Why are you running for this office and what 3 major goals do you want to be measured by if you are elected?

I am running for Montgomery County Hospital District (“MCHD”) Board so that I can influence Board policy from the perspective of a conservative businessman.  The three major goals that I want to be measured include: (1) Keep the tax rate for Montgomery County taxpayers at the current level or, if feasible, adopt a tax rate reduction. The first goal would be to support no new taxes.  (2) The second goal is to review all MCHD spending and search for cost savings.  (3) And the third goal is to develop open communication between the MCHD Board and its employees and to develop open communication with Montgomery County citizens.

Do you believe Board members should be allowed to ride along with EMS crews and spend time with Alarm and other departments?

Yes, I believe MCHD Board members should be allowed to ride along with EMS crews and spend time with Alarm and other departments.  I believe the experience of doing a ride-along with an EMS crew would provide MCHD Board members with a better understanding of the organization and assist in developing better MCHD policies.  My mother-in-law was a volunteer for a fire department in Montgomery County for ten years.  It provided her with a deeper understanding of her work as a school nurse in CISD.  She indicated that she learned many things from simply being around and watching the MCHD-sponsored personnel that she encountered.  This experience is valuable and would be beneficial for the MCHD Board members.

Do you have any experience with EMS or medicine?

Yes, I worked at Osawatomie State Hospital (“OSH”) in Osawatomie, Kansas during law school.  OSH is a psychiatric hospital owned by the State of Kansas and operated by the Kansas Department of Aging and Disability Services. OSH provides care and treatment for adults diagnosed with psychiatric disorders regardless of their ability to pay.

Should the Medical Director answer to the Board?

Yes, of course, the Medical Director should answer to the MCHD Board.  The Board should handle the role of oversight. The Board members are accountable to the voters, and in turn, the Medical Director should be accountable to the Board members.  Ultimately, the citizens of Montgomery County are the primary stakeholders in the success of the MCHD.  The citizens of the county should feel that the MCHD is working toward the best interests of everyone in the county and to achieve that goal the Medical Director should be reporting to the MCHD Board.

Should Health Care Assistance Patients be required to have drug testing in order to receive assistance?

In non-emergency situations, Health Care Assistance Patients should be subject to reasonable drug testing.

Should any first responder injured in the line of duty have their ambulance charges absorbed by the District?

Yes. If the first responder is injured in the line of duty, then, yes, the first responder should have his or her charges absorbed by MCHD.

Should salaried employees be paid overtime?  And if so, should their be a limit and how much?

No. Unless an employee is covered by the Fair Labor Standards Act (“FLSA”), a salaried employee should not be paid overtime.

What is your opinion about Merit Pay versus COLA pay raises?

Merit Pay is the better option, versus cost-of-living adjustments (“COLA”).  Since the MCHD is a governmental entity, if employees are promised automatic COLA, then revenue must be found to cover that promise. Unfortunately, under that scenario, the taxpayers are going to be taxed at a higher rate to cover these COLA increases. Once again, the number one goal for me would be to keep the tax rate at or below the current level.

Is it the responsibility of the Board to monitor the spending of the District and verify expenses?

Absolutely.  I would argue that monitoring the spending of the MCHD is probably the highest priority of MCHD Board members. And of course, the MCHD Board members should be verifying expenses paid.

 Is it better to build stand alone EMS facilities, co-locate with fire departments, or purchase existing facilities and modify them?

As a real estate investor for thirty-five years, I would say that it depends on each individual situation.  Every proposed facility should be evaluated according to a cost-benefit analysis.  A one size fits all approach does not seem to be logical. Having said that, a general rule is that building standalone EMS facilities will have the highest cost, for the most part, but there will be exceptions to that general rule. Also, as a rule, the MCHD Board should always look at all three alternatives and keep an eye out for keeping costs and expenses to a minimum, to make sure the MCHD Board is working to keep the tax rate as low as possible.

Do you support or oppose increasing and broadening the Sales Tax to reduce property taxes? Why?

I support increasing and broadening the sales tax if every increase in sales tax revenue is used to reduce property taxes to the same extent. But if that sales tax increase is not accompanied by an equal reduction in property tax it is not acceptable, and I do not support it. For the most part, both sales taxes and property taxes are regressive, and therefore both hit lower-income taxpayers harder than middle- and upper-income taxpayers.  However, a taxpayer can choose to control spending so therefore they have some modicum of control over the sales taxes they pay.  Whereas property taxes can only be completely avoided if the taxpayer chooses not to purchase real estate, such as a home. It has been argued that property taxes create a situation where a homeowner does not ever fully own their own property; they are just leasing their home from the government, which charges a rental fee in the form of a yearly property tax, which is an unacceptable option. 

Should Board members have open lines of communications with all employees of the District?

Yes, of course, MCHD Board members should have open lines of communication with all employees.  Encouraging open lines of communication is good governance and good management.  It leads to better outcomes and if done properly it provides employees with a sense of ownership and responsibility.

Should Hospital District personnel be allowed to carry while at work?

I believe that MCHD employees should be allowed to carry while at work, assuming they have all successfully completed rigorous gun safety training. Now, having said that, if other issues argue against allowing employees from carrying at work, such as exorbitant insurance costs, then I would be against employee carrying at work or strictly limiting it to one or two employees for security reasons only.

Do you believe the Board should have access to all MCHD reports and records, excluding patient records?  Why or why not?

Yes, of course, MCHD Board members should have access to all MCHD reports and records (excluding patient records) so that MCHD Board members can appropriately conduct their oversight duties properly.  MCHD Board members should encourage as much disclosure as possible for good governance and accountability.

The Board is not supposed to micro-manage, but should they trust and verify?

Yes, of course, MCHD Board members should trust and verify (to quote Ronald Reagan).  It is part of their oversight duties and responsibilities.  This goes back to open communication with employees and having access to all MCHD reports and records (outside of patient records, which are covered, of course, by strict privacy rules).

Should District employees have open lines of communications with Board members, without fear of reprisal?  Why or why not?

Once again, of course, MCHD Board members should have open lines of communication with all employees.  Encouraging open lines of communication is good governance and good management.  There should be no fear of reprisal.

Should Board members have complete access to all areas of the District?  Why or why not?

Yes, once again, MCHD Board members should have access to all areas of the MCHD so that they can perform their oversight duties and responsibilities.  Not having access goes against good governance and against full and open disclosure.

Should Disrtict employees take home District vehicles and if so for what purpose?

No. I do not believe MCHD employees should be taking home MCHD vehicles. I believe it opens the MCHD to higher insurance costs and potential lawsuits.

Should District employees living out of the county take home emergency vehicles?

No. I do not believe MCHD employees living out of the county should be taking home emergency vehicles.