Second Hospital Plan for Thousand Oaks

I would like to thank Mrs. Parks for bringing forward the idea of forming a subcommittee to explore the creation of a second hospital in Thousand Oaks. Many residents have had to wait long hours for emergency room treatment at our single hospital. Competition will only improve service.

Recently, the Los Angeles Times ran an article regarding a second hospital in Thousand Oaks. Council member Dan Del Campo made the following statement: “It eludes me to how, but often when I’m working on something all of a sudden it pops up as her idea on the agenda,” Del Campo said of Parks. Any reasonable person must wonder if so many of his ideas are brought up by Mrs. Parks, then why does Del Campo constantly vote against them? I hope the entire council will take positive action and support this idea brought forward by Mrs. Parks without changing its intent instead or worrying about who gets the credit for it.

I would like to quote another statement by Del Campo in the same Los Angeles Times article: “Del Campo said he will probably vote against creating a subcommittee because it is too soon in the process.” When council members use the process as an excuse, we are hearing political rhetoric. Forming a subcommittee to explore possibilities and perhaps have some dialogue is not a process but a positive action to help the people of this community.

Del Campo ran on a slow-growth platform. He won the election by only 242 votes. Del Campo would not have been elected if he had not ridden on the coattails of Linda Parks and received Parks’ endorsement and the support of the slow-growth community.

Del Campo has stated: “It is one thing to campaign and another to govern.” By his own statement, we are not able to trust his word. Dan Del Campo has proved to be a disappointment and an embarrassment to the slow-growth community of Thousand Oaks.

I hope Mr. Del Campo and the rest of the council will support any worthwhile ideas brought forward by Mrs. Parks without changing their intent by amendments or politicizing them. If an idea is good, there will be plenty of credit to go around.

Debbie Gregory

Thousand Oaks