Dear editor,
I read in the Register that the ad hoc “Ambulance Group” appointed by the Iola Mayor and the county commissioners in February has decided to “pass the buck” for a nonbinding decision on the Kansas Board of Emergency Services. This is after several meetings where it apparently became clear they could not reach a decision among themselves. It does buy the group some time as I’m sure the decision from Topeka will get bogged down in some way or another. When the decision is finally rendered for one ambulance service, whether city or county level, why would this make any difference as many of the participants have already set their positions in stone and will not give.
This is the second time the local government has “passed the buck” to the state hoping they would get a state decision they could say they had nothing to do with. This was in April 2008. The attorney general kicked it back with essentially no decision.
How much longer can this situation exist? For financial reasons, the county needs to combine these two duplicate and very expensive services. Can’t hard core advocates on both sides agree to take the state decision, what it may be, swallow their egos and implement it?
Paul. L. Zirjacks
Iola, Kan.
