The Llano Ledger
Newsletter Text V89
Accessing The Llano Ledger Website Without Generously Providing
Financial Assistance To This Publication Not Only Denies Desperately
Needed Funds For Investigative Expenses, But Amounts To Theft Of This
Writer's Labor.
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**************April 23, 2001**************
Continuing review of LMHS employee "expense reports", the egregious
waste and looting remain unabated. An additional $6312.03 was found in
seminar expenses. That's right, $6312.03, at a time when the Hospital
is enduring serious financial difficulties. Another $395.00 was found
in "Special Needs" or employee hardship grants.
Love to have your employer pay your dues to professional
organizations? LMHS routinely does. Another $193.00 was found in
professional dues reimbursements. Wouldn't want EMS Station #3 to go
without a satellite dish, would we? While it is not clear from records
why EMS needs satellite reception, $86.43 was paid for the first
month's coverage.
Someone received $368.75 for patient charts. -- Whatever the hell
that was for. ... Couldn't be fraud, could it? Another LMHS employee
received an additional $298.28 for "X-ray School." -- At a posh Best
Western in San Antonio.
Another employee submitted a voucher of $30.98 for Christmas
decorations, but apparently was limited to $25 by management. ...
Extremely responsible of the Hospital, isn't it? -- Especially since
hundreds of dollars in Xmas decoration expenses have already been found
in the records search. An Employee of the 3rd Quarter received $25.00.
Another received $300.00 in an LVN Scholarship Stipend.
Before continuing with an outrageous example of physician greed, an
additional $21,101.29 in total employee "expense reports" was found in
the latest inspection, Friday, April 20, 2001. The grand total so far
is $142,993.22 for a period dating back not quite two years. The
condition of the records is appalling. Documents are misfiled and do
not appear to be complete. Figures have been scratched out,
highlighted, written over, etc., making inspection tedious and time
consuming. Worse yet, the Administrator/CEO is continuing to drag his
feet, allowing only one hour of inspection monthly.
Think physician greed knows no bounds? You would certainly be
right. Former Administrator/CEO Ernie Parisi apparently "bribed" Hans
& Grishma Elzinga at least $807.35 to relocate. Carefully read the
following letter:
Grishma Shah-Elzinga, M.D.
633 Hill Street
W. Baraboo, WI 53913
(608)355-9555
April 20, 1999
Mr. Ernie Parisi
Llano Memorial Hospital
200 West Ollie
Llano, TX 78643
Dear Ernie,
Hello! How are you? Hans and I just returned from our house-hunting
trip to Llano this past weekend. We saw some nice homes and are hoping
to make an offer on a house soon. I've enclosed all of the receipts
from our expenses during the trip so that we can receive the
reimbursement for them in a timely fashion. Both that check and the
checks for our salary advances as stated in our contracts which are
supposed to be sent before July 1, 1999 can be sent to us at the
following address (Hans' parents), since we will be moving out of our
Wisconsin home next week. They will forward the checks to us.
Hans Elzinga
741 Ivy Ann
Waco, TX 76712
We also have not received the copies of our job contracts that have
been signed by David Hoerster, which we will need both for our records,
and to assist us in financing a home. Please send them to us at our
Wisconsin address. Thanks a lot!
Sincerely,
Grishma Shah-Elzinga, M.D.
**************************
Think porters, orderlies, and nursing assistants receive the same
treatment from Hospital management? Readers are reminded LMHS is a
governmental entity owned by the taxpayers, -- not a private business.
What may be acceptable in private enterprise is not in government.
Worse yet, the looting heavily contributes to current Hospital
financial woes and is far from isolated. ... As continued inspection of
LMHS records clearly indicates.
While healthcare authorities nationally blame increasingly
expensive technology and government cutbacks for current financial
difficulties, the problem runs much deeper and goes back at least forty
years. It's called greed. Four decades ago a physician's office visit
cost $5 to $10 on the average, depending upon the location in the
country. A prescription, a few dollars. Outrageous increases have
far-outpaced the cost of living, leading to the creation of HMOs, --
health maintenance organizations.
Most Americans are terribly unhappy with their HMOs and the quality
of care, or more precisely, the lack thereof. Rightfully so. Worse yet,
many are routinely denied the same physician. Think things will
improve? Think again. Costs continue to spiral at a time government is
severely cutting back. What was considered to be a "free market",
clearly was not, and certainly never was.
After all, healthcare providers have a captive audience, don't they?
When in pain or seriously ill, patients will spend their last dollar in
an effort to alleviate discomfort, and of course, extend life. The
medical industry (and it is a business) fully understands this and
deliberately puts the screws to those able to pay, either by insurance
or private funds. -- Even if it has to bankrupt the patient to line its
bottomless pockets. Unbridled greed. ... Especially the shameless
fraudulent looting of Medicare and Medicaid. Yet, both Democrats and
Republicans have done virtually nothing.
No question greed has clearly led to the formation of HMOs, -- the
first step on the road to socialized medicine. With at least 20% of us
uninsured, the pressure will grow on healthcare providers. While
Republican fascists are steadfastly opposed to government spending on
medical care, other Republican "conservatives", -- not quite so far to
the Right, are beginning to understand there is a serious problem
requiring immediate attention.
... Especially in view of the fact, many uninsured requiring
immediate medical attention are presenting themselves at emergency
rooms, -- in advanced stages of disease most expensive to treat. True
"conservatives" fully understand medical intervention must occur at an
earlier, less expensive time and that "free markets" only work when
truly free. Sadly, they're not, and have not been for many years.
While the "President" claims to be a "compassionate conservative",
his actions to date scream otherwise. Especially in healthcare, where
Ole' George has proposed significant reductions in indigent health
programs. ... Programs which provide care at an earlier, less expensive
time of intervention, where the patient has the greatest chance of
recovery. The lack of federal funding is certainly having a profound
effect on Llano Memorial Healthcare System. -- Along with the looting
of course.
Surprisingly, access was quickly provided to Hospital Board
minutes, -- within days of the request. ... Apparently, due to the fact
January and February minutes indicate the Hospital is doing better
financially. While this is indeed good news, the problem is far from
over. Both Boards have indicated Hospital authorities are arrogantly
asserting they do not have the time to deal with the EMS problem and
are dumping it on the County.
The Llano County Commissioners' Court has reserved $170,000 to bail out
EMS. The Hospital started billing the County, January 1, 2001.
Interesting, isn't it? The taxpayers are now being directly tapped to
pay for the outrageous looting by EMS employees. Where the hell is our
District Attorney? Ole' Sam "The Sham" Oatman is continuing to
conveniently look the other way, and will of course continue to do so.
Apparently in response to repeated requests for access to Hospital
Board minutes and their posting by this publication, Hospital
management in conjunction with the Boards has decided to drastically
cut back the substance and length of the minutes themselves. Worse yet,
nothing of substance is discussed outside of executive session, in
violation of the Open Meetings Act. With an apparently corrupt and
abusive District Attorney, again, nothing will change.
Switching gears, the Peruvian Air Force shot down an aircraft
mistakenly identified as a drug runner. An American woman and her
daughter were killed in the process. She was a Baptist missionary, who
along with her husband, was doing charitable work in Peru. Supposedly,
a CIA surveillance aircraft did all it could to stop the Peruvian
fighter jet from targeting the plane.
The United States government has strongly asserted such targeting
activity on drug runners has significantly reduced the amount of
cocaine coming into this country. Sadly, our government has once again
lied. Cocaine is as plentiful and cheap as ever. So are other drugs.
The "Drug War" has clearly been a failure for the last thirty years.
Only corrupt law enforcement and their aggressively stupid shills still
argue otherwise.
Sadly, all the "Drug War" has accomplished has been the corruption of
police officers, the militarization of police agencies across the U.S.,
the evisceration and bastardization of the Bill of Rights, as well as
the legalization of theft by government thugs via asset forfeiture. ...
This coming from a writer who does NOT use drugs. Think about it,
friends. Had interdiction been truly successful, the price of drugs
would have skyrocketed and their availability steeply declined.
Clearly, they have not. Quite the opposite, in fact.
... Speaking of conveniently looking the other way, remember Elian
Gonzalez? The Cuban boy returned to Fidel nearly a year ago?
Interestingly, the photograph showing a federal Nazi SS thug pointing
an automatic weapon at the boy, held by the fisherman, has received a
Pulitzer Prize. Sadly, the return of the child to Fidel is proof
positive children are no more than chattel in the United States. "Papa
Fidel" is still laughing his ass off at the gullibility of the American
people. With good reason. ... Nothing quite like aggressive stupidity,
is there?
On another matter, the "President" has once again demonstrated his
lack of substance at the heavily-protested world free-trade conference
in Canada. While the behavior of both the protesters and the police was
indeed appalling, dissidents strongly made the case there is no such
thing as "free trade" when only the best interests of the "haves" are
considered. ... As happened at the time of NAFTA and GATT. Amazing how
history nearly always repeats itself, isn't it?
After nearly three months in office, however, the "President" has
clearly indicated he is indeed a strong proponent of big business and
corporate welfare, at the expense of labor and the environment. -- No
surprise since Ole' George "The Tush" Bush is certainly a product of
"Big Oil" and his Daddy's considerable influence and power. Although
this writer voted for neither, the son is sadly a small shell of his
father, the former President. Too bad, though. The people are indeed
suffering for it, but are too aggressively stupid to understand how
profoundly. ... Hey, George? It's time to wake up, sir. Move to the
Center, or your "Presidency" will be no more than a failure and a sad
bookmark of unbridled greed.
Friends, serious consideration is given by this writer to simply
walking away from The Ledger due to a glaring lack of financial support
from the readership. As strongly asserted in Special Edition V65,
lacking any vested interest and no longer owning property in Llano
County, why continue in the absence of financial support from a
cowardly and selfish community? -- Despite a combined Llano Ledger and
Llano Ledger 2 visitor count exceeding 96,600? ... Over two years, now.
For what?
Tim Chorney, Publisher
The Llano Ledger
Tim Chorney, Publisher
P.O. Box 997
Buchanan Dam Tx. 78609
llanoledger@mailcity.com
Page Updated Wed Jun 13, 2001 5:44pm EDT