People are laughing at the water-cooler because the Bradshaws are sticking it to the City of Asheboro . . . the crowd that thinks "because we can" is a reason for everything.
I'm venting. I don't like the tongue-lashing my friend got yesterday as he tried to extend a hand. I understand fear, but you can stuff the rude.
Moving on along, in hard economic times, I think the business practices of "non-profits" (*Authors note: I'm still trying to clarify what exactly the Farmer's Market is) are going to come under closer scrutiny . . . even in Asheboro, with David & Bonnie Renfro trying to keep the lid clamped down hard.
I certainly plan to continue to do my part;)
Of course, this blog focuses on the monopolistic and illegal tactics of Randolph Hospital, a "non-profit", and one of Asheboro's largest employers. Because the hospital is so "important" in the great scheme of the town's economic well-being, no one can question anything that its executives do. Moreover, the state & Federal governments have yet to hold the hospital accountable for its actions . . . which essentially served to drive a home-grown doctor recruited home with tax dollars from said home . . . all because she would not play on a "team" that would have had her look the other way while a newborn baby was dying.
Using a popular culture reference, the nimrods running the hospital - and Asheboro - are still operating under the notion that got Spock killed in Star Trek II: "The Good of the Many Outweighs the Good of the Few . . . or the One."
Tell that to the parents of the baby.
Of course, the theory was blown all to hell in Star Trek III;)
Yeah, I watched a lot of TV growing up in Asheboro. What else was there to do?
The problem I've found in dealing with "non-profits" is that most "non-profits" fly under the radar of regulation and law enforcement. Everyone just assumes that they operate for the public good, and no one asks any hard questions. Their "missions" are often nebulous and shrouded in secrecy. Their Boards of Directors are (ironically) more-often-than-not fundamentally useless in terms of offering ethical or moral guidance . . . and Board members are well-practiced in the elbow-action of the rubber stamp (as long as they get to go on an expensive albeit "free" retreat once or twice a year).
The problem with the Randolph Hospital Board also appears to be sameness. It draws from the same narrow, fairly-inbred crop of business owners (its "corporate membership") year after year. There is relatively little new blood or real turnover. People can sit on the Board like rotting logs for years.
I had one Randolph Hospital Board member (a doctor) tell me a very long time ago that his position on the Board was "honorary" . . . in other words, he sat there in name only and had no involvement in the day-to-day operation or even general oversight of the hospital. He was not responsible.
And he seemed to (1) believe it, and (2) be okay with it. The supreme irony was that the Board of Directors, in its dance of the wink & nod, was not behaving honorably at all.
Needless to say, he's so off the pedestal.
Here's the thing: I came to town understanding that Randolph Hospital owned Randolph Medical Associates. Indeed, RMA was formed - at least in theory - to provide services to the "under-served" populations of the community that had fallen through the holes of private practice (most of that family practice). The Boards of Directors of both entities were petty much interchangeable.
I was told I was a "valued employee" of the hospital . . . recruited back home to "clean up" Pediatrics.
Of course, I can personally testify that it needed some cleaning.
The problem was that, as I dove into the job, the hospital brass increasingly did not have my back. Now, I can understand why they did not want some things floating around the community (the story of a certain randy OB immediately comes to mind). But you deal with problems by dealing with them . . . not by pretending they do not exist . . . or covering them up.
I apparently was supposed to keep cleaning up (or ignoring) messes . . . and keep absorbing the potential hits to my malpractice policy (as I cleaned up) . . . and taking the knives to the back . . . with a great big "collegial" smile on my face. But after a while, that just does not fly anymore.
When I was fired, angry parents and colleagues, not knowing where else to turn, began writing Randolph Hospital and RMA Board members.
But hospital Board members denied having anything to do with the action . . . and indeed, hospital lawyers went through all kinds of contortions trying to deny that Randolph Hospital actually "owned" RMA (in terms of the lawsuit I would ultimately file, it was all about cutting access to the deeper pocket). According to the lawyers, RMA was merely a "controlled affiliate" (whatever that means). When identified and singled out, RMA Board members also denied having anything to do with the decisions their executives made . . . they did not stoop to the "day-to-day" management of the practice . . . never mind that physician recruitment & retention was the primary mission of RMA (as it was explained to the community - and to me during recruitment), and that it would seem getting rid of a physician might require Board input (and perhaps a little due process for the doctor) prior to taking action.
To add insult to injury, Randolph Hospital & RMA Board members actually lied to patients about the circumstances of my departure and what I was able to do in the community during RMA's six-month "notice" period.
Meanwhile, the Boards of Directors never afforded me the opportunity to meet with them or plead my case. Everything they did was on the word of Bob Morrison and Steven Eblin. No one ever apparently thought to themselves, "There is more to this story than our executives are telling us . . . this is not good for the community . . . we need to hear Dr. Johnson out."
That's why these days, I don't give a rat's tail who squirms. The "honorables" are not so "honorable" in my book. And it's also why, very shortly, I am hoping to go all legal on several North Carolina "oversight" agencies.
What I have been put through is just bovine excrement.
And, of course, our local newspaper maintained radio silence. The hospital firing a beloved (I think it's fair to say that) Pediatrician under questionable circumstances was merely an internal employee matter. It was not news.
"Non-profit" administrators using the law to intimidate and retaliate . . . not to mention lying under Oath to get their way . . . isn't news either.
So the Bradshaw lawsuit brings a lot back. I did some Googling last night . . . trying to find a simple summary of what "non-profits" can and cannot do (it's not as easy as you might think). I wound up on the FAQ's page at the website of the NC Center for Non-profits (you have to register to pull up any links).
It's a "non-profit" that helps "non-profits";)
I found a decent synopsis and thought I would post it here (giving credit again to the Center):
From "A Primer on Nonprofits (And Why Working Together is Good for Government and Communities)" (Popular Government)
A nonprofit organization is a private corporation that works for the public's benefit but is separate and independent from government. Nonprofits are so entwined in communities that it is easy to miss the impact they have on daily life. Consider the organizations with which people come into regular contact-churches, day-care centers, arts programs, human services, youth centers, and the many groups that work to improve the quality of life in communities. Many of these are nonprofit organizations.
Nonprofits may earn revenues like private businesses or government agencies, but they must use any funds in excess of their operating expenses to further the public purposes stated in their charters. Nonprofits may not distribute profits for private gain by individuals. The boards of directors that govern most nonprofits are composed of volunteers who oversee the work of the nonprofits without compensation.
Since nonprofits are guided by a specific mission, staff and volunteers focus their work on providing a public benefit related to that mission. A nonprofit may serve the entire community, or it may serve a particular group, such as children, older people, or victims of crime. A nonprofit's work may complement or supplement existing government services or may provide services that government does not offer. Governments may choose to contract with nonprofits to provide community services as a way of meeting their own public responsibilities.
The designation "501(c)(3)" identifies the sections of the Internal Revenue Code (IRC) for one type of nonprofit. The IRC defines twenty-one categories of nonprofits. Each category- 501(c) (1), (2), (3), and so on-contains specific restrictions and regulations with which the organization must comply to maintain its tax-exempt status. The largest and most common category of nonprofits, and the only kind to which contributions are tax-deductible, is 501(c)(3).
Nonprofits that fall under Section 501(c)(3) include religious, educational, charitable, scientific, and literary organizations, as well as private foundations. For example, this section includes organizations that monitor streams for pollution, provide literacy training, run after-school care, deliver meals to older people who are homebound, and advocate for low-income citizens.
Members of the Masons, country clubs, or professional associations are part of a different type of nonprofit, one that falls under IRC Sections 501(c)(6) or (7). These sections specify restrictions and privileges unlike those of 501(c)(3). For example, contributions to these organizations may not be taken as charitable tax deductions, nor may membership dues.
Government is most likely to contract with 501(c)(3) nonprofits. These organizations are regulated closely by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and must follow a long list of IRS regulations, which include demonstrating accountability for using their money for charitable or public purposes.
The vast majority of 501(c)(3) nonprofits work hard to maintain the public trust, are careful stewards of scarce resources, and monitor their tax-exempt activities carefully.
A nonprofit corporation is a private corporation that works for the public's benefit. It is separate and independent from government. Churches, day care centers, arts programs, human services, and youth centers are examples of the many nonprofits with which we come into regular contact. Nonprofits receive tax-exempt status in exchange for providing a public benefit. Nonprofits may earn revenues, but they cannot distribute profits for private gain by individuals. Since nonprofits are guided by a specific mission, staff and volunteers focus their work on providing a specific public benefit.
From "A Primer on Nonprofits (And Why Working Together is Good for Government and Communities)" by Gita Gulati-Partee, with contributions from Kate McGuire and Emily Crowder, which appeared in the Summer 2001 issue of Popular Government.
I am going to work on getting a copy of the Bradshaw lawsuit (from the Clerk of Court) later today.
Afternoon Update: I called the Randolph County Clerk's office at the number provided online. I was directed to a new number (336-328-3100, Extension #4). Spent quite a while on hold (due to increased call volumes). Finally got a clerk who told me (1) there's no online data base (of course, it's Randolph County), (2) They don't FAX, (3) You must present in person to get a copy of anything, (4) There is a $2.00 copy fee for the first page and 0.25 cents for every additional page.
I've also got an e-mail in to the City of Asheboro asking the following questions:
(1) Is the Farmer's Market organized as a "non-profit", and if it is, who sits on its Board of Directors?
(2) If it is not organized in that fashion, how does the city administrate it?
Update: Got a prompt response on the e-mail (refreshing). The city sent me copy of the Market's rules and regulations (see the link on the Market's website).
I've sent some more follow-up questions in . . . still trying to clarify the "quasi public/private-for-profit" thing . . . who runs the Market . . . and does it get any state/federal money?
2/18/09 Update: Got this from the city yesterday (lately everybody at City Hall is being so nice and cooperative when you ask for information that is supposed to be public record - it's a refreshing change from dealing with the criminals, Bob Morrison & Steven Eblin).
Dr. Johnson,
My name is Jonathan Sermon and I am the Assistant Director of the Asheboro Parks & Recreation Department. Jennifer Staley referred your email to me to see if I could better answer your questions regarding the Farmers Market.
Asheboro Parks & Recreation which is a part of Asheboro City Government is responsible for the operation of the Downtown Farmers Market. As a city department the Parks & Recreation Director reports to the City Manager. Currently the position of Parks & Recreation Director is vacant. At this time, Olivia Luce the Special Facilities Coordinator, has been delegated the responsibility for the facility. Information about the facility can be found on the Asheboro Parks & Recreation website at www.asheboroparksandrecreation.com
Initially some grant money was used in the construction of the facility but as for exact amounts you may want to contact the City Finance Office. If you would like to view budgetary information about the Asheboro Parks & Recreation Department you can utilize either the City’s website or contact the City Finance Director at 626-1201 ext. 247. For your convenience the City’s web address is www.ci.asheboro.nc.us
If you have any questions as to the lawsuit as referenced in your email you will need to contact the City’s Legal Department at 626-1201 ext. 288.
If you have any other requests for public record information regarding the Asheboro Parks & Recreation Department please let me know.
Sincerely,
Jonathan Sermon
Jonathan Sermon
Assistant Parks & Recreation Director
Asheboro Parks & Recreation
123-B Davis Street
Asheboro, NC 27203
Phone: (336) 626-1240 x 8
Fax: (336) 626-1295
Given the nasty tongue-lashing my friend got the other day, I think I'm gonna leave the leg work to the Bradshaw's attorney and the glorious process of discovery. I don't fancy myself another Roach. I have not seen anything on any of the local TV websites.
If interesting updates arise, we'll look at them.
1 comments:
I am wondering have you been keeping up with the Uniforms issue in our schools.
You do know the water at the Asheboro High School taste like rust.
The children at the Asheboro High School hardly have five minutes to actually have a seat and eat lunch.
With split class lunch periods, why aren't the teaches required to have lunch with their students in the cafeteria.
At Guy B. Teachy Elementary there was a death smell (odor). I started complaining after visiting. But my concern is why had someone not reported this before me. And school maintenance commented this happens sometime.
It was a smell of death, and no one cared enough to call attention to the problem.
Do you realize that the State Unemployment Office do not use E-Verify? Asked the City of Asheboro about E-Verify. Learn about the abuse of I-9 since 1986.
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