Funds From Tobacco Lawsuit

Re “County Prepares for Battle to Keep Tobacco Funds,” March 25.

Ventura County voters, do not be fooled by Michael Bakst. His proposed ballot initiative to divert tobacco lawsuit money into his Community Memorial Hospital is very wrong.

First of all, specifically denying the use of any of those funds by Ventura County Medical Center clearly makes this diversion a gift of public money--$225 million--for private purposes. This would be illegal. But this is indeed consistent with Bakst’s repeated attacks against the county’s competition with his fiefdom.

More important, Bakst’s proposition is an attack against Ventura County taxpayers. For years, the county had the burden of providing care to those whose health was injured by tobacco. This involved taking money from other county services. Now that the tobacco industry is repaying that money, there is absolutely nothing wrong (contrary to Bakst’s assertions) with using the funds on programs that were shortchanged: parks, libraries, streets, etc.

Bakst sees a great windfall from the tobacco money for his private hospital. But that money was a settlement won by governments for government health-care programs. If private hospitals wanted a share, they should have participated in the lawsuit. And they should prove that they too were shortchanged in providing care to those made ill by tobacco.

Bakst did neither. He should not be allowed to reap what he did not sow. Do not sign his petition.

DAVID E. ROSS

Oak Park

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I am outraged at the antics of Bakst and his sole desire to create a monopoly of hospital care for Ventura.

His latest scheme to put a measure on the November ballot to specifically bar Ventura County Medical Center from receiving any money from the tobacco settlement is so blatantly self-serving, I question Community Memorial Hospital’s morals and ethics.

Bakst spent $1.6 million in 1996 so VCMC would be denied permission to adequately expand to accommodate low-income and indigent people and those without medical coverage. I would ask Bakst: Did anyone needing medical care benefit from your wasting that money? Or did we as a community suffer from your self-centered desire for gain?

People should see this deceit for what it is: another ploy by Community Memorial Hospital to make sure that VCMC is shut out of money due to it.

BRENDA ACOSTA

Ventura

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Let me get this straight. Bakst, the noble protector of almost one whole percent of Ventura County’s indigent patients, in putting his spin on the latest attempt by CMH to sabotage the Ventura County health system, had the unmitigated gall to state that any attempt to block this rip-off would be against “the elderly, the indigent and the children.”

What nonsense. Any politician who wouldn’t oppose this blatant attempt to rip off public funds should be booted out of office.

Of course, the county doesn’t need to worry, because we have our own protector on the Community Memorial board in the form of District Attorney Michael Bradbury. He has shown by his brave abstention what that’s worth.

GARY WITHROW

Thousand Oaks