Mikel's Thoughts by Mike Virdell

I have been working with a large regional retailer for over four years to come to Llano. They have done multiple studies to decide if Llano would be a place that they could be successful. About 6 weeks ago, I asked their chief real estate person “what was the one thing that Llano could do to nudge this company to announcing they would be coming to Llano?”

His reply was “ Llano’s average household income is below average and that is the main reason we have not decided to come at this date.”

If an average nurse at Llano Memorial Hospital is making $40,000 per year, that average employee over 10 years has an average value to your community of $1,000,000. That is how much each nurse, on the average contributes to the success and financial framework of a city. Hospital Administrator Kevin Leeper told me that “initially”, 30 employees would move to a new facility in Burnet County. After that, thru retirements, divorces, deaths, and just moving out of the area, 15% of the employee base, per year, would be replaced. Replaced then, from the facility where all hiring would be done. Burnet County. Kevin Leeper confirmed these numbers back in April.

This is the economic impact the move of even a small bit of our hospital out of our County would do to not only the loss of jobs, but the “average household income” when a large retailer is considering the move to Llano.

From the beginning this has been about the loss of jobs. The economic impact that would devastate Llano. And when I keep asking, even in two different public forums, “why economic impact studies” on the City of Llano were not done, the talk shifts to Burnet County. We know what impact it might have in Burnet. But for people not to care what the impact on the City of Llano will have tells me only one thing. People involved in this move do not care about Llano, its people, or its continued good health. Financially or health care services.

These people have no history, nor do they appreciate the history. They have virtually no vested interest in the City of Llano, and further more, the County of Llano. Taking of jobs out of the County should be the easiest thing that all Llano County loving residents could agree upon.

But, not to the Hospital Board. This is about money, and money not to you or I. It is about someday again, having a hospital board that cares only about bringing Llano Memorial back to days when it was one of the best. When Board members cared about only one thing. Making Llano Memorial Hospital the best Llano County citizens could afford, and one where Board members were secure enough to not be afraid of competition.

The large regional retailer I spoke of. Competition has never been mentioned. Even their concern, is only about being successful in Llano.

Should Llano loss this retailer, it would set the City of Llano back many years. An economic impact by the Hospital Board would have revealed this. Too bad their efforts have been centered on Burnet County.

I welcome the comments from citizens about the Hospital situation. After the letters to the editor and the pickets with accusations of lies, I ask that you be specific. Over 90% of the information I have received have come from, Dr. David Hoerster, Hospital Administrator Kevin Leeper, two Llano County Commissioners, one future Llano County Judge, and documents from open meetings and records from the Hospital Board. And when you throw in Llano County Judge Floyd’s remarks from an open meeting in May , I don’t have to make this stuff up. While small errors have occurred, I stand by 99% of everything that has been written. Lies? Not needed here. The foolishness and irresponsibility of many has made following this rabbit trail very easy. The law suite filed by the City of Llano is about breaking the law. Explain that. The admitted open meeting violations are laws. Not suggestions.

The items mentioned in Roy Bode’s article Wednesday will be addressed by me in a few days, and will be posted here, as well as www.mikelsthoughts.com.