I DEMAND CUTS!!!!!

Since this is a private entity you can't make those demands unless you are a stockholder or board member....

Try making a valid claim. 

Validity has nothing to do with it.  I simply demand it.  In times like these we simply can't afford these escalating costs.

Hospitals need to cut their staffing levels.  Period.

PD, Benny is making a metaphor here......right Benny?

Cuts it should be, Benny.  If the cuts go to the bone and beyond, so be it.  It is that way in the school system.  It SHOULD be that way in the rest of the taxing units.

If the public officials wring their hands over who and what should be cut, they should still pull up their big boy pants and get'r done. Mayor McShurley makes it look like the best man for the job is a woman.  Only SHE has the balls to do what's necessary.  If those in Madison County government don't have the gray matter to figure out what could be done, they should research what other counties, cities and states are doing.

Did anyone in MadCo ever bother to call Dave Bing, mayor of Detroit?  He's got a whale of a bigger problem than Anderson, and he's not counting on a COIT to make up the difference:

 

"Bing has been working for months with an approximately 60-member volunteer "crisis turnaround team" to draft the plan, which includes more than 150 recommendations and 27 goals he believes will save the city an estimated $500 million over two fiscal years.

Detroit is expected to face a $60 million shortfall this fiscal year and the administration says it will face an accumulated deficit of $750 million if improvements aren't made by 2011-12.

While he'll formally unveil the plan later this morning, the Detroit Free Press has already published his the administration's list of "crisis turnaround action items," which include:

Within Three Months:

• Airport: Outsource management of City Airport to save $2 million
• Finance: Outsource payroll and collection of receivables
• Finance: Reduce number of city bank accounts (currently 300) by 50%
• Finance: Realize procurement cost reductions and process improvements.  Hire a Chief Procurement Officer
• Grants Management: Inventory and maximize stimulus dollars
• Mayor's Office: Expand City Confidential to vendors, retirees and former employees
• Philanthropic Affairs: Re-establish relationships and present strategic plan to philanthropic community
• Public Lighting Department: Close Mistersky Power Plant to save $ million

Within Six Months:

• Budget: Eliminate discretionary spending
• Citywide: Assess consolidation of services
• Finance: Centralize accounting, revenue and cash collection operations
• Finance: Renegotiate procurement contracts and eliminate emergency purchases
• Finance: Continue process improvements and centralization
• Fire Department: Increase EMS outstanding debt collection
• Information Technology Services: Consolidate and reorganize department (reduce 15 sites to 5, migrate from BRASS to ORACLE) and outsource services
• Planning & Development: Coordinate Scattered Sites Project (rehab/acquisition and demolition. Partner department with Next Detroit Neighborhood Initiative, Building & Safety Engineering and the Detroit Housing Commission.

One Year Or More:

• Finance: Implement deficit elimination plan
• Finance: Restructure debt
• Finance: Continue process improvements
• Finance: Fully utilize ORACLE database management system for procurement activities
• Human Resources: Implement personnel skill development and enhancement program
• Information Technology Services: Standardize assets
• Labor Relations: Reduction and consolidation of union representation
• Mayor's Office: Consolidate Neighborhood City Hall, 311 Call Center and Community Affairs
• Mayor's Office: Develop succession-planning process
• Mayor's Office: Implement operations restructuring plan
• Planning & Development: Consolidate citywide leased and owned real estate inventory

"There's no silver bullet in the plan, but city unions may feel like they've been shot: The action items include references to outsourcing, and the administration plans to reduce and consolidate union leadership, which costs the city about $1 million annually.  The crisis team also says the city must change its labor management culture in order to improve productivity, competence and accountability.

"Using the Detroit Public Schools recent actions as a template, the turnaround team recommends the city combat waste and fraud in the city by utilizing a "City Confidential" hotline, consolidating city bank accounts and tightening internal control, accounting and accountability.

"Finally, the plan suggests the city streamline the grant writing process to aggressively target available funds and centralize internal support services, such as procurement, information technology and accounting."

Ockomon's and MadCo's problems are small potatoes compared to this, but as far as I can tell, Bing's not going to gouge the residents for more money, unlike our current elected officials.  Guess who'll be losing their jobs in the next election, if the ticked off residents have their way?

http://www.freep.com/uploads/pdfs/2009/09/1007_crisis_report.pdf

Very good post, Bard. I truly wish Mr. Bing's battle plan could be widely circulated in our city and county government centers. It might help!

Can't we stay on topic, guys?  I'm recruiting people to form a picket line around Community Hospital.  You guys with me?

I agree Benny is being sardonic, Bard, but when did Madison County commandeer our two exceptional hospitals and make them county-controlled?  I haven't read about the formation of the Madison County Hospital Commission which you are inferring is a taxing unit.

I'm glad I had my surgery at Community prior to that occurence since the last thing I would have wanted was to have the Mensas that run this county limiting how much anesthesia was acceptable under County guidelines.

No Bull, I think they're using blunt instruments for anesthesia these days.  A cost-saving measure.  You can almost tell which of our county officials have had surgery there recently.

These government officials probably have a different health insurance program.  Look at what they have already gave themselves.

I really do not think they do, but I would not be surprised.

Now I don't care WHO you are, that's some funny stuff right there, Bard!!!