This comment is so important it must not languish in the comments
This comment was received last evening and I judged it to be of such quality that it deserves more than just 'publish or reject'. The reason being is that I don't apologise for any of the content in my post, if there was sentence that may be out of line because it named the Chair, I could have phrased it differently. If the Anonymous writer is asking for contrition it is not available. If Ms Rudd will email me her address I will express my feelings that the post could have been less specific. But that doesn't change my thinking that this committee should not exist and tax money should not be used to fund it. If the three year budget of this area is only equal to the amount that Quinte spent on one Doctor that makes the case even stronger for not engaging in bribery. If the committee has only spent one third of the amount that Quinte has and has recruited seven Doctors to their one then congratulations but that does make the case that some of them might have come even without bribes. Perhaps they liked this area better than Belleville?
In conclusion if Quinte is spending three times as much as Northumberland and achieving a seven times lower success rate then that is ammunition for the argument that says that the Province and the Feds should be directing where Doctors can work. With all the advance planning in health demographics then they know better than we the under-serviced areas. And, if the public purse pays for the tuition of these Doctors then the funders should have a greater say in the location of their practices. So we, the Municipal tax-payers, should not be paying for this - income taxes should. But if locals feel that it is important to get involved then perhaps this is one of the issues that is too important for the Politicians and use local Service Club money. Why eradicate Polio in the World when we can't find a Doctor in Cobourg?
In conclusion if Quinte is spending three times as much as Northumberland and achieving a seven times lower success rate then that is ammunition for the argument that says that the Province and the Feds should be directing where Doctors can work. With all the advance planning in health demographics then they know better than we the under-serviced areas. And, if the public purse pays for the tuition of these Doctors then the funders should have a greater say in the location of their practices. So we, the Municipal tax-payers, should not be paying for this - income taxes should. But if locals feel that it is important to get involved then perhaps this is one of the issues that is too important for the Politicians and use local Service Club money. Why eradicate Polio in the World when we can't find a Doctor in Cobourg?
Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Who's in charge of this Agency?":
Ben, it is very interesting to me that you of all people accept verbatim what is printed in the newspaper. In the interests of clarification, no one is in or near my back pocket. This volunteer position consumes hundreds of hours per year of my time as well as that of the committee in addition to our own money in terms of hosting events and billeting visiting doctors. We are not "bribing" doctors. Of the 3 you mention that are from the are there is actually only one Erin Pepper. The other two had family in the area, among many other areas. They are not from here. If you had been at the presentation you would have know that in fact we do not give huge amounts of money to the docs. Instead we assist with moving expenses and some tuition reimbursement. Our whole budget for 3 years is equivelant to just over what Quinte West would offer one doctor and we have recruited 7!!! To be wiithout a doctor (and fortunately I have one) is putting a huge cost on our community, both in terms of health and economics. Our hospitals deficit is due in part to not having enough local docs to cover emerg. Yes you are absolutely right it is a provincial responsiblity and we have certainly continue to advocate in that arena. The reality is someone has to do it and our committee has volunteered to take on the challenge. The message to the municipalities is that when the time comes that we are faced with a doc who wants to move here and we do not have enough funds to assist with moving expenses we will come back to the municipalities and they will decide whether or not we find the money or we say no thank you to the doctor who wants to move here. Each physicians needs are evaluated and assisted on an individual basis. We do not simply write a cheque. Ben you are way off base on this one. On a personal note as someone who does a ton of volunteer work in this community your desparaging remarks were uncalled for.
Ben, it is very interesting to me that you of all people accept verbatim what is printed in the newspaper. In the interests of clarification, no one is in or near my back pocket. This volunteer position consumes hundreds of hours per year of my time as well as that of the committee in addition to our own money in terms of hosting events and billeting visiting doctors. We are not "bribing" doctors. Of the 3 you mention that are from the are there is actually only one Erin Pepper. The other two had family in the area, among many other areas. They are not from here. If you had been at the presentation you would have know that in fact we do not give huge amounts of money to the docs. Instead we assist with moving expenses and some tuition reimbursement. Our whole budget for 3 years is equivelant to just over what Quinte West would offer one doctor and we have recruited 7!!! To be wiithout a doctor (and fortunately I have one) is putting a huge cost on our community, both in terms of health and economics. Our hospitals deficit is due in part to not having enough local docs to cover emerg. Yes you are absolutely right it is a provincial responsiblity and we have certainly continue to advocate in that arena. The reality is someone has to do it and our committee has volunteered to take on the challenge. The message to the municipalities is that when the time comes that we are faced with a doc who wants to move here and we do not have enough funds to assist with moving expenses we will come back to the municipalities and they will decide whether or not we find the money or we say no thank you to the doctor who wants to move here. Each physicians needs are evaluated and assisted on an individual basis. We do not simply write a cheque. Ben you are way off base on this one. On a personal note as someone who does a ton of volunteer work in this community your desparaging remarks were uncalled for.
December 13th, 2008 at 12:39 pm
A botonist once told me that most species of tree increase their output of seeds in the last year of their lives. So it is that Stephen Harper, a Manitoba Maple in the throes of death, appoints 15 seeds to The Senate thereby ensuring that the species -acer conservatus- no matter how undesirable, lives on and, through political insemination, is perpetuated.
December 13th, 2008 at 2:47 pm
I would have thought that a “Sun Media” columnist would get the facts correct. There are 18 Senate vacancies.
December 13th, 2008 at 3:18 pm
The same “Sun Media” columnist is also incapable of differentiating between Aldous Huxley and George Orwell.
December 13th, 2008 at 9:00 pm
Both your arguments are iron-clad, well put and beyond any defence I might offer. I therefore defer to your superior intelect, researching skills, grasp of calculus, and, above all, deft and gentle-but-scathing wit. Thus, faced with towering opposition armed with such withering asides, I withdraw.
For now anyway….
December 14th, 2008 at 5:42 am
Hyperbole will get you everywhere.