Measure O

* Community Memorial Hospital and the Ventura County Board of Supervisors are involved in a major battle over Measure O and the tobacco settlement money that has been awarded to Ventura County.

Although Michael Bakst, executive director of Community Memorial, is generally given credit for Measure O, he is only an employee of the hospital. The authority for Measure O and this dispute rests with his board of directors.

One member of the Community Memorial board is Ventura County Dist. Atty. Michael Bradbury. In essence, Ventura County is fighting its own district attorney. Bradbury said that he abstained from the vote by the Community Memorial board to go after the tobacco money. That is not enough. Where is Bradbury’s loyalty to Ventura County and his fellow department heads, some of whose departments will take a hit if Ventura County loses this money?

It is time for Bradbury to take a stand. If he believes that Community Memorial is correct in what it is doing, he should stay on the board and support his fellow board members. If he has any loyalty to the Board of Supervisors and Ventura County, his employer, he should resign from the board of directors of Community Memorial.

DIANE L. FRESH

Port Hueneme

*

Because the latest propaganda mailing on Measure O is “a project of Community Memorial,” it is safe to assume that that hospital’s executive director hopes all the money will go to private hospitals.

He indicates that the money would be used for the elderly, children and uninsured patients, so why is he not including Ventura County Medical Center? They have been doing that for some time.

Consequently, I am voting no on Measure O, and I hope you will too.

LOIS RAFFERTY

Santa Paula