Read the article here
To the editor of the Sudbury Star,
Published January 30, 2012 with minor editing
What kind of perverse game does the province play every year with funding for the municipalities? It seems every budget season that our city fathers and mothers go through the process with a big question mark hanging over their heads regarding what money will be forthcoming from Queen's Park. And the transitional funding might be withdrawn at any time? How do you strategize with something like that hanging over your head.
Sound financial planning requires as few unknowns as possible. In my opinion, the province owes the local governments some level of assurance as to the levels of their ongoing support. But the must like this little tease game because they also do it to the hospitals. It is a sad thing when politics meets bureaucracy.
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Monday, January 16, 2012
Re: Hospital stuck with 100 long-term care patients - January 14, 2012
Read the article here
To the Editor of The Sudbury Star,
Published January 18, 2011 with minor editing
Normally, I find a Yogi Berra quote amusing but, in this context, it is just sad. Why is it that all the high paid help (as evidenced by the annual Sunshine List) in the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long Term Care can't predict the needs of our community and act on those needs? Once again, Alternative Level of Care patients are impinging on the operations of our hospital. Then again, they downsized the number of beds in the new facility and couldn't even figure out how many parking spaces were required. I can't imagine where we would be if they had closed the Memorial Site as they wanted to last March.
The provincial government is, as the name of the ministry states, responsible for Health AND Long Term Care. It would be nice if they started acting like it instead of trying to pass the buck around to the alphabet agencies they have created (Local Health Integration Network, Community Care Access Network, etc.) to confuse where the it actually stops. It stops in Queen's Park on the Premier's desk.
What good is a single source government health care system if that very care is not available to the citizens who need it?
To the Editor of The Sudbury Star,
Published January 18, 2011 with minor editing
Normally, I find a Yogi Berra quote amusing but, in this context, it is just sad. Why is it that all the high paid help (as evidenced by the annual Sunshine List) in the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long Term Care can't predict the needs of our community and act on those needs? Once again, Alternative Level of Care patients are impinging on the operations of our hospital. Then again, they downsized the number of beds in the new facility and couldn't even figure out how many parking spaces were required. I can't imagine where we would be if they had closed the Memorial Site as they wanted to last March.
The provincial government is, as the name of the ministry states, responsible for Health AND Long Term Care. It would be nice if they started acting like it instead of trying to pass the buck around to the alphabet agencies they have created (Local Health Integration Network, Community Care Access Network, etc.) to confuse where the it actually stops. It stops in Queen's Park on the Premier's desk.
What good is a single source government health care system if that very care is not available to the citizens who need it?
Thursday, November 3, 2011
Re: Department Legal Battle Expensive - November 2, 2011
To the editor of the Sudbury Star,
Published November 4, 2011 as Letter of the Day
I am dismayed to see the expense run up in this ludicrous legal battle. The auditor general was hired and, after much wrangling, it was decided his department would report directly to council. As such, he is an agent of council and attempts by staff, including the inane arguments by the city solicitor, to shield city documents from the AG amount to shielding those documents from council.
The Mayor and council were elected by us, the citizens of Greater Sudbury, to oversee the operation of our city. The auditor general's role is to review those operations to ensure that staff is managing our tax dollars responsibly. What I expect from my elected representatives is that they issue a simple directive that staff provide the auditor general with anything he requests to further this objective on behalf of council. Or perhaps council has been managed by staff for so long that councillors are afraid to exercise the authority that they legally hold as our representatives.
If the transit fiasco is anything to go by, there is a need to shine a bright light in many dark corners of city management. Let's get on with it.
Published November 4, 2011 as Letter of the Day
I am dismayed to see the expense run up in this ludicrous legal battle. The auditor general was hired and, after much wrangling, it was decided his department would report directly to council. As such, he is an agent of council and attempts by staff, including the inane arguments by the city solicitor, to shield city documents from the AG amount to shielding those documents from council.
The Mayor and council were elected by us, the citizens of Greater Sudbury, to oversee the operation of our city. The auditor general's role is to review those operations to ensure that staff is managing our tax dollars responsibly. What I expect from my elected representatives is that they issue a simple directive that staff provide the auditor general with anything he requests to further this objective on behalf of council. Or perhaps council has been managed by staff for so long that councillors are afraid to exercise the authority that they legally hold as our representatives.
If the transit fiasco is anything to go by, there is a need to shine a bright light in many dark corners of city management. Let's get on with it.
Sunday, October 2, 2011
Re: Auditor general's transit report: Money missing for years - October 1, 2011
Read the article here
To the editor of the Sudbury Star,
Published October 5, 2011 with minor editing
All I can say is thank you for the Auditor General. Without his investigation, there is no way we would have known that this situation has been building since 2004. I can see why Mr. Sauve has been doing his best to avoid responding to the audit report but it appears the collusion at Civic Square goes beyond Sudbury Transit. I would have liked to hear the management response to the findings but those have not been forthcoming, which has prompted special meetings of the audit committee.
What does it take for a member of the high paid City management team to be dismissed for not responsibly managing taxpayer dollars? As one of those taxpayers, this history is totally unacceptable and I will be watching to see how my Councillor and my Mayor deal with what can only be described as a scandal. Staff has been the tail wagging the dog for way too long.
To the editor of the Sudbury Star,
Published October 5, 2011 with minor editing
All I can say is thank you for the Auditor General. Without his investigation, there is no way we would have known that this situation has been building since 2004. I can see why Mr. Sauve has been doing his best to avoid responding to the audit report but it appears the collusion at Civic Square goes beyond Sudbury Transit. I would have liked to hear the management response to the findings but those have not been forthcoming, which has prompted special meetings of the audit committee.
What does it take for a member of the high paid City management team to be dismissed for not responsibly managing taxpayer dollars? As one of those taxpayers, this history is totally unacceptable and I will be watching to see how my Councillor and my Mayor deal with what can only be described as a scandal. Staff has been the tail wagging the dog for way too long.
Monday, August 29, 2011
re: What's Good For The Goose - August 27, 2011
Read the article here
To the editor of the Sudbury Star,
(Published August 29, 2011 with minor editing)
Having been plagued by Canada geese on golf courses and at beaches for years, I read this article with great interest. But I note that, while scaring the geese off City property is beneficial for both the budget and the users, care is being taken not to harm them. Where are these geese going to go? I would be concerned if I were a private property owner with lake frontage not adjacent to a City park. The bottom line is that there are simply too many of these birds.
To the editor of the Sudbury Star,
(Published August 29, 2011 with minor editing)
Having been plagued by Canada geese on golf courses and at beaches for years, I read this article with great interest. But I note that, while scaring the geese off City property is beneficial for both the budget and the users, care is being taken not to harm them. Where are these geese going to go? I would be concerned if I were a private property owner with lake frontage not adjacent to a City park. The bottom line is that there are simply too many of these birds.
It did bring to mind the sacred cows in India during periods of famine. I wonder how many poor and homeless people could be fed by a single Canada goose?
Thursday, June 2, 2011
re: Provincial Initiative Targets ER - June 1, 2011
Read the article here
To the editor of the Sudbury Star,
(Published June 9, 2011)
I was pleased to read of the provincial initiative to streamline the emergency room procedures across the province. The comment by Dr. Lepage that the lack of beds at the Sudbury Regional Hospital may reduce the benefit was telling, though. If I recall correctly, the original plan for the new hospital, back in the late 1990's, was to have a facility with 600 beds. However, after the building fiasco, this was reduced to 429. Why then would anyone be surprised that we have a current bed shortage? But then they didn't even provide enough parking spaces for the smaller hospital.
This reality, coupled with the shortage of Long Term Care facilities, tells me that those civil servants responsible for planning medical facilities in the north aren't very good at their job. In my opinion, the north in general and Sudbury in particular have been poorly served by the Ministry of Health and Long Term Care (who are in total control of all aspects of this service) over the last decade. I sincerely hope that this shortcoming will become an issue in the upcoming election.
To the editor of the Sudbury Star,
(Published June 9, 2011)
I was pleased to read of the provincial initiative to streamline the emergency room procedures across the province. The comment by Dr. Lepage that the lack of beds at the Sudbury Regional Hospital may reduce the benefit was telling, though. If I recall correctly, the original plan for the new hospital, back in the late 1990's, was to have a facility with 600 beds. However, after the building fiasco, this was reduced to 429. Why then would anyone be surprised that we have a current bed shortage? But then they didn't even provide enough parking spaces for the smaller hospital.
This reality, coupled with the shortage of Long Term Care facilities, tells me that those civil servants responsible for planning medical facilities in the north aren't very good at their job. In my opinion, the north in general and Sudbury in particular have been poorly served by the Ministry of Health and Long Term Care (who are in total control of all aspects of this service) over the last decade. I sincerely hope that this shortcoming will become an issue in the upcoming election.
Friday, January 21, 2011
re: A rose by any other name - January 21, 2011
Read the article here
To the editor of the Sudbury Star,
Minister Bartolucci is quoted in the article as saying "he has received praise from Sudbury doctors for the strides his government has made in addressing the bed crisis". I am not a doctor, merely a voter, but I am not rushing to offer praise.
The Minister's comment implies that he is satisfied with the efforts his government has made with respect to the crisis around long term care beds. I will only be satisfied when the Ministry publicly identifies the total number of long term care patients in the area including those in all the hospital sites, nursing homes and on waiting lists; projects the growth of this segment of our population; and presents a concrete strategy on how all these individuals are to be accommodated in a timely manner in facilities outside our primary care hospital.
The citizens in need of long term care who have contributed to the province's well-being for many years, as well as the users of local hospital services who are now suffering delays in timely treatment, deserve no less in our government operated health care system.
To the editor of the Sudbury Star,
Minister Bartolucci is quoted in the article as saying "he has received praise from Sudbury doctors for the strides his government has made in addressing the bed crisis". I am not a doctor, merely a voter, but I am not rushing to offer praise.
The Minister's comment implies that he is satisfied with the efforts his government has made with respect to the crisis around long term care beds. I will only be satisfied when the Ministry publicly identifies the total number of long term care patients in the area including those in all the hospital sites, nursing homes and on waiting lists; projects the growth of this segment of our population; and presents a concrete strategy on how all these individuals are to be accommodated in a timely manner in facilities outside our primary care hospital.
The citizens in need of long term care who have contributed to the province's well-being for many years, as well as the users of local hospital services who are now suffering delays in timely treatment, deserve no less in our government operated health care system.
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