Last modified: Wednesday, May 17, 2006 12:14 PM PDT Letters to the Editor Questions about Washington County finances Editor, It is interesting how the fortunes of Washington County government finances can change drastically in just a year and a half. I am referring specifically to the county run Weiser Ambulance Service. Just 18 months ago ambulance supervisor/Weiser Mayor Steve Patterson was informing the Weiser City Council and the Washington County Commissioners that the ambulance district was on the “horns of a financial dilemma,” referring to his accusation that the Lifeflight Air Ambulance was being called for emergency transfers from Weiser Memorial Hospital to Boise hospitals too often by Weiser physicians, thus cutting the ambulance district out of profitable transfers. His plan, as mayor, was to require Lifeflight to land at the Weiser Airport and then the ground ambulance would transfer the patient from the hospital to the airport to be reloaded on the helicopter at a fee of $500 extra to the patient. This plan outlined by Patterson did not fly, as most people viewed it as dangerously time-consuming and an unnecessary expense to the patient. This unpopular plan is one of the items that landed Patterson on the mayoral recall ballot. Now fast forward to the present. It seems that Lifeflight is no longer a threat to the finances of Weiser Ambulance since under Patterson's supervision they find themselves no longer able to provide their mission of 24 hour, 7 day service and are now outsourcing some of the transfers to a private ambulance service. As a matter of policy set forth by Patterson, Weiser ambulance no longer accepts emergency transfers on Sunday and often finds themselves unable to provide transfers during other days of the week as well. You may have guessed, the private ambulance service is Treasure Valley Paramedics, Steve Patterson's ambulance service out of Ontario. Patterson's county ambulance budget is $528,000 per year, with part of that amount anticipating income from transfers to help balance the budget. It is no surprise that Patterson has recommended a fee hike for ambulance service to the commissioners. Or is this a preview of the eventual dismantling of the county ambulance service in favor of Patterson's Treasure Valley Paramedics? I was also concerned to learn that Weiser Memorial Hospital is going along with this single sourcing of transfers to Treasure Valley Paramedics, even though another full-time paramedic service is operated by Payette County out of Fruitland City Fire Station. Has the hospital bothered to check rates from Payette to put some sort of competitive pressure on transfer costs? However, this all came into clear view when I learned that one of Weiser Memorial Hospital's personnel is also a part-time employee of Patterson's Treasure Valley Paramedics. It seems that the patient is coming out on the short end of this. I question how the delayed response time from Patterson's ambulance coming out of Ontario compares to the county ambulance that is sitting idle right next to the hospital. Many patients don't have insurance that covers ambulance service. Are they getting the best deal, while the county ambulance sits idle next to the hospital? Is the property taxpayer benefiting when the county ambulance sits idle next to the hospital? Bud Watkins Weiser Bill Sali for Congress Editor, Tuesday, May 23 is the Idaho Primary. National Right to Life PAC is endorsing Bill Sali for U.S. Congress and opposing Sheila Sorensen in the First Congressional District race. Bill Sali has been an ardent champion of the rights of the unborn child during his 16 years in the Idaho legislature. Sheila Sorensen, however, is an ardent defender of keeping abortion rights legal and has even opposed a partial-birth abortion ban and parental consent legislation. Please vote for life and vote for Bill Sali Tuesday, May 23. Chuck and Kerry Uhlenkott Grangeville Idaho Vote for Semanko Editor, We will be electing a new Congressman this year to replace Butch Otter. We hope you will join us in voting for Republican Norm Semanko. Norm is the only candidate who has lived and worked in both ends of the district, which gives him a unique perspective on the issues we face. Both of our families have a strong agricultural heritage in Idaho. Every Congressional candidate claims that they have been involved with protecting Idaho's water rights to defend agriculture and Idaho's natural resources. Norm Semanko has been the only candidate that has centered his professional career around protecting the Natural Resource Industry in the state, region and country. His fight to protect water rights and private property rights have been recognized on both a state and national level. That is why we are the only campaign with a farm and ranch team committed to getting Norm elected as Idaho's next Congressman. Join us and our strong grass roots organization on Tuesday May 23 in voting for Norm Semanko for Congress. Roger & Gayle Batt Wilder