduce a bill to redefine the third financial ratio to conform to the early draft of SB 306.
Now the district needs to make a decision on Jan. 28 regarding how many bonds to issue to enable it to pay off the existing revenue bonds and preserve over $4 million of cash over the next several years. This use of funds is in agreement with the ballot measure approved by the district board. If the legislature amends SB 306 as hoped, the district still has to comply with a requirement to file a seismic evaluation report by July 1 of this year to preserve the right to operate to 2020. Cost of the seismic report has been estimated at $600,000, which the district is unable to fund without using bond proceeds.
The administration has recommended that at least $12 million be issued, with $4 million to be used for the payoff of the revenue bonds, approximately $600,000 for seismic evaluation and the remainder for various equipment and nonstructural improvements.
I support issuing $12 million of bonds, paying down the existing debt and developing the required seismic evaluation plan and deferring any decision regarding expenditure of the remaining amount. I recognize that if the district does not gain the right to operate the hospital after 2012, then any amount expended might be wasted, but not to do so would jeopardize survival of the hospital even until 2012.
Now is the time for you to attend the meeting on Jan. 28 and inform your elected officials of what you want. This is a very important issue and needs your input. Remember, you are paying the bill.
Stanley Cohen
Sonoma
Mentees praise mentors in honor of National Mentoring Month
Editor: I like my mentor because I know she is always there for me. She is always willing to help me. I love it when we go out to lunch and play board games. I love it when we bake cookies together and walk her dog. She’s a very fun person to talk to. She motivates me to do better and is willing to talk about my future goals.
We always do projects together, whether or not it’s drawing a picture or making bracelets, we always have fun. Sometimes we play Scrabble, or even bingo! She also teaches me things I never knew. She really got me thinking about my future, and really believes in me. When I tell her I’m doing better she gets really happy, and I am happy with myself.
Kayla Tucker
Sonoma
Editor: I like my mentor because she understands me, she doesn’t get mad if I don’t understand something. She teaches me a lot of things, like how to do math problems that are hard for me.
When I first met her I did not really know how to read that well, but now I can read really well. Now I can read books like “Twilight” by Stephanie Meyer.
The best thing about my mentor is that she’s not bossy, and she’s more like my best friend. I can tell her anything, but unlike best friends, she’ll tell someone if I’m in trouble. I also know that she can keep a secret. And that’s why I like my mentor.
Selena Sanchez
Sonoma
Editor: I would like to tell you why I love my mentor. First of all, I like her because she is nice to me and she is there when I need her. We also have a lot of fun together. When we do art – which she’s great at – I usually draw because I’m not good with paint, but she’s great at it and uses paint most of the time. She knows I like art and every time there is a mentor/mentee art class we go. She doesn’t think she is very good at it – but she is – but she still goes because she knows I like them, which I really appreciate. She also helps me when I’m having a hard time, which is happening a lot lately, and though I’m hard to figure out, she is patient and stands by me. I really like and appreciate that about her. Those are the main reasons I love my mentor.
Flor S.
Sonoma
Editor: My mentor is kind, generous and lovable. She makes me feel happy. She helps me with my math and asks me how I’m doing at school. She is like an aunt to me. I like it when we play.
Abigail Saray Gonzalez
Castellanos
Sasarini School
Editor: My mentor is special because she helps me with math and on my homework. When my mentor comes to my school, she helps me create stuff. My mentor is nice and smart. She is really intelligent. Even when I go on vacation, I think of her. I make stuff that she inspires me to make. I like to talk to my mentor because I can tell her about school and about math.
Doris Arjona
Sasarini School
Editor: My mentor is helpful, honest, fun and listens to me. We laugh a lot. We are happy all the time. I feel so happy when we are together. We are good friends. Also, we read books like Judy Moody and Junie B. Jones. Me and my mentor read a lot of exciting books. I play a lot of board games with my mentor. I hope my mentor feels like me.
Herlinda Hernandez
Sasarini School
Editor: My mentor is helpful and fun! She is funny. She makes me happy. I feel good when we play.
Jose Zamora
Sasarini School
Editor: My mentor is nice and fun. She is helpful and helps me when I am reading. She is fun to play games with. She helps me in math and on my reports. She took me to Jamba Juice!
Emily Alcarez
Sassarini School
Urges citizens to speak out
Editor: Imagine one-and-a-half million people living full time in Sonoma Valley. From Schellville north to Kenwood, from the Mayacamas west to Sonoma Mountain – not the 40,000, plus or minus, who reside here, but one-and-a-half million, living in high-rises, families crowded together without any sense of safety.
Imagine no permission to leave or enter this space. Presume that we are guarded on all borders. Soldiers with guns enforce this policy. Not even a supply boat can enter from the sea.
Are you with me so far? This was Gaza three weeks ago.
Now add the horrors of bombing and invasion, the inhumanity of destroying a U.N. building filled with supplies, of killing over 1,100 people, one third of them children, and the illegality of committing these crimes – all the while declaring that you, Israel, are only defending yourself.
What has this to do with Sonoma? Our beautiful valley is about the same size and dimensions as Gaza, and our taxes and official U.S. policies enable this genocide. Watch world public opinion turn even more against our government and us.
Speak out now for peace in Palestine.
Ginny Jones
Sonoma