Let's Make a Deal
Bill Atkinson, CEO of Wake Med, one of the largest hospital
complexes in our state has obviously been reading that North Carolina is facing
a 2.5 billion dollar budget deficit for the year beginning July 1. Patriot that
he is, Atkinson has been hard at work trying to help our legislators find
solutions to our problems and he has come up with one.
His hospital, Wake Med, is generously offering to buy Rex Hospital, sold some years ago to UNC Health Care for 290 million dollars and some debt, for the inflated price of 750 million dollars. Reminiscent of the movie, Dave, Atkinson is systematically showing us the way out of our financial troubles.
What other assets we could sell to fix our financial problems? We could sell the State Capitol, much as Arizona did. We all know what great problem-solvers they are.
I’ve got it. Let’s sell the Legislative building and lease it back to all the lobbyists who spend most of their time there anyway. They might as well pay rent while they influencing our legislators and we could start the New Year without having to make all those nasty cuts.
What other problems can we help solve?
Categories: uncategorized
Tags: Wake Med Bill Atkinson UNC Health Care North Carolina Capitol lobbyists Legislative building Arizona
Now, that's a novel concept. Just wondering if Rex and/or UNC Health Care System thinks it will work or will be actually be considered?
Thank you.
Cordially,
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Allof this is crazy,We needmore Hospitals in N.C. & copetition is good for business.This keeps costs down & Rex Hospital BELONGS to all people in N.C. BAH HUMBURG !!Bill Ack. R.L.
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Why the swipe at Arizona. So you are against them wanting to secure their border with drug crazed Mexico?
You also sound frustrated that your Democratic buddies could not get it done in Raleigh without corruption. It is time to let the Republicans succeed or fail.
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This PR ploy won't work.
First, the UNC BOG is the policy-making board for the UNC system, including UNC HealthCare. The General Assembly appoints them - why do we need them if their duties are going to be usurped by the General Assembly? Should not the UNC assets be under the control of the BOG to the extent they have been granted that legal authority? They are the policy-making body legally charged with "the general determination, control, supervision, management, and governance of all affairs of the constituent institutions." Would this not be "all affairs."
If the NC General Assembly could just "sell off" State assets, it could sell NCSU assets in the form of patents and other IP, yes?
Again, just a PR ploy. Duke Health systems in non-profit and operates in Wake County just like UNC and WakeMed. There is enough room for everyone. I personally choose UNC - the combination of a world-class Medical School with the Health System means all North Carolinians will get state-of-the-art care.
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I think that selling property as AZ did is like a college kid who has to pawn his things because he spent all of his money partying the night before. Such action only solves his problem temporarily, and does not address his behavioral choices.
Spending at all levels of government has followed this same kind of reckless drunken behavior over the last 30 years. As a result, we are feeling the lasting effects of the monetary hangover. It is a difficult lesson we should not soon forget.
Keynesian economics and deficit spending has failed miserably. Therefore, we should to return to a savings based monetary policy, with a return to the gold standard. I believe it is necessary for the restoration of fiscal sanity.
NC Rep. Glen Bradley has great ideas in this regard and should be taken seriously. I think a NC Spin show on the debt, deficit, and spending would have high ratings. NC Spin needs to be an hour long show!
Furthermore, I agree with Jeanne; GO HEELS!
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