VanguardAdmiral Funds Vanguard Bond Index Funds Vanguard ...
Medical Center Beat Bernie | Vanguard Press | Sept. 24, 1987
-
Upload
sevendaysvermont -
Category
Documents
-
view
220 -
download
0
Transcript of Medical Center Beat Bernie | Vanguard Press | Sept. 24, 1987
MEDICALCENTERBEATSBERNIE
BURLINGTON
B urlington Mayor Bernie
Sanders reacted withdisappointment this
week to Superior Court Judge
John Meaker's decision inwhich he declared the Medi-
cal Center Hospital of Ver-
mont (MCHV) is indeed a
"charitable" institution andshould not have to pay a S2.8
million property tax bill the
city sent out in June.
Tuesday afternoon, sbortly
after the decision was released,t h er e w a s a m i x tu r e o f d i s ap -
pointment and disbelief
among city officials, qualified CABLE TV D·" 'ES TO SKYROCKET? by a feeling that "it ain't over nII"ll •till it's over" and the view thatthe city had faced a difficult
battle when it set out to chal-
lenge the hospital's tax-exempt
status.
At the hospital, President
James Taylor offered re-strained ecstacy, and MCHV's
attorney. Spencer Knapp,
breathed a sigh of relief. Be-
fore the court's decision wasreleased, Knapp joked he
would need to buy either cham-
p a g n e o r r a z o r b l a d es .
With City Attorneys Joe
McNeil and John Franco Jr.looking like they just got
bopped on the head with a
baseball bat, Sanders com-
mented with restraint. But healso expressed disbelief that
the judge bad declared that
the institution, whicb bas been
at the top of Sanders' political
hi t J i s t , was in fact "charitable,"
"From a common sense
point of view. DO l a legal p o i n t
of view, I lind it very hard tou n d er s ta n d w h at t h e w o r d
cbaritable means," said Sand-
ers, wben the hospital provides
f ree care that equals I percent
o f p at i en t r e v en u e s , p a y s t o p
salaries and spends, he said, a
" g r e a t d e a l o f t i m e h o u n d i n g
people" for payment.
Sanders described Meaker's
r u li ng a s " f ri g ht en in g " b e-
c a u s e, h e s a i d , a l m o s t e v er y
institution probably dedicates
a p or t io n o f i t s re v en u es t o
c h a r i ta b l e c a u s es .
WI LLISTON b i g t h e y c a n f i n an c e i t i n t er - n y, an d to fi n d o u t w h y t h e McGill said Adelphia, whichnally" without having to break e n t ir e c i t y , i n c l u d i n g s ec t i o n s ha s been in business since 1952T he sale of Vermont's larg- th e back o f r a t ep a y er s , P r es s of Church Street, still has not a n d o w n s s y s te m s w i t h a to t a l
e s t c a b l e t e l e v is i o n c o m - added. b e en w i r e d f o r c a b l e relevi- of 500,000 customers. should p a n y t o a n out-of-state A d el p h ia a nd M o un t ai n sion serv ice. b e a b l e t o l i m i t t h e a m o u n t o f
company for a whoppingSI 17 C a b le m u s t a l s o s h o w , P r e s s M o u n t ai n C ab l e P r es i d e nt rate incr eases becaus e they a rem i l l i on h a s r a is e d c o n c er n s a t s a i d , th a t t h e p u r c h as e i s i n Robert McGill, who said he a l a r g e c o m p a n y t h a t c a n b u ythe Public Service Department t h e " p u b l i c good" a n d t h a t " i f w i l l s t a y o n w i t h t b e n e w com- p r o d u c t s l i k . e p r o g r a m s i nthat rates for cable subscr ibers t h e a c q u i s it i o n r e s u lt s o n l y in party, s ai d M o u n ta i n C a b le , bulk.will skyrocket. a c ha n ge o f o w n er s h ip a n d w h i c h h a s 59.000 customers
McGill described Adelphiaincreased rates.I don't see h o w t h r o u g h o u t t h e s t a te , n e ed s a
A de lp hi a Co m m u n ic at io nsthat 's in the publ ic in terest ." r at e i n c re as e r eg ar d l es s o f
as a family- run c o m p an y l e dCorp., which is headquartered
While the PSB must approve w h e t h er t h e c o m p a n y i s s o l d . b y c ab l e p i o n e er J o h n Ri g a s ,
in Pennsylvania an d alreadyt h e s a le , i t n o l o n g er h a s t he " W e ' v e g o t s o m e f i n an c i a l
w h o m he described as a "bene-o w n s a n u m be r o f c ab l e s y s - volent an d honest Godfather"terns along the East Coast,
power to contro l ra te increases s t r ai n s n o w . W e n ee d a ratei n th e co m m u n it y w h er e h e
since the US Congress ordered i n c r ea s e, " M c G i ll s a i d .agreed last week to buy Moun-
in 1984thatthe cable industry Not only did the market for lives in northwest Pennsyl-
tain Cab le fo r alm o s t th ree v an ia.
times the $44.5 million it sold b e f r e e f r o m regulation. c a b l e s y s t e m s " g o c r a zy " 1 0 1 -
for in 1984. That order from Congress l o w i n g f e d er a l d e r e g u la t io n , The sale had been in the
was made crysta l c lear ear l ier M c G UJ s a i d , o t h e rs i n v o l v ed w o r k s s i n c e e ar l i er t h i s s u m -T h e c o n c er n a t th e P u b li c t h is y e ar , w h en S up e ri o r Co u r t i n t h e i n d us t r y, l i k e t h o se w h o 'mer. M c Gi l l s a id t he M o u n-
S er v i ce D e pa rt m en t , w h i ch Judge Matthew Katz declared sell programs to the cable com- tain Cable inv estors requestedadvises the P u b l ic S e rv i c e a s e c t io n o f a n a g r ee m e n t panies, a ls o h i k ed t h e ir r a t es . t h e c o m p an y b e p u t o n t h eB o a r d o n u t i l i t y c a s es , i s t h a t b e t w ee n M o u nt a in C ab l e a n d McGill said he did not know m a r k et a n d s a i d t h a t, w h i l e" b e c au s e o f th e h i g h p r i c e t he c it y o f B ur li ng to n t hat h ow m u ch rat es w ou ld in- t h e p u r c ha se p r i c e i s enor-p a i d , t h e r e c o u l d b e f in a n c i al w o u l d h av e r eg u l at ed r at e i n - c r ea s e a n d s a id determining mous, i t w o u l d be whi t t ledp r e s s u r e t o i n c r e as e r a t es t o c r e as e s t o b e i l l eg a l a n d con- t h a t i n v o l v ed " a l o t o f number down by S30 million in deb ..c a r r y t h a t i nv e s t m en t ," a c - trary to federaJ in tent . c r u n ch i n g a n d r ea d in g t ea and at torney fees .
c o r d in g t o P SD a tt o rn e y K a tz 's d ec i s io n i s o n a pp e al l ea ve s ." R at es w e nt fr o m Still, McGill, who was one
Samuel Press. The PSD has t o t h e V er m o n t S u pr em e SIO.5O to S12.5O per month of six partners and l a o in-
n o t t a k en a p os i ti o n o n t h e C o u r t , a c c o r d in g t o A s s i s t an t f o r b a s ic s e r v i c e i n J a n u ar y . vestors when Cox Cable sold
sale, but Press said the depart- City Attorney John Franco Jr., H o w e v er , h e a l s o s a i d t h a t the system to Mountain Cable
m e n t w i l l r e q u e s t t h e c o m p a · w h o s ai d t h e c i t y w o u l d i n t e r - " n o o n e w h o ' s s er i o u s a b o u t i n 1 98 4. a d m i t te d , " I ' m n o t
n y p r o v i d e f i n an c i a l informa- v en e o n t he P SB a pp li c at io n t hi s b u si ne ss is g o in g t o p u s h g o i n g t o a r g u e t h at I w o n 't
tion t o g a ug e " w h a t s o r t o f t o m a k e s u r e t h a t o t h er parts t he e nv el o pe " a nd tr y t o h a v e t o w o r r y ab o u t t u i t io n
I f inancia l I pressures there are. o f t h e a g re em e n t w o u l d b e c h a r g e m o r e t h a n t h e m a r k e t money for my kids."
"They may say they're so h o n o re d b y t h e n e w ccmpa- will bear. • M.rk Johneon
decision, the judge used strong m a r k et r a te s f o r i ts e m p l o y - Iy, referring to the court battle, palms have been sweating. Did
language to shoot down some e es m a y o n l y r e s u l t i n a t tr a c t- t h e u n i o n d r i v e a t t h e h o s p i t al I t h in k i t wo u l d c om e o u t th i s
of the city's argumen ts. i n g m e d i c al p r o f es s i o n a ls w h o a n d n u m e r o u s a p p ea r an c e s way? Yes."
The city claimed, for exam- value thei r serv ices at less than before the Hospital Data Coun- A tt o rn ey Fr an c is Mu rr ay , pie, that there w a s doubt about p r e v ai l i n g m a r k e t r a te s . T h i s cil. " I m a y e v en a s k : for a raise," who represented the city ,saidthe hospital's tax-exempt sta c o u r t i s n o t pr ep a re d t o con- he added. he was "surprised because I
c h a r i ta b l e c a u s es .
" H o w m a n y attorneys don't
provide pro bono work?' heasked.
M e ak e r 's d e c i s io n w a s c a t -
egorical. Not even the parking
garage was declared to be sub-
ject to taxation. In his 36-page
the hospital's tax-exempt sta- c o u r t i s n o t pr ep a re d t o con- he added. he was "surprised because Itus, because state statutes refer e l u d e t h a t i n o r d e r t o be char-
Asked if he expected that t h o u g h t o u r c a s e w a s c o m p e l -only to hospital property that itable, a n i n s t i tu t i o n m u s t pro-
t h e de c is i o n w o u ld q u i et t h e ling, but that's what this busi-is leased out as liable to being v i d e s er v i c es t h a t a r e s e c o n d
m a y o r , T a y l o r s a i d , " I b e l i e v e ness is a l l about . "taxed. The city's argument was best." the mayor has been consis tent Said Sanders: "Of courset h at o n e c a nn o t a s su m e b y N on e o f the ci ty 's argu- i n w h a t h e b e l ie v es a n d w h a t I'm disappointed," adding, "Iimplication that property that m e n ts -f r om a ll eg a ti o n s th at he has said before the trial think o u r a t to r n e y s d i d a f an -is not leased out should be tax t h e h o s p i t a l " d e f l ec t e d " pa - a n d d u r in g h i s e n ti r e t i m e in tastic jo b a n d I t h i nk t h eyexempt. tients an d t h a t h o s p i t al t r u s - office. My guess is he's not m a d e t h e c a s e. W h a t w e also
B u t a s f o r t h a t a r g u m e n t , tees improperly benefited from g o i n g t o c h a n g e h i s a p p r o ac h u n d e r s to o d f r o m the v e r y b e -
Meaker, in language reminis- t h e ir s er v i c e o n t h e board of t o h e al t h c a r e a n d o u r institu- g i n ni n g i s y o u d o n' t g o in t o a
cent o f Sanders ' po l i t ica l rhet- t r u s t ee s t o t h e c o n t e n ti o n t h a t t i o n b e c au s e o f this decision." court a n d a s k a j u d g e t o s e t
o r i e , s a i d " s t a t u t e s s h o u l d n o t t o p a dm i n is t r at o rs p r o fi te dKnapp said he was "thriUed"
aside I00 years of precedent
b e c o n s tr u e d i n s u c h a w ay when the hospital did well-b y t h e r u li n g . " T o g i v e y ou a
a n d m a l ee a d e c i s io n w h i c h
that will l ea d t o i r r at i o n al o r a p p ea r ed t o c a r r y a n y w a t er h a s n o t o n l y s t a te w i d e impli-
absurd consequences." with Meaker . candid response, 1tbnught that
c at i on s b u t a l s o p r o b ab l ythe law and the facts were very
A s fo r th e ci ty 's ar gu m en ts Taylor, whose salary of ap- m u c h i n o ur f av o r a n d t b at
n a t io n a l i m p l i c at i o n s . I m e a n ,
proximately 5140,000 per year the great weight of legal au- y o u d o n 't g o i n t h e r e a n d s a y
t h at t o p ad m i n is t ra to r s a re you have a sure thing. I think o v e r p ai d , M e ak e r n o t e d, " I n
w a s a n i ss u e d u r i n g t h e t r ia l , ~hority was on the hospital'ssaid he was happy for the hos- side and 1 would have been
w e k n e w fr o m th e b e g i n ni n go u r s o c i et y t o d ay w e m u s t
pital's patients and those in very surprised by any other this would be a difficult case."
expect people to be compen-other hospitals throughout the decision," said Knapp. "O n the Sanders said he believed
sated for their labor. Theys t a te , w h o m , h e s a id . w o u l d other hand, this [judge] has " h i s to r y w i U b e o n o u r s i d e . "
have basic needs for food,
clothing, shelter, and other h a v e b e en " a t r i s k " i f t h e c i t y been deliberating for s ix weeks T h e n, tu m i n g t o t h e c i t y attor-
aspi rat ions commensurate had won. and you do get nervous as t ime neys, added, "It may well be.
with their earnings. To require " I feel some of us have real - passes, wondering what the shall I say, that this case is not
a m aj o r m ed ic al c en te r t o Iy earned our salaries th is sum- judge is thinking. So bave I over yet . "
operate by peyins I... duIII • mer," Taylor said haltseri" ... had any anxiety? Sure, my • M.rk John.on