. . . John Ogburn (we were in the same high school class) re: the $500,000 "donation" made by the City of Asheboro to private "non-profit" Randolph Hospital:
E-mail Number 1
From: Dr. Mary Johnson
Sent: Sunday, November 12, 2006 9:09 PM
To: John Ogburn
Subject: Question Re: "Donation" to RH
Good morning Mr. Ogburn,
I read, with interest, the Courier Tribune's recent article on the City of Asheboro and Randolph County Commissioners collectively giving one million taxpayer dollars to help fund Randolph Hospital's new outpatient center. Randolph Hospital, as I understand it, is a private "non-profit" hospital. The Courier's article makes it sound like all Bob Morrison has to do was ask. You, of course, well know my opinion of Mr. Morrison and his tactics.
No public hearings. No real debate. Then a unanimous vote.
This at a time when things are supposedly tight.
I've blogged my thoughts on the subject: http://drjshousecalls.blogspot.com/2006/11/you-want-500000-its-easy-just-ask.html#links
Over the course of the weekend, I've had coversations with a number of people who were unaware of the donation (they don't buy the paper). No one I spoke with was particularly pleased with the news . . . or the way it happened.
We were curious. Shouldn't a "donation" of this amount of public money to a private cause require a bond referendum?
Please feel free to forward this question on to the City Attorney.
Mary Johnson, M.D.
E-mail numer 2
From: John Ogburn
To: Dr. Mary Johnson
Sent: Monday, November 13, 2006 9:06 AM
Subject: RE: Question Re: "Donation" to RH
Dear Dr. Johnson:
Thank you for your email. The Council did approve $500,000 to the Captial Campaign. This money will be dispursed over a 5 year period (100k per year). As to the Council' s authority -- the board has broad authority to determine public policy and expenditures. Typically a bond referendum is for debt to be issued by the City for its own capital needs and requires a vote of the people..
John
E-mail Number 3
From: Dr. Mary Johnson
To: John Ogburn
Sent: Monday, November 13, 2006 9:39 AM
Subject: Re: Question Re: "Donation" to RH
Mr. Ogburn,
As a matter of observation, (much like the Randolph County District Attorney's office) the Asheboro City Council has the "broad authority" to simply ignore allegations of criminal wrong-doing against Randolph Hospital CEO, Bob Morrison. . . and move ahead to appoint him to head city planning committees . . . and give him more public money to fund his private building projects.
Mr. Morrison is above the law.
I am well aware of how the money will be dispersed. But a million dollars of public money is a million dollars, no matter how you fly it under the radar. I was under the impression that, due to the loss of local industry . . . and with it City/County income (according to Happy Spivey, we are the 89th poorest county in the state) . . . the money was not there to spare.
It is very interesting/disturbing to me that a debt issued by the City of Asheboro . . . or the Randolph County Commissioners . . . to serve the needs of a private corporation (that was supposed to raise this capital via its own fundraising) does not require a vote of the people.
"The people" didn't get much say in this at all.
Of course, on the subject of public vs. private, hospital officials are well-versed at talking out of both sides of their mouths.
Mary Johnson, M.D.
No reply from John.
Of course, what can he say? "We in Asheboro city government value "integrity" but we trust our future and the public's money to a man who lied repeatedly under Oath to get his way."
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2 comments:
Interesting...maybe a follow-up phone call?
Like the Courier Tribune (which will not publish my LTE's - nor write a story on the criminal allegations I have lodged against "Chairman Bob") . . . and the DA (who will not take my phone calls) . . . the Asheboro City Council has already flown this one in under the radar and probably doesn't want a lot of disucssion on the matter.
Many people are simply not aware of what happened (by virute of not taking the paper) . . . and others who did catch the Courier's "supporting the hospital is about economic development" story simply did not register the amount of public money Randolph is quietly pocketing for its private endeavors (because of the way the story is written).
A better headline would have been: City and County Donate One Million Taxpayer Dollars to Randolph Hospital. That might have opened some eyes.
The powers-that-be do not want those eyes opened. Because those pesky eyes are connected to mouths that might ask questions.
No one I have spoken to about this matter was very happy about how this deal went down. When I tell them, they look at me like I'm nuts and say, "You're making that up!".
When it comes to Randolph, I'm not the one who makes it up as I go;)
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