Letters to the Editor: Dec. 23, 2010

Develop DWP property

In response to Mr. Davidson’s opinion regarding the DWP Property, and his belief that the plans are overly aggressive, I wholeheartedly disagree. Our city is a collection of many interests.

While I agree that there is a vocal group that insists in resisting any and all development, it by no means represents a majority. Was there a poll taken that (as a resident) I was not aware of?

Mr. Davidson refers to Bay City Partners’ continuing to present overly aggressive development plans. As I understand it, they’ve modified their plans on several occasions to accommodate the city’s demands.

The current plan, as I understand it, has new homes being built on only the back 30 percent of their property, with the front 70 percent being reserved for open space. This seems pretty accommodating to me.

Besides the on-going cost to the developers, is Mr. Davidson aware of both the legal cost (approximately $800K) and millions of dollars in lost revenue to the city as a result of the delays that the city has imposed in getting this project done?

An assertion was made that the Partners should compromise by  giving the 70 percent of land to the city, rather than selling the land to the city at some agreed upon price.

The DWP property can be a beautifully developed property, as I’m sure that the developers intend to do. Right now, it is an eyesore.

Homes built on that land would generate significant tax revenue to the city, as well as bring additional families to our fair town, to shop our stores, and frequent our restaurants. It is my hope that, with new leadership on our council, we can get this project moving, and serve all the interests in town, not just the vocal few who seemingly always resist anything resembling change.

Earick Ward

Seal Beach Resident

Healthcare

I have had a 30 year financial career in for-profit hospitals and generally supportive of their operating efficiencies.

However, based on several recent encounters with a local hospital, I now have to question the long term financial viability of the for-profit organizations!

The quality of care was excellent. My mother was admitted for cardiac issues and ran up an $18,000 bill for 25 hours of hospitalization before her discharge. My sister had an out patient scheduled cat scan for $4,500. The direct cost of these hospital services are about 10 percent of the retail charge.

Why should a private pay patient have to pay 10 times the rate of an insurance company? Government hasn’t or can’t fix this dilemma of healthcare being a “right” or a “privilege” and even if they do, we still have the financial issues.

How can physician providers, patients and communities morally and ethically support organizations like this when national data shows over 70 percent of all bankruptcies are due to medical bills?

I can’t ever remember forcing a bankruptcy in my four years experience with not-for-profit hospitals. The primary difference between for-profits and not-for-profits is their true mission statements, financial incentives and capital structures.

I can’t understand how 80 percent of consumers are satisfied with their healthcare when a one day stay costs $18,000 (private pay), insurance premiums of $1,000-$2,000 a month and 70 percent chance of filing bankruptcy due to medical bills?

The “Broken System” will ultimately heal its’ self when the consumers/patients finally get outraged enough and begin to support and spend their dollars with providers who truly share their own healthcare philosophy.

Robert Mann

Seal Beach

Milt Peterson’s passing

My husband and I visited Milt at the hospital a few days ago. When we went back, he had been transferred to a care facility where he died the next day.

For those of you who didn’t know Milt Petersen, you are poorer for the loss.  Throughout our community, Milt’s spirit is everywhere there is a tree.

He loved trees beyond measure and is probably indirectly responsible for most of the beautiful trees planted throughout our community including our parks.

Jim Alexander and I were talking this morning about the contribution Milt made to our community and agreed that our residents should be told about special members of our community, like Milt, and their immeasurable contribution to the beauty of Rossmoor.

Years ago, while Milt still had his health, he was overseeing the purchase of replacement parkway trees and then personally planting them with the help of his Tree Committee. Whenever a tree was to be planted at a home where children resided, Milt would make a party out of it by inviting the children to sit on the lawn and watch as the tree’s new home (otherwise known as a hole) was dug and prepared for it. He did the same thing when the Rush School site was purchased from the school district for a park. Whole families came to the newly acquired park site to participate in a “community tree planting”. I still remember the small child who went head first into a hole to “see the tree’s new home”.

Before we became a Service District, our resident volunteers like Milt took on a lot of responsibility for maintaining and/or improving much of our community-owned property including turning two former school sites into Rush Park and Rossmoor Park.

Milt represented “the spirit of Rossmoor” and we are much poorer for this loss.

Shirley Bailey

Rossmoor