Hospital committed to transparency with patients, community
Dear Editor,
I am the vice president of quality and risk management at Saint Louise Regional Hospital. In partnership with our medical staff and administrative leaders, I have been involved in developing and implementing the hospital’s action plan and response to the CMS survey document. We submitted the hospital response to Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and California Department of Public Health Services (CDPHS) offices on Aug. 2.
Both the CMS report and the hospital’s response are technical documents referencing complex conditions of participation in the federal Medicare program. We are committed to transparency with our patients and community.
As part of our commitment, we are developing a summary of the survey report and hospital action plan that will help our community understand the issues cited in the report. We plan to post the summary on the hospital’s website next week.
Carol Ann Parker, Vice President of Quality and Risk Management at Saint Louise Regional Hospital, Gilroy
Special interest involved in approving mosque before testing was done
Dear Editor,
I’m upset and disappointed after reading in Friday’s Dispatch that the County Planning Commission approved the Cordoba Center project BEFORE completing ALL the testing required, especially when the article states that county staff recommended tabling the decision for one month to allow more studies for the project’s septic system. Aside from hundreds of people using this facility’s bathrooms and “small” kitchen, I’m extremely concerned about the cemetery and the muslim tradition of burial without embalming or a casket.
It would be prudent for the county to wait and confirm the Cordoba Center burial procedures are in compliance with the state’s cemetery and funeral bureau regulations, which has not been done. Let us not forget the long and costly settlement due to perchlorate poisoning less than a decade ago. Is the county setting itself up for a lawsuit approving before confirming the percolation tests pass, in all weather conditions? Previous testing FAILED!
Consider that other projects trying to build in the same area were not approved. Has special interest and political correctness gone too far?
Susan Mister, Gilroy
What is county trying to hide after passing mosque project?
Dear Editor,
After observing the most politically correct spectacle of the century, the Santa Clara County Planning Commission blatantly displayed their ignorance of planning laws and ordinances by approving plans for the Cordoba Center.
At the same time they violated the rights of each and every resident of San Martin by ignoring the recommendations of both the San Martin Planning Advisory Committee and the South County Joint Planning Commission to postpone approval of the Center prior to additional percolation tests being performed.
It appears that besides being ignorant of San Martin’s environmental needs and intolerant to the San Martin residents, they also apparently don’t know the meaning of liability.
The Planning Committee Chair Mary Ann Ruiz opened the public comments by stating that questions and comments should be related to planning and land issues. Apparently those rules were only for those opposed to the project.
One after another, the proponents of the mosque, including CAIR, who traveled across the entire Bay Area to lend support, complained about how they didn’t have a local place to worship, had to drive too far and how SVIC (South Valley Islamic Center) took them in when they had no one.
All their complaining was fine until one man opposed to the mosque tried to voice his opposition and started his comment by stated how his fears began with 9-11, when the Chair Ms. Ruiz stopped him and told him to keep his remarks focused on land issues. Talk about one sided and pandering to special interests.
After numerous supporters each told their individual stories of how and why they each needed this mosque to be approved, (devoid of planning and land questions) and with a total disregard for the San Martin residents, the committee made a proposal to approve the project ignoring the recommendations from the two previous planning advisory commissions to continue the project until additional percolation testing could be done.
Commissioner Vidovich, eager to disregard every code and ordinance by attempting to give the Muslims any and everything within his power, then attempted to waive every restriction regardless of liability to others.
Vidovich requested to waive the food restrictions, since all other religious organizations don’t have to worry about food codes, and then wanted to waive codes that designated the number of people allowed on site for the special occasions, and then I believe he wanted to waive the time restrictions and I had to stop listening. He obviously didn’t understand why the restrictions and codes are in place and how they affect the septic system.
Was I actually hearing this? I was so astounded that I had to take a breath. I couldn’t believe what I was witnessing. Had we been in the same room for the previous 2 1/2 hours? Was he listening? I asked myself is this man really that ignorant about planning and land laws, or is he just plain stupid?
How could a person of his ineptness be allowed to serve on a commission that’s mission is to protect the county’s natural resources; to ensure quality and sustainable community development and affordable housing; and to protect the public health safety and welfare of our constituents through the application and enforcement of the County of Santa Clara’s Ordinance Code and land use policies.
What Vidovich and the Muslims refuse to acknowledge and accept is that San Martin, unlike other California cities or towns, is defined as a “special area” due to its unique environment.
The county paid to do studies that determined that additional protection is necessary to protect the water quality. It’s not as if you’re in the middle of San Jose, Gilroy or Morgan Hill where the infrastructure supports the sewer system. San Martin is rural and gets its water from wells. The wastewater rules are strict due to flooding that the urban areas don’t have to deal with. That is why San Martin, unlike other unincorporated areas has it’s own Planning Advisory Commission. To help protect it’s “special area” designation.
If the Muslims didn’t want to jump through additional hoops to get their plan approved, they should have selected an area that didn’t require additional hoops in the first place to jump through. Perhaps they should have selected a piece of land whose infrastructure could sustain the type of project that they wanted to build.
At Thursday’s South County Joint Planning Committee I requested from the planning department that our consultant be allowed to be present when they did the additional percolation tests. I was told no. So San Martin residents, this should raise more red flags. What is the county trying to hide now?
Georgine Scott-Codiga, Gilroy
Voters have a clear choice to make this November
Dear Editor,
American voters have vital choices for medical care this November. Strengthen the Affordable Care Act by adding the Public Option and reduce the deficit by $143 billion or repeal the law and turn control of medical care back to insurance companies and boost the deficit by $109 billion.
Strengthen Medicare and provide funding to cover America’s middle class or replace Medicare with a voucher system to improve insurance company profit margins. Interesting to see what voters decide.
Frank Crosby, Morgan Hill
Planning commission has no desire to listen to citizens
Dear Editor,
So, what are the concerned citizens of San Martin supposed to do to fight back against this tide of special interest? We can’t succeed in voicing our concerns without them tearing down everything we say; and it appears we can’t convince them that we are not bigots, racists or intolerant – because, as far as they (County Planning Commission) are concerned – they don’t have a desire to listen to us – they just want us to get out of their way!
Should we try to compromise with them? Should we give up our way, which is every bit as important as their way, or do we cave to their agenda? Thus, we will be forced to accept what we don’t feel secure or comfortable with just to make their job easier? Enough is enough! We concerned citizens of San Martin, Morgan Hill and Gilroy have come to understand that the only thing that will please them is for us to get in line, shut our mouths, and forfeit our right to revisit a legitimate investigation of the codes, water issues, cemetery requirements, etc.
This project decision, and what occurs thereafter, is the make, or break, test for the future of our communities! Compromise is not always the best solution! Not when we have to give up our rights!!
My gut tells me the “powers that be” hold an extreme bias against those who sincerely oppose this project – and I don’t like it!
Will there be another percolation test done as promised at the Tuesday and Wednesday meetings? Or has that promise gone down the sewer along with septic water?
Citizens, we have been stonewalled, ignored, and insulted. Is THAT the American way? Remember, when elected officials come up for re-election, make your feelings clear in the ballot box! That is where we can make the most difference. VOTE!
Donna Rosemont, Morgan Hill
