The El Camino Hospital and its Board continues a pattern of ignoring taxpayer input and making investments without committing to fiscally responsible financial controls and financial reporting. In April of this year ECH said there would be no need to spend more than $20 million in earthquake retrofits for the Los Gatos facility because the State had relaxed its 2014 earthquake retrofits. Now they say they need $75 million in next year's budget? They also said that the previously announced $100 million investment in Los Gatos would not be tracked and reported on in quarterly budget reviews because it was 'not significant.' Now they report a 25% year-over-year increase in their budget. And $5.2 million for community health programs? That is less than they collect in property taxes from citizens in the hospital district! The hospital's and the Board's spend, spend, spend attitude is an affront to all taxpayers and patients who are burdened by a broken healthcare delivery system.

Since El Camino is doing so well financially that they can afford to buy another hospital that I say we should all ask for the property refund that we voted to pay to build the new hospital. My concern is that why should Mtn. View residents continue to foot the bill when others city residents do not have to pay extra property taxes to receive the same services?

How about a resident discount? Better yet, free service since we have already been paying for it.