Mikel's Thoughts by Mike Virdell

Llano Memorial Hospital Board member David Hoerster on Wednesday, May 17th twice interrupted me as I made comments to the joint Board meetings with the Llano County Commissioners and the Hospital Board. Saying “I never talked to you!” So far six witnesses saw Hoerster at my office, and the thinking is we were not planning a family outing.

I have gone back and read each statement in which I attributed to Hoerster over the past four weeks, and I believe each was accurate, and fair. The only one coming close to debate was his insistence that Llano Memorial would own the 281/71 Hospital in Burnet County 100%, in which he claimed to have documentation. Partnerships being perused by the Hospital per the information provided by Hoerster on Wednesday does not represent 100% ownership.
Documentation now will come with a recorded version of the meeting on Wednesday. Hoerster gave the presentation to about 60 people, and was professionally done. The opening statement was addressing the first big issue, “Llano Memorial Hospital will never close and everything will stay the same.” Nothing could be further from the truth. Only a complete moron would believe that 30 employees would be affected “at the beginning” and then conclude that is “nothing.” CEO Kevin Leeper told me that number at the “Meet the Candidates” meeting a few weeks ago, and that number was repeated by Leeper on Wednesday. 30 employees represents about 20% of the work force in the main building of the Hospital. At the beginning! By the end of the two-hour meeting, neither Hoerster nor Leeper were giving any “numbers” to the questions from the audience. Using the words of “anticipate” and “our best guess” were as close to accurate they could get. Remember. This meeting was recorded!

It has been very difficult for Hoester, Leeper, and Chairman Don Adams to keep their stories straight. Quotes in Burnet County newspapers have Adams telling the truth. “An emergency room and several beds” will be left. So, in order to keep their stories straight, and because of a boondoggle of ill-advised strategies, the Hospital Board has hired a “Public Relations” company to carry their water. The ill-equipped team of Adams-Leeper-Hoerster never thought that Llano citizens might question their secret move to steal the Llano hospital and take most of the employees, the payroll and its services to another County. Adams and Hoerster were not accustomed to questions about their judgment. (TRUST) Irritated is being kind. I think seven people from the audience asked questions. The answers were short, evasive, and not direct. Remember, this meeting was supposed to be about “trust me”.

With beautiful architectural drawings that will now be showing up in visible places, and sound bites to radio and TV news spots, the “PR” will begin. Not since the days of Jack Patton will Llano County see a more darkened shroud be pulled over the eyes of Llano citizens. All because Hoerster, Leeper, and Adams are incapable of being honest, up front about their plans, and arrogant beyond explanation. This project has been in the works for over two years. Wednesday’s meeting was the first to start informing the public about the plans of our Llano County Hospital. Land has been secured, plans drawn, architects hired, attorneys on payroll, and HUD applications filed, with a large sum of money transferred from operating accounts. Plus employees informed and mis-informed for over a year. Trust? There is none. Now you can listen to the Boards’ Public Relations team from “out of town”.

The City of Llano has “standing” in the issue of the Hospital. Economic impact studies have never been done. Impact on schools? None. Impact on 300 County Hospital Employees? None. When I asked that question Wednesday, Hoerster turned to me in the most vile way, and said the study done should be evident to anyone! (Being the moron in the room, I think he was referring to me!) The study he refers to is the Marble Falls study. In five places in that study, it says it did not address the impact on the Llano Hospital or the City of Llano. Much less the impact to our schools. I suppose Hoerster’s speed reading allowed him to skip those phrases.

The City of Llano has authorized the City Attorney to investigate legal issues involving acts and or omissions of the Hospital Board and Llano County Hospital Authority, and the Llano County Commissioners. The Commissioners may think they do not have any responsibility in this, but laws will decide if they do or don’t. But laws and the responsibility to their elected constituents are not the same.

Is your Llano County Commissioner’ Board representative representing your best interest? That is the issue. Do you care if millions of dollars of Llano County assets will be now spent in another County? Does it matter to you that new roads will be built in another County with Llano County earmarked funds? In other words, profits from one Hospital will now be spent somewhere else? Does it matter to you that real cash; real money has already been moved to another County for another County’s economic benefit? When this happens, does it matter to you that Llano schools will shrink? Students mean money. This past year, Llano ISD turned in about 45 less kids in 2005 than in 2004 for school system enrollment to the State of Texas. That drop in enrollment will cost Llano County taxpayers over $800,000. Does this matter to you? If it does matter, call your Llano County Commissioner. (Leon Tucker-325-247-2288…..Wayne Brascom-830-598-5724…Henry Parker-512-793-2880…these three could make changes.

The Hospital Board has already put up money and applied for a HUD loan for the Hospital in Burnet County. City Attorneys have notified HUD of concerns. By end of this week every State and National Representative will receive certified letters about Llano’s fight to keep the Hospital in Llano. You can help. Write or call your Congressman.

U.S. Representative: Mike Conaway-325-247-2826…State Representative Harvey Hildebran-830-257-2333…U.S. Senator John Cornyn-202-224-2934.
One last thought. By one estimate, the economic impact on our City, our Schools and our County could be close $10 million per year. This is loss of wages being paid in Llano, loss of school kids in our schools, loss of sales tax revenue in our City, drop in property tax evaluations, thus further loss to our schools. That is a minimum of a $100 million dollar impact to our County over the next 10 years. Don’t think for a minute this does not concern you. The embarrassment of this is the ones that can stop this move of Llano County assets out of the County seem afraid to do anything. As the judge of our County lectured the people in the meeting Wednesday, the eyes of the Commissioners stared at the table in front of them. Few eyes made eye contact with the audience. I would give anything had all 20,000 Llano County citizens been at that meeting. I believe most would have left knowing and feeling one thing.
Our County judge is not very smart. Our Commissioners are not very strong. And our Hospital Board is not very trustworthy.