Letters to the Editor 6-11-15

Plenty of water? Not.
Editor: I appreciated Terry Rochioli’s letter last week. I’m very relieved to learn that our planning commission believes that  we have plenty of water in Healdsburg. I guess I can throw away that mandatory water rationing notice I received from the city in the mail on Saturday. But seriously, it seems that the rules of water conservation are different for regular town folks than they are for developers and their friends at city hall. Well, here’s a news bulletin: the rules have changed and we don’t have the luxury of development as usual. It’s time for some kind of strict limit on any new housing other than low income units, until we have had a few years of normal rainfall and the water table has recovered. In the meantime, our council needs to order the planning commission to get on the same page as the rest of us or find new commissioners who will.
Hank Skewis
Healdsburg
Billing practices
Editor: Healdsburg District Hospital and their affiliated primary care clinic refuses to bill for my child’s doctors office visits correctly. Rather than charging me a copay of $20 (or in the case of well baby visits $0) according to my insurance plan, they are billing all of her visits as outpatient hospital procedures (such as x-rays, chemo infusion, etc). This causes my insurance to only cover the visits at 70 percent and HDH has billed me $967 in addition to all the copays they collected at the doctors office. (Funny how they are happy to collect a doctor’s office copay at the time of the visit and then they turn around and bill it as something completely different.) Now, since January they refuse to answer my calls, actually avoid calls from my number (I called back one minute later from a different number and they were surprised to hear it was me calling). I have sent a certified letter requesting an explanation and correction – no response. I have gotten my insurance company to attempt conference calls with the HDH billing department and they say there is no one available to answer questions or just send it straight to voicemail. I feel they are purposely billing this way to get more money from their clients and most people who don’t understand medical billing, nor have the energy to fight these bills are probably just paying them. Also, it is illegal to bill for both CPT code 99213 and 99211 in the same visit but it has happened to me three times at HDH. Oh, and they won’t give you the CPT codes and what is actually being billed to your insurance company without a lot of hassle. Why am I paying for insurance to cover my daughter’s doctor’s office visits just to turn around and be handed a giant bill? I am so glad her doctor has moved to another medical group in town. Since the switch last December, we have had no issues with her check ups and no bills. Just a word to my neighbors to watch out and check your HDH medical bills carefully. If something doesn’t seem right, ask for a full explanation.
Gina Berry
Cloverdale
Tossing the list
Editor: Today when the mail arrived, what I at first thought was a new telephone book with hundreds of names, upon closer inspection was in reality a current list of Republican presidential candidates. I tossed it into the recycle bin.
Chuck Doire
Healdsburg
The water bubble
Editor: The Saggio Hills issue brings to mind the dire retirement benefits dilemma that faces so many governments today. That dilemma was brought about by promises made during the economic “bubble” of the times when administrations were enamored by big returns on investments … which of course, fizzled out. That bubble is gone. Saggio Hills emerged during what we might now call the “water bubble.” That bubble is gone, too. Can we be prudent enough to avoid the same situation as the retirement bubble? Our administrators have a huge and critical job to find a way of taking care of our current citizenry and still provide some plan of growth that can be sustained. It is a tough job that needs much input from citizens of our fair city of Healdsburg.
George (Jim) Eade
Healdsburg
Bond questions unanswered
Editor: This letter is in response to Jeff Harding’s letter “Investing in Our Community” (May 7, 2015) who was responding to my letter “Questions about School Bonds” (April 30, 2015). To recap the pertinent questions asked: Did the Healdsburg Unified School District (HUSD) refinance the Foss Creek School bond knowing it was being sold? Did HUSD refinance in 2013 and again in 2014? Any property owner would ask these simple and valid questions which I have been asking Mr. Harding via email over a year. This is why the issue is addressed in the Tribune. However, his response does bring up some very good ideas as well as many new questions. Where did the HUSD get all the money to fund construction projects on four campuses? As an actively involved parent, I was on HUSD campuses for 18 years including lunch time reading and math help at Foss Creek School in 1990s. With over 40 years of construction management experience, including being a mediator and arbitrator, I did not feel the need to accept Mr. Harding’s invitation to review “future” plans. Besides, I met with Mr. Harding prior to the bond measure and was one of the 39 percent that voted against it. However, I would encourage property owning taxpayers to take up the invitation to walk the campus with Mr. Harding. A Media and Technology Center was built in 2002 “for students to be prepared for the 21st century” and is now the administration offices. Since 1990, the HUSD has spent $90 million or more “fixing-up and re-making” the campuses, plus a few stand-alone buildings. I’m in favor of a quality learning environment, but is anyone counting the lost millions? This is an important issue for the people of Healdsburg and should be addressed. When a government/public entity can keep attacking your real estate property through taxation without the owner’s knowledge or permission it opens the door for potential abuse of all property owners. I am only asking the question: Did HUSD re-finance the Foss Creek School bond? Are property owners paying on a bond obligation for a facility not owned by HUSD?
Kevin J. McCann
Healdsburg
Common wealth
Editor: As we gird our cerebral cortices for the ideological onslaught known as national elections, though still 17 months over the horizon, it may be heartening to recall that decisive action still trumps rampant rhetoric. If not on the stump, at least here and there. Here, being Healdsburg, we observe not-so-random acts of kindness (when a teenager is badly injured in a river accident) and “pockets of intelligence” (as Joan Baez voices when waxing positively. Our “pockets” include the City Council and Police Chief Burke, both aptly spotlighted by the editor for their steadfast support and retention of the 24×7 dispatch center. Yes, individuals and institutions do occasionally act in the common interest, for the common wealth. Most definitions of commonwealth refer to the public good. Or, as the English phrased it in the 15th century, common weal. The plaza’s renovated gazebo is a stellar example. So too the Russian River, with major care from Riverkeeper and stalwart crew. Notwithstanding those on the periphery who snipe at paying a modest partial tax for a service “they never use” (until a stroke or accident upends their lives), the Healdsburg District Hospital is yet another shining manifestation of common wealth. Similar-sized communities throughout the country would, as my sainted mother used to say, give their eyeteeth to have such a superb helping of commonwealth in their backyards. As candidates crank up projections of things to come and make promises that legislators seldom address, despair not. About us everywhere is common wealth. We don’t just laud locavore here. We practice locavox.
Emile Pragoff
Healdsburg
Tournament success
Editor: Healdsburg Soroptimist held its sixth Annual Golf Tournament “Girl Friends on the Green” on May 15 at Tayman Golf Course. The funds from the tournament benefit the Shannon Boaz Memorial Scholarship for Active Girls. The fund provides scholarships for girls in our community to participate in science, arts, sports and extra-curricular activities. Golfers enjoyed golf, a dinner catered by the Healdsburg High School Culinary Class and a silent auction. We would like to thank all the local businesses that supported our golf tournament, from tee sponsors to silent auction donors, and to all our hard working volunteers to make it a great success.
Healdsburg Soroptimist