Something Doesn’t Add Up with Measure I

Something doesn’t add up. Looking at a property tax statement and taxes to TLHCD, we currently pay the staggering amount of 7%! In using the estimated tax numbers provided in Measure I Bond Resolution, Exhibit C, the taxes will increase in the fiscal year 2017 – 2018 to 9.1%. Fiscal year 2018 – 2019, taxes climb to an outrageous 11%!

The Kaweah Delta Healthcare District’s bond failed. Their hospital DID NOT CLOSE. The biggest opponent of Measure H was Dr. Benzeevi, CEO of HCCA. In a flyer he paid for, it stated a reason not to vote on H: “District taxpayers are already paying a 2.2% property tax, measure H would increase the total KDHCD taxes to a staggering 6.8%” Unacceptable there, but great for the Tulare District?

How does this impact the district? Besides a completed tower, what else? Along with their obscene monthly fee, profit sharing begins if a revenue bond is paid off from leftover measure I money. Hopefully TRMC is profitable and can save money to build Tower 2.

How can TRMC save money from profits when they only get to keep 5 %? The contract with HCCA gives them 95% of profits. Did our board of directors think into the future that this was in the best interest of the entire district? Contracts benefit HCCA. A private conglomerate comes out ahead of the people in this district. This is not in our best interests, Vote NO on measure I.

Mary Sepeda

4 thoughts on “Something Doesn’t Add Up with Measure I

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  1. Mary thank you for your post. Anyone with any kind of common sence knows that the Hospitals would not close over night so your half truth is untasteful. I wish you would have told your readers that by 2030 which is only about 13 years if these hospitals in Tulare and Visalia are not retrofitted to the state of California standards for earthquake safety they will be SHUT DOWN.

    The comparison between $321 million and $55 million is not even a comparison and I find this difficult to even absorb.

    And both adjacent towns politics play a role but in your city this is a personal issue and I can’t even believe you would compromise a hospital this way . Are you aware and educated on the importance of the hospital within a community is it surely doesn’t sound like it .

  2. Nicole,
    Are you aware the bond can pay for itself in 15 years if HCCA did not get $61,1752,227.42 in 15 years as management? That is a conservative number with a 5% yearly raise on just management fees. Don’t forget all their expenses are paid by the district.

    You still need to add the $20,000 Benzeevi gets monthly for Medflow which runs the emergency room. Not sure what the raise is on that fee, but sure it will increase yearly.

    I find it a half truth on your part that we already pay more than Kaweah Delta’s healthcare district pays in taxes and you fail to acknowledge that the Tulare Healthcare District pays 3.17 times MORE IN TAXES to its hospital. No comparison in percent of property taxes to the hospitals. Sierra View has no taxes in its district. Kaweah at least has a 3 star rating compared to Tulare’s one star by California Medicare/Medical Services recent ratings.

    The Tulare hospital district has been compromised by its Board of Directors whom joined with a private for profit conglomerate who is raping this community with an outrageous management fee. Becker’s Hospital Review published a 2014 study which indicates any hospital management groups/CEO’s making $3 million a year should typically produce a net revenue of over $50 million a year. Remind me how much common sense it takes to understand we are paying way too much in return for $5.6 million in one year?

    Get rid of the huge fee and finance the tower completion only and NOT OTHER CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS as listed in the bond. Burn the district on $85 million and ask for another $55 without any documentation of what is needed to complete just the tower is irresponsible and compromises the district for years to come for a private company to make millions and leaving taxpayers with 40 years of taxes on top of 30 more years for the $85 million.

    Vote NO and save the hospital from being completely ripped off by a for profit conglomerate.

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