The story in Friday’s Register (about city commissioners delaying a decision on committing funds to a rebuild of Allen County Hospital) is extremely frustrating to me, and I’m sure to a lot of others.
Some of the city questions appear nitpicking but mistrust has taken control.
Using Iola city utilities to the greatest degree possible would be an advantage. The city does need to be in on discussions as to location so it can project infrastructure costs.
Ambulance has become the 500-pound gorilla that keeps our commissioners looking over their shoulders. The county and city should be able to work together amicably if the gorilla were just caged and forgotten. But some believe there is principle involved and can’t let it drop, casting an ugly cloud over the important issue, a hospital.
County commissioners did everything right on hospital planning and promotion. People understand the need and they support it.
On the other hand, the county did everything wrong when ambulance service was their primary agenda. They acted on their own, kept the public as uninformed as possible and — as a result — very few in the public arena could ever see the need for change, and we still don’t. Mistakes were made but it is time to forgive and forget.
The county commissioners make an issue of “un-necessary expense.” Why didn’t they consider that before jumping into the fire? The city stated it wasn’t going along. If the county had created a citizens’ commission to discuss its plan, giving it full public scrutiny, then maybe people would have supported the new system and maybe the city commissioners would have conceded. If not, then at least they would have lost their white hats (on this issue).
How much really is saved if ambulance spending isn’t put into the local economy each year? Those dollars buy local goods and services directly, creating jobs and financial return to the county. The dollars circulated by ambulance service employee wages are of great importance. Their spending is multiplied and much of it comes back to the county in the form of taxes. Net expense to the county is considerably lower than what is claimed.
The county has access to services that can create an estimate of return on the dollars spent. We should urge the commission to subtract the return from spending and take some pride in having created some good jobs. Iola and Allen County need these jobs.
If there is true concern about taxpayer pockets then think about the extra sales tax money out of our pockets if the city doesn’t come on board. I would bet it will be far more costly than the net expense of paying for a city ambulance system. It’s time to get together and work together.
Ray Shannon,
Iola, Kan.
