Ethics – a violation of trust
It’s disappointing that the state Ethics Commission – on a 5 to 4 vote – approved going from an ethics policy which allowed for no gifts, to one that allows legislators and public officials to accept gifts valued up to $450 from any single source in a calendar year. That means, a legislator or public official could accept $450 in gifts from a variety of individual sources amounting to thousands of dollars. Imagine for a moment a hot political issue, with multiples of lobbyists representing various groups all working for the same issue. A legislator could receive thousands of dollars in gifts, all designed to influence his or her vote. If 15 individuals, all on the same side of an issue “showered” our legislator with gifts, that legislator could receive the equivalent of up to $6,750 in “items,” with the expectation that the givers would get something in return.
Now, let’s multiply that $6,750 by 150 legislators and see how that innocuous $450 soon becomes $1,012,500.
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This relaxation of the rules comes at a time when we’re fighting corruption in Providence, when we still suffer from a public perception that Rhode Island’s political system is among the most corrupt in the nation.
Now, couple the ethics change, with efforts by the legislature to reverse the taxpayers vote to downsize the legislature, which was in exchange for increasing legislators’ salaries.
Listen to Bob Batting of Kenney Manufacturing: “I think state government has to make good on what they promise. If they say that they put in a bond issue to change salaries and we’re going to reduce the size of the legislature, then do it. Don’t rewrite it and make it seem that every time a deal is struck with the population that it’s grounds for changing it at a later date. Sales tax the same way. Automobile tax. There’s a lack of consistency in following up what is promised to the electorate.”
So at the end of this day, we are left with the perception of a legislature that is now open to more influence from lobbyists, and one that has difficulty keeping its promises to the electorate.
Hospital merger
A group representing insurers and businesses – the newly formed Coalition for Responsible Health Care – is opposing the merger of Lifespan and Care New England, concerned that the elimination of competition will result in higher health care costs and diminished quality.
The merger is now before Attorney General Sheldon Whitehouse, and if it passes that test, still must go for review before the state Department of Health.
We share the coalition’s concerns, and although we have yet to be convinced that the marriage of the two health care systems will produce higher costs and diminished care, we certainly see the potential for it. Equally, we remain unconvinced that combining the two systems will produce greater efficiencies and improved care by drawing on the strengths of each system.
Lifespan and Care New England combined simply dominate the local health care system – with the Lifespan network including Rhode Island, Newport, Bradley and Miriam Hospitals in Rhode Island and New England Medical Center in Boston. Care New England includes Kent County, Women & Infants and Butler Hospitals.
We’re pleased to see the emergence of the Coalition for Responsible Health Care, hopeful it helps bring greater clarity to the debate, focusing on the core issues of cost and care.
We need to be convinced, beyond any doubt, that this merger will not increase costs or reduce care, before we can endorse the creation of such a monopolistic system.
