The Llano Ledger


Newsletter Text V67

This Website Is Full. Starting With The December 25, 2000 Newsletter, All Future Editions Will Be Posted In The Llano Ledger 2, Found By Clicking http://maxpages.com/llanoledger2.

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Publisher's Note: Posting of the November 27, 2000 Newsletter has begun early. Be sure to read the current November 20, 2000 edition on Newsletter Text V66. To conserve space, the Lawson Deposition is continued in The Llano Ledger 2 and can be found by clicking http://maxpages.com/llanoledger2. In a few weeks, all future editions will be posted on the second website. This website will continue to be used for Newsbriefs, Reader Letters, Information And Services, etc., until it is completely full. In addition, all material will remain permanently posted for reader reference and convenience. T.C. November 21, 2000.

************November 27, 2000************

LMHS is apparently in dire financial distress. As mentioned in the last edition, the Administrator has been outrageously delaying and obfuscating all Open Records Requests. The following letter, sent by certified mail, was received November 20, 2000:

LMHS
Llano Memorial Healthcare System
200 West Ollie
Llano, Tx. 78643

November 17, 2000

VIA/CERTIFIED MAIL/RRR
Mr. Tim Chorney, Publisher
The Llano Ledger
Rt. 2, Box 464A
Buchanan Dam, Texas 72609 [78609]

Re: Open Records Request of November 10, 2000

Dear Mr. Chorney:

This letter will acknowledge receipt of your written Open Records Act request of November 10, 2000 seeking access to the following documents:

"All vouchers, documents, letters, memos, e-mails regarding Hospital expenditures on any and all cellular phones for the last five calendar years."

These documents will be available for your inspection in the administrative offices of Llano Memorial Hospital, 200 W. Ollie Street, Llano, Texas on November 29, 2000 during the hours of three o'clock p.m. and four o'clock p.m. At this time you will be able to continue to review the November 13, 2000 request for additional time to review the employee expense reports.

Very truly yours,
Ernie Parisi
Administrator/CEO

**********************************************

In response, the following e-mail was sent to the Open Records Division:

Katherine Minter Cary
Interim Division Chief
Open Records Division
Office of the Attorney General

Re: Open Records Stonewalling

November 21, 2000

Dear Ms. Cary:

This is to advise the "Open" Records Division of continued stonewalling by LMHS Administrator/CEO Ernie Parisi. In an Open Records Request dating back to October 11, 2000, Mr. Parisi has allowed exactly one hour's access to requested "employee expense records".

Additional time has been requested. A considerable amount is required considering the volume of material. In an effort to stonewall the process, however, the Administrator is denying further access until November 29, 2000. -- Over a month and a half of outrageous delay and obfuscation.

"Generously", an hour will be made available at that time. During that same hour, a new Open Records Request dated November 10, 2000 seeking access to all records regarding Hospital expenditures on cellular phones for the last five calendar years will also be honored.

Clearly, the Administrator is deliberately dragging his feet to delay and make access as difficult as possible. Outrageously, this has been his modus operandi for well over a year, -- with the blessing and support of the "Open" Records Division.

Kindly, be advised, no action is expected or requested from your agency in this matter. Your glaring failure to enforce the Texas Public Information Act and bias in favor of LMHS is quite clear to this publication and its readership. This message has been sent to ensure state officials will not be able to claim ignorance should Llano Memorial Healthcare System become insolvent, which now appears to be in the process of happening.

The Administrator recently tendered his resignation. The level of waste evident in the employee expense reports is stunning. ... Apparently, why Parisi is dragging his feet on release of the records.

Sincerely,

Tim Chorney, Publisher
The Llano Ledger
http://maxpages.com/llanoledger
Rt 2 Box 464A
Buchanan Dam, Tx. 78609

cc: Llano Ledger website
cc by e-mail: June B. Hardin, Assistant Attorney General, Open Records Division; David Mendoza, Legal Assistant, Open Records Division; David Short, Investigator, Open Records Division; John Cornyn, Attorney General, State of Texas; Ernie Parisi, Administrator/CEO, LMHS; State Sen. Troy Fraser, Texas State Senate.

***********************************************

As asserted in the e-mail to the "Open" Records Division, one hour of access to employee expense reports has been provided by the Administrator. Having examined only part of the records for the last fiscal quarter, the total of employee expenses already stands at $15,170.29. Sadly, the inspection has only started. The volume of material is tremendous. Readers should clearly understand many of the vouchers may be legitimate. It will take an independent audit to determine what is and is not proper. Much of it, however, is highly questionable.

Four vouchers of $100 each for "special needs" were found. These appear to be grants to employees for hardship problems such as illness. A fifth "special needs" voucher was in the amount of $250. ... This at a time when the Hospital is in dire financial distress.

Another highly questionable expense was $41.41 for three pizzas delivered to one of the Hoerster Clinics. The Hoerster Clinics also spent $23.14 purchasing roses for Nurses Day. A prospective PA (physician's assistant) and his wife were taken to lunch for $26.25. Two EMTs dined at Fuddruckers costing the Hospital $19.06. Haven't they heard of McDonald's? Most pointedly, why the hell didn't they pay for their own damned lunch? Readers are reminded I haven't yet scratched the surface of the records. -- Haven't anywhere near finished examining the last quarter's vouchers yet.

With certification of the Florida vote by the Republican Secretary of State, George "The Tush" Bush has been remarkably successful to date stealing the Presidential Election. ... Despite a far from complete count. ... Despite election irregularities. ... Despite an egregious level of bias displayed by Republican Florida state officials.

Although not a Gore supporter, it is critical the Vice President contest the GOP stolen election. Whatever the hell happened to the one-man, one-vote principle this great republic was founded on? Clearly, it means nothing to Ole' George and his cronies and shills. Sadly, the Republicans have successfully managed to skillfully disenfranchise the vote. ... Made a jackass of the Democratic donkey.

Will it withstand judicial review? Good question. After all, the courts, -- despite "conservative" whining to the contrary, have moved to the far Right over the last thirty years. -- Sadly, into the camp of Right-wing Republican fascists. Regardless of outcome of the judicial wrangling, the new President will have no mandate, no honeymoon, and certainly a nation divided by an election clearly stolen by the Right. Ole' George will have his work cut out for him in "re-uniting" the country should the courts affirm the current electoral travesty. Think he's got the substance?

Worst of all, the Governor has "crowned" himself President, -- despite pending court action. Displaying a remarkably high level of Aryan arrogance, Mr. Bush has outrageously decided to implement a transition team headed by Mr. Cheney and has asked the President to fully cooperate. Think Ole' Bill will promptly go along? Interesting times, no doubt.

Sadly, the Republicans have moved to the Extreme Right and fascism. Equally pointedly, the Democrats have moved to the Extreme Left and socialism. Where does that leave those in the political center?

As strongly asserted in Special Edition V65, the clock is indeed ticking. The visitor count stands in excess of 40,900, -- another excellent week and true testament to the shameless willingness of the readership to "steal" this writer's labor. Certainly, you ought to be proud of yourselves. Nothing quite like "character", is there? Readers are advised this writer receives no renumeration from the banner and pop-up advertising. They only pay for the website itself. There is no personal compensation, nor are there desperately needed funds for investigative expenses. Non-profit and outrageously unfunded by the readership it serves due to greed, gut-wrenching fear, and the continuing relentless intimidation of corrupt and abusive Llano County officials, this publication remains as always beholden to NO ONE.

Tim Chorney, Publisher
The Llano Ledger



Tim Chorney, Publisher
P.O. Box 997
Buchanan Dam Tx. 78609
llanoledger@mailcity.com

Page Updated Tue Oct 9, 2001 12:52pm EDT