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Senate GOP task force to take closer look at hospital board
A Senate Republican task force will conduct public hearings this
summer to take a closer look at the politically charged and
increasingly litigious process that is all too common in determining
health facility construction and modification.
State Sen. Dale Righter, R-Mattoon, Senate Republican Leader
Frank Watson, R-Greenville, and I announced the creation of the
Senate Republican Health Facilities Planning Board Task Force at a
press conference June 22 at the James R. Thompson Center in Chicago.
The Illinois Health Facilities Planning Board has had a
tumultuous couple of years, and it appeared that the current
administration was taking some steps to reform the system. However,
other than replacing the members of the planning board, it appears
that nothing else has changed. The Senate Republicans are convening
this task force to examine ways to remove politics from the system
and establish a process based on merit, not on political influence.
Watson said that Gov. Blagojevich has augmented perceived
corruption on the board with political appointees who are now
falling under federal investigation for their roles on the planning
board. "Recent reports revealing ties between Governor Blagojevich
and political appointees on the board -- ties that are far more
extensive than once suggested -- really strengthen the need for some
kind of oversight."
Recent media reports have revealed several ties between planning
board members and Tony Rezko, a political crony of the governor.
According to published reports, some of the members appointed to the
board not only contributed large sums to Blagojevich's campaign, but
also served as shareholders in some of Rezko's companies.
The board was revamped in 2004 after it came under federal
scrutiny for its approval of a $49 million hospital in Crystal Lake.
"This board's decisions affect hundreds of millions of dollars in
capital investments," said Righter. "But more importantly, its
decisions affect patient lives and access to health care. We all
must hold these issues paramount, and for that reason this system
needs to be beyond reproach."
A study commissioned by the Health Facilities Planning Board and
completed by Governor's State University in February of 2005 also
labeled Illinois as a state that needs to decide on the future
direction -- either toward deregulation or toward improving the
Certificate of Need process -- by which hospitals and health care
facilities obtain state approval for new buildings, expansions and
other large capital expenditures.
The study notes that a review of current legislative activities
reveals three broad clusters of states: one group that is looking to
deregulate the certificate process; a second group focusing on
improving and streamlining the process; and the third group,
including Illinois, that is undecided on whether to move toward
deregulation or toward improving the current process.
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A July 2004 report by the Department of Justice also stated:
"States with Certificate of Need programs should consider whether
these programs best serve their citizens' health care needs."
There has been no meaningful debate on the process, and the
sunset date for the certificate process has been extended until
April 2007. Now is the time to have hearings so some decisions can
be made during the next legislative session. We need to ensure this
process is void of political influence and effectively achieves its
goals of cost containment and access to care.
I will chair the task force, which will have at least four
members, including Sens. Righter; Pam Althoff, R-McHenry; and Brad
Burzynski, R-Clare.
Governor playing favorites, skirting rules
Blagojevich and Democratic legislative leaders are playing
favorites and skirting grant funding rules when divvying up taxpayer
funds for after-school programs.
The Chicago Tribune has revealed that Democratic state officials
awarded $12 million to nonprofit groups, businesses, schools and
churches for after-school programs that, in some cases, served few
students or failed to deliver on their promises.
Republican lawmakers have been cut out of budget talks for last
two years, and this is the result -- more pork going to people and
groups without any evaluation, without any qualifications, without
any review. And it is being reported that grants were approved
before applications were submitted and before the groups were
checked out. Even Illinois State Superintendent of Schools Randy
Dunn has indicated he did not agree with the way the money was
distributed.
Some of the grants did go to legitimate after-school programs,
such as the Boys and Girls Clubs, but there were also abuses:
$25,000 to the sister of a state legislator to run a program for
only four students; $30,000 for a hip-hop exercise program for a
dozen students at a shopping mall.
This is just another example of this governor trying to buy
support for his re-election.
There's little question he proposed selling off the lottery to
get the Rev. James Meeks out of the governor's race. There's little
question that these education pork grants, though lesser in amount,
are intended to buy the loyalty and support of Democratic lawmakers.
That's appalling. The governor is using tax dollars to further his
own political career again.
The governor should freeze funding for these and other pork
projects until the $1.5 billion backlog of Medicaid bills is paid
and until the state meets its obligations to fund the pensions of
state teachers and other state employees.
This is a governor who just doesn't get it. He is spending money
the state doesn't have. He is buying friends and rewarding loyalty
in a few select cities. We need a governor who understands that he
represents 13 million citizens in communities across Illinois, not
just those north of I-80.
[Column from
Sen. Bill Brady] |
