Comments on: Who Should Pay for Lourdes Hospital’s $6.9M Flood Wall? http://rssbinghamton.com/who-should-pay-for-lourdes-hospitals-69m-flood-wall/ A conservative voice crying in the liberal wilderness of Greater Binghamton, NY Wed, 28 Jul 2010 19:43:58 -0400 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Jim Willis http://rssbinghamton.com/who-should-pay-for-lourdes-hospitals-69m-flood-wall/comment-page-1/#comment-111 Jim Willis Thu, 06 Dec 2007 01:55:59 +0000 http://rssbinghamton.com/who-should-pay-for-lourdes-hospitals-69m-flood-wall/#comment-111 Charlie, Well said! I was not aware of that new piece of information you've provided that Lourdes had already considered the risk and decided to chance it. Thanks for that! I think we're all agreed that Lourdes is a great local institution--they just need to take responsibility for their actions. You're right--New York loves to give money away...my money! Thanks for commenting. - Jim Charlie,

Well said! I was not aware of that new piece of information you’ve provided that Lourdes had already considered the risk and decided to chance it. Thanks for that! I think we’re all agreed that Lourdes is a great local institution–they just need to take responsibility for their actions. You’re right–New York loves to give money away…my money! Thanks for commenting.

- Jim

]]> By: Charlie http://rssbinghamton.com/who-should-pay-for-lourdes-hospitals-69m-flood-wall/comment-page-1/#comment-109 Charlie Thu, 06 Dec 2007 01:49:47 +0000 http://rssbinghamton.com/who-should-pay-for-lourdes-hospitals-69m-flood-wall/#comment-109 Lourdes and their insurers should be the ones paying for that. As I recall, the hospital had done studies prior to our 500 year flood, and had decided that the risk was worth taking. This was one risk they took, and got burned by, but this does not by any means give them the right to use taxpayer money. While I have no argument with Lourdes as a business, and they are an upstanding healthcare provider in greater Binghamton, I still feel that this is one improvement they should be making on their own. BUT, since we live in New York, they'll probably get their funding because New York loves to give money to those who refuse to help themselves. Lourdes and their insurers should be the ones paying for that. As I recall, the hospital had done studies prior to our 500 year flood, and had decided that the risk was worth taking. This was one risk they took, and got burned by, but this does not by any means give them the right to use taxpayer money. While I have no argument with Lourdes as a business, and they are an upstanding healthcare provider in greater Binghamton, I still feel that this is one improvement they should be making on their own. BUT, since we live in New York, they’ll probably get their funding because New York loves to give money to those who refuse to help themselves.

]]> By: Jim Willis http://rssbinghamton.com/who-should-pay-for-lourdes-hospitals-69m-flood-wall/comment-page-1/#comment-104 Jim Willis Wed, 05 Dec 2007 23:07:46 +0000 http://rssbinghamton.com/who-should-pay-for-lourdes-hospitals-69m-flood-wall/#comment-104 Thanks for commenting Kirk! Always nice to have a new reader/commenter on the blog. I think you are correct with the options listed, and #1 is the obvious choice. The flood wall should be built, no question about it. My only issue is with who pays for it. Please keep reading and commenting! - Jim Thanks for commenting Kirk! Always nice to have a new reader/commenter on the blog. I think you are correct with the options listed, and #1 is the obvious choice. The flood wall should be built, no question about it. My only issue is with who pays for it.

Please keep reading and commenting!

- Jim

]]> By: Kirk Smith http://rssbinghamton.com/who-should-pay-for-lourdes-hospitals-69m-flood-wall/comment-page-1/#comment-103 Kirk Smith Wed, 05 Dec 2007 20:01:06 +0000 http://rssbinghamton.com/who-should-pay-for-lourdes-hospitals-69m-flood-wall/#comment-103 Basically, there are 4 choices: (1) build the wall at the cost noted (2) do nothing and gamble there isn't another flood. If there is, figure it will cost $20M or more to fix. (3) Move the hospital which will cost even more. (4) Close the hospital which is probably not acceptable to the community. Seems like option 1 is the most cost-effective. BTW, take a look at Tampa General Hospital in Tampa FL. Not only is it the main trauma center for that metro area and a significant portion of the Gulf Coast, it is located on an island(!) in Tampa Bay. If/when a hurricane hits that area, the hospital will most certainly flood (if not the roads and bridges to get there.) They apparently have done work to move a lot of equipment to higher floors to reduce the damage if it were to flood. But, in retrospect, a very dumb place to put such a key piece of infrastructure for that area! Basically, there are 4 choices: (1) build the wall at the cost noted (2) do nothing and gamble there isn’t another flood. If there is, figure it will cost $20M or more to fix. (3) Move the hospital which will cost even more. (4) Close the hospital which is probably not acceptable to the community. Seems like option 1 is the most cost-effective.

BTW, take a look at Tampa General Hospital in Tampa FL. Not only is it the main trauma center for that metro area and a significant portion of the Gulf Coast, it is located on an island(!) in Tampa Bay. If/when a hurricane hits that area, the hospital will most certainly flood (if not the roads and bridges to get there.) They apparently have done work to move a lot of equipment to higher floors to reduce the damage if it were to flood. But, in retrospect, a very dumb place to put such a key piece of infrastructure for that area!

]]> By: mike http://rssbinghamton.com/who-should-pay-for-lourdes-hospitals-69m-flood-wall/comment-page-1/#comment-98 mike Wed, 05 Dec 2007 01:57:55 +0000 http://rssbinghamton.com/who-should-pay-for-lourdes-hospitals-69m-flood-wall/#comment-98 This might be one topic everyone here can agree on, you should submit this to the local rags for rants, I mean comments. This might be one topic everyone here can agree on, you should submit this to the local rags for rants, I mean comments.

]]> By: Jim Willis http://rssbinghamton.com/who-should-pay-for-lourdes-hospitals-69m-flood-wall/comment-page-1/#comment-96 Jim Willis Wed, 05 Dec 2007 01:47:00 +0000 http://rssbinghamton.com/who-should-pay-for-lourdes-hospitals-69m-flood-wall/#comment-96 Great thoughts as always Brent. Your comparison to New Orleans is spot on. Lest I leave the wrong impression, let me say that Lourdes IS a great hospital, and my family's hospital of choice too! I'm not denigrating their organization. They just need to pay for their own flood wall! Great thoughts as always Brent. Your comparison to New Orleans is spot on. Lest I leave the wrong impression, let me say that Lourdes IS a great hospital, and my family’s hospital of choice too! I’m not denigrating their organization. They just need to pay for their own flood wall!

]]> By: Brent http://rssbinghamton.com/who-should-pay-for-lourdes-hospitals-69m-flood-wall/comment-page-1/#comment-94 Brent Wed, 05 Dec 2007 00:44:41 +0000 http://rssbinghamton.com/who-should-pay-for-lourdes-hospitals-69m-flood-wall/#comment-94 You rotten, no good, word that rhymes with "trick." What a great question! Wow. I personally don't like the idea of one business (hospital or not) getting special dispensation, especially from the taxpayer coffers. Homeowners I can understand and agree with! This reminds me a bit of New Orleans (a big "hey-ho-DUH" to the city planners there). If you build next to a river, you cannot expect it to remain sedately within its banks. I guess I at least am a Scrooge. Lourdes is a great hospital, and provider of excellent service to me and my family...but their choice of location (and the ramifications) in the end is their responsibility not that of taxpayers throughout the state. You rotten, no good, word that rhymes with “trick.” What a great question! Wow.

I personally don’t like the idea of one business (hospital or not) getting special dispensation, especially from the taxpayer coffers. Homeowners I can understand and agree with! This reminds me a bit of New Orleans (a big “hey-ho-DUH” to the city planners there). If you build next to a river, you cannot expect it to remain sedately within its banks. I guess I at least am a Scrooge. Lourdes is a great hospital, and provider of excellent service to me and my family…but their choice of location (and the ramifications) in the end is their responsibility not that of taxpayers throughout the state.

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