ATTENTION: Hospital District Ballots
Make Sure Your Vote Counts
Editor's Note: It has come to our attention that some of the mail-in hospital district ballots do not have signatures and physical address information filled in by voters on the back of the envelope as required, which would make the ballot invalid.
On the back of the ballot directly below the words "Identification Envelope - Official Ballot Enclosed" there is a place for a signature, date, and residence address.
Telephone calls and e-mail efforts to verify this requirement with the Modoc County Elections Office were not returned as of this posting.
-- The Editors
Friday, August 13, 2010
Thursday, August 12, 2010
Affordable Medications for Rural Hospitals
Administered by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), the expansion of the 340B program will make discounted medications available to new enrollees including children’s hospitals, free standing cancer centers, critical access hospitals, rural referral centers, and sole community hospitals.
These facilities can save an average of 20 percent to 50 percent of the cost for covered outpatient medications.
“The expansion of the number of sites that are eligible for 340B will have an effect beyond just the affordability of medications,” said Sebelius. “Organizations can use the savings from the discounted medications to make them more affordable to patients and expand their access to necessary health care services.”
“We estimate that as many as 1,500 additional hospitals may now be eligible for discounted medications through the Affordable Care Act,” said HRSA Administrator, Mary Wakefield Ph.D, R.N. “In total, we believe the number of sites participating in the 340B program will rise from more than 14,000 to nearly 20,000 when you also factor in clinics and health centers that will be eligible.”
There will be a rolling, online admission process that ends Sept. 30, 2010. During that period, entities that have fully completed the registration process and have been confirmed by HRSA as eligible will be added to the 340B program.
Additional information can be found at www.hrsa.gov/opa/
Ken Collum Named New BLM Eagle Lake Field Manager
Ken Collum of Cedarville has been chosen as the new Eagle Lake Field Manager by the Bureau of Land Management, with responsibility for overseeing more than one million acres of public lands in northeastern California and northwestern Nevada.
BLM Acting State Director Jim Abbott announced the selection today, stating, "Ken is a perfect fit for the Eagle Lake Office. He has proven leadership abilities, having spent the last seven years in the Surprise Field Office in a variety of resource positions, and brings his extensive experience in the private sector as well."
Collum joined BLM in 2003 as a geologist and realty specialist, serving as the lead of two of BLM's multiple-use programs. He added budgeting to his duties and most recently has served in acting field manager capacities in several BLM field offices in California. Prior to joining BLM, Collum was an exploration manager and geologist in Colorado and Nevada. He is a graduate of California State University Fresno with a bachelor's degree in economic geology.
BLM's Northern California District Manager Nancy Haug said the appointment comes at an important time, with the start this week of the Twin Peaks wild horse and burro roundup, gathering up to 2,000 wild horses and burros from the area north of Susanville. "Ken will be a tremendous asset to the field office in all respects, but his leadership in the roundup preparation has been outstanding, and he is the right choice to oversee this important effort for the next weeks," she said.
(Advertisement - Paid for by Doug Knox, Fix-It-First)
1. Is there or isn’t there a Sunset Clause?
2. Under the TETTAR plan that the auditor has explained to the county, the district will receive ONLY the tax that is paid in June when the first installment is paid then in December ONLY the tax that is paid for their second and final installment will be passed on to the district. Then what will happen if the lots in Cal Pines are delinquent. Will it affect all the county and the hospital district?
QUESTIONS ABOUT THE HOSPITAL DISTRICT
1. Is there or isn’t there a Sunset Clause?
a. According to the LAFCO legal advisor – there is no Sunset Clause in the LAFCO paperwork. What is know is state law and the law has been printed in the Modoc Independent News latest addition. According to The Local Health Care District Law 32202. Maximum rate: Tax in addition to other taxes; Election for higher rate. 32241 for the purpose of determining whether a higher maximum tax rate specified by the board in its resolution calling the election shall be established for a period not to exceed five years. This law has been stated by the Save Your Hospital Committee as their Sunset Clause.
2. Under the TETTAR plan that the auditor has explained to the county, the district will receive ONLY the tax that is paid in June when the first installment is paid then in December ONLY the tax that is paid for their second and final installment will be passed on to the district. Then what will happen if the lots in Cal Pines are delinquent. Will it affect all the county and the hospital district?
3. If the delinquent tax list was 80% last year from Cal Pines, then how much will the economy in Modoc County affect it this year?
4. If all through the State the District hospitals are in financial trouble and have to raise their tax, what does that mean for Modoc Health District.?
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Kimberly Anderson Selected
New Forest Supervisor
Prior to accepting this assignment, Ms. Anderson served as the Deputy Director for Acquisitions Management and Partnerships for the Eastern Region. In addition, Forest Supervisor Anderson recently served as the Acting Deputy Forest Supervisor for the Fremont-Winema National Forest in Lakeview Oregon.
Her career in the U.S. Forest Service has included details as the Acting Director for Acquisitions Management and Partnerships for Region 9, the Acting National Social Scientist/Partnership Deputy Director for the Washington Office and as an Acting District Ranger in Colorado.
Ms. Anderson’s other permanent positions in the Forest Service include serving as the Regional Partnership Director for Region 9, the National Nature Watch Coordinator and as a District Wildlife, Range & Fisheries Supervisory Program Manager in Alaska and the Rocky Mountain area. She also has experience in brush disposal, fire fighting, and as a wilderness guard.
Her formal education includes a Bachelor’s of Science in Wildlife Management with an emphasis in Fisheries from Humboldt State University and a Master’s degree in Leadership from Grand Canyon University.
Kimberly is married to Michael Anderson, whom she met while living in the small community of Petersburg, Alaska. He retired from the Forest Service in 2008, as the Director of Safety & Health for the Eastern U.S. after a 32-year career. Michael is a 4th generation Californian and is happy to be moving back near family who live in Redding. Michael is a military veteran, who in addition to his work with the Forest Service spent nearly 14 years with the Petersburg and Ketchikan Volunteer Fire Departments, while also finding the time to develop a passion for exploring back-roads, camping, and bird watching.
Kimberly and Michael currently live 30 miles north of Milwaukee, Wisconsin in a 118 year-old converted barn on 13 acres of forested land. They have two Australian Sheppard dogs, three cats, as well as, a number of birds, fish, chickens, and bee hives. For the past five years, they have made maple syrup from the trees around their property. Kimberly loves bird watching, camping, fishing, gardening, reading, knitting, canning, crafts and tending her bee hives and chickens.
Forest Supervisor Anderson says “Michael and I have both wanted to get back to a smaller community and are just thrilled to be moving to Modoc County. I’ve been through Alturas several times and think the area is beautiful. I am really looking forward to meeting and working with the employees of the Modoc National Forest and the communities of Alturas and surrounding areas.”
Monday, August 9, 2010
Union Contract Goes to BOS For OK
Update: The Modoc County Board of Supervisors will consider the union contract at its Aug. 24 meeting rather than today, as first reported.
Modoc County union employees, Local 792 have voted 41 to 14 to approve a two-year Memorandum of Understanding proposal from the county.
The new contract will be on the Board of Supervisor’s agenda for approval in the near future. Local 792 is comprised of most of the county departments with the exception of the hospital and sheriff’s department.
Contract terms include the following: All employees will be frozen in their current step in salary for one year and not eligible for merit or longevity increases during that time. Two year cuts include reductions in cash payments for waived insurance, and elimination of sick leave incentive.
Effective Jan. 1, all floating holidays will be eliminated for two years. Also, employees receiving State Disability Insurance may elect to supplement their payment with an amount of paid sick leave.
“We asked why these reductions are being made in restricted fund departments and Rick Rudometkin told us this is not about savings, it’s about cash flow,” said bargaining unit member Bill Hall. “It’s about being able to make payroll. They wanted us to help out, this is the least painful thing we can do.
“In my opinion,” Hall added, “this is better than the county’s original offer which was a 5 percent cut in wages and 80 hours of furlough time in one month. I guess the county officials didn’t realize there is already a 20 percent of the work week furlough in the existing MOU.”
County employees voted for the final MOU proposal because as Hall says, “they don’t want to see any other issues come up.”
The union rejected the county’s first proposal and countered. The county countered the union , the union countered again after meeting directly with CAO Rudometkin and Interim County Fiscal Officer and Human Resources Director Pam Randall, rather than with the county union negotiator Rick Hagge.
Contract negotiations started June 7.
Update: The Modoc County Board of Supervisors will consider the union contract at its Aug. 24 meeting rather than today, as first reported.
Modoc County union employees, Local 792 have voted 41 to 14 to approve a two-year Memorandum of Understanding proposal from the county.
The new contract will be on the Board of Supervisor’s agenda for approval in the near future. Local 792 is comprised of most of the county departments with the exception of the hospital and sheriff’s department.
Contract terms include the following: All employees will be frozen in their current step in salary for one year and not eligible for merit or longevity increases during that time. Two year cuts include reductions in cash payments for waived insurance, and elimination of sick leave incentive.
Effective Jan. 1, all floating holidays will be eliminated for two years. Also, employees receiving State Disability Insurance may elect to supplement their payment with an amount of paid sick leave.
“We asked why these reductions are being made in restricted fund departments and Rick Rudometkin told us this is not about savings, it’s about cash flow,” said bargaining unit member Bill Hall. “It’s about being able to make payroll. They wanted us to help out, this is the least painful thing we can do.
“In my opinion,” Hall added, “this is better than the county’s original offer which was a 5 percent cut in wages and 80 hours of furlough time in one month. I guess the county officials didn’t realize there is already a 20 percent of the work week furlough in the existing MOU.”
County employees voted for the final MOU proposal because as Hall says, “they don’t want to see any other issues come up.”
The union rejected the county’s first proposal and countered. The county countered the union , the union countered again after meeting directly with CAO Rudometkin and Interim County Fiscal Officer and Human Resources Director Pam Randall, rather than with the county union negotiator Rick Hagge.
Contract negotiations started June 7.
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