Leland Blandón Traiman for Alameda Healthcare District Director
Traiman Hospital Campaign 2012
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LWV Questions & Answers
The Alameda League of Women Voters said that criticizing the Healthcare District and/or the current Board of Directors was not permissible on their web site because "two of the candidates in this race are incumbents, which means you are referring indirectly to their behavior." The Alameda LWV said that "indirectly" referring to their behavior was not "civil discourse." The following was not allowed on the Alameda LWV's Smart Voters Guide. You be the judge.
LWV Question 1.
What is the single most pressing problem facing the Alameda Healthcare District in the next 24 months and how would you work with your elected colleagues to solve it?
Answer:
Our emergency services are inadequate and need to brought up to 21st Century standards or, if that is not possible then, for the safety of our citizens, close the hospital. We need outside, objective assessment of what we need to meet the state and county requirements for our emergency services. If emergency services can be brought up to standards only with a significant increase in revenue then we must put an upgraded hospital parcel tax on the ballot. Our current parcel tax is regressive with multimillion dollar corporations, such as Safeway and the Oakland Raiders' corporate headquarters on Bay Farm Island, paying the same $298 dollars per year as small homeowners and small business owners. This is wrong. A restructured progressive tax could bring in significantly more money while, at the same time, significantly cut the tax of the average homeowner or small business owner.
LWV Question 2.
What steps will you take to assure transparency and open decision-making processes?
Answer:
Our Hospital District allows Alameda Hospital Board members to do business with Alameda Hospital. Taxpayers give $6 million/year to Alameda Hospital. Board members should represent the public, not their own business interests. Conflict of interest must be eliminated. No decision-making process can be truly transparent until this is corrected.
LWV Question 3.
How might the Healthcare District and the City work more effectively together?
Answer:
The Healthcare District was created and paid for by the citizens of Alameda, yet, the Healthcare District is way down on our ballot and many citizens do not really know who they are voting for. Our Healthcare District needs a higher profile, more contact with citizens and needs to spend less money on administration. To hold elections for a separate board does not accomplish this, in fact, it does the opposite. Therefore, the Healthcare District should be merged with the City of Alameda, eliminating the expense of a separate board, and have the City Council act as the Healthcare Board. This would help spotlight the hospital in the higher profile of the City Council so that more citizens could observe and vote with more information.
Political Philosophy
CONFLICT OF INTEREST MUST STOP
LWV Question 1.
What is the single most pressing problem facing the Alameda Healthcare District in the next 24 months and how would you work with your elected colleagues to solve it?
Answer:
Our emergency services are inadequate and need to brought up to 21st Century standards or, if that is not possible then, for the safety of our citizens, close the hospital. We need outside, objective assessment of what we need to meet the state and county requirements for our emergency services. If emergency services can be brought up to standards only with a significant increase in revenue then we must put an upgraded hospital parcel tax on the ballot. Our current parcel tax is regressive with multimillion dollar corporations, such as Safeway and the Oakland Raiders' corporate headquarters on Bay Farm Island, paying the same $298 dollars per year as small homeowners and small business owners. This is wrong. A restructured progressive tax could bring in significantly more money while, at the same time, significantly cut the tax of the average homeowner or small business owner.
LWV Question 2.
What steps will you take to assure transparency and open decision-making processes?
Answer:
Our Hospital District allows Alameda Hospital Board members to do business with Alameda Hospital. Taxpayers give $6 million/year to Alameda Hospital. Board members should represent the public, not their own business interests. Conflict of interest must be eliminated. No decision-making process can be truly transparent until this is corrected.
LWV Question 3.
How might the Healthcare District and the City work more effectively together?
Answer:
The Healthcare District was created and paid for by the citizens of Alameda, yet, the Healthcare District is way down on our ballot and many citizens do not really know who they are voting for. Our Healthcare District needs a higher profile, more contact with citizens and needs to spend less money on administration. To hold elections for a separate board does not accomplish this, in fact, it does the opposite. Therefore, the Healthcare District should be merged with the City of Alameda, eliminating the expense of a separate board, and have the City Council act as the Healthcare Board. This would help spotlight the hospital in the higher profile of the City Council so that more citizens could observe and vote with more information.
Political Philosophy
CONFLICT OF INTEREST MUST STOP
Our Hospital Board has allowed Alameda Hospital Boardmembers to do business with Alameda Hospital. Taxpayers give $6 million/year to Alameda Hospital. Boardmembers should represent the public, not their own business interests.
Sadly, this is symptomatic of other elected bodies in Alameda. Since being elected to the Alameda Board of Education, one board member has had three members of his family employed by that district.
The Citizens United Decision of the United States Supreme Court said corporations could spend unlimited amount of money on campaigns. Because of Citizens United our last city council election saw hundreds of thousands of dollars poured into our city of only 42,000 registered voter so that large developers could grab hold of the former naval air station. Since taking office these councilmembers have voted to override Alameda's slow growth charter amendment, known as Measure A, to add 2,400 homes to our island which only has 4 points of entry or exit and to give away public park land to a developer, also a violation of our city charter. These councilmembers are now Alameda's poster children for the effects of Citizens United on our city.
Our hospital must serve the people, not the privileged. Elected officials must speak out against the Citizens United Decision and conflict of interest in our city.
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