By Carla | Scottsdale
OPINION – Once again, the Goldwater Institute thinks it knows Scottsdale better than its residents.
A recent editorial from the institute’s CEO Victor Riches touts an unnecessary hospital rezoning by Banner Health that will reduce the quality of Scottsdale’s healthcare, citywide.
Riches’ position comes after a judge recently dismissed a lawsuit in which the institute sought to derail Prop 490, a voter-approved measure to invest in Scottsdale’s parks, protect our Preserve and provide additional funding for our fire and police departments. I was proud to serve as campaign manager for the Yes on 490 effort.
The institute never considered the consequences of defunding the preserve, city parks and public safety, or the time and money it costs Scottsdale to defend the will of its voters. Instead, they have doubled down and appealed the ruling!
Now, apparently, they’re also jumping into another local issue without considering the consequences – the quality of healthcare in Scottsdale. Riches’ editorial doesn’t account for the shortage of doctors and nurses and the fact that adding another, unnecessary, hospital would spread resources too thin, hurting patients and raising costs. He fails to mention that Scottsdale already has an excellent healthcare system and Banner’s plans could break what doesn’t need fixing.
Most of us live in the real world where lives are at risk when a hospital doesn’t have enough staff or a Level One Trauma Unit. Personally, as a senior with a heart condition, I need to count on quality health care.
Years ago, I helped champion the creation of the McDowell Sonoran Preserve. It has become one of the things that make Scottsdale special. Scottsdale’s current health care system, powered for more than 60 years by HonorHealth, is another. We shouldn’t allow an outside entity to lessen our quality of life.
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