I’m happy about the outcome of the Med-Care situation. We get to keep their services and perhaps make some changes to the Inter-Local Agreement. I’m sure there are a lot of others happy about it as well. Does the end justify the means? I’m not so sure.
I’m not as happy with the process that it took to get to this point. Instead of working with other towns to get some agreement to fix this situation, we once again told everyone in the area that things will be our way, or else. In the process we caused a lot of unnecessary angst in our community and a lot of other communities that have partnered with us.
The Inter-Local agreement is an agreement between 11 towns. We collaborated to come up with the agreement and we surely could do so again to amend it. In the mean time we have an opportunity to talk to the other towns and Med-Care about what would work best for everyone. Rumford is talking about building a station for the Fire Department and I’m already hearing talk about building something to house both the Fire Department and Med-Care. If we are going to continue to collaborate with other communities, our selectmen need to do just that, collaborate, not just dictate how things are going to be.
It’s interesting to note that most everyone agrees that Med-Care needs a new building. It was the process that Med-Care followed that seemed to cause the trouble. Our Selectmen and many in the surrounding communities felt like Med-Care tried to dictate how things were going to be instead of working with us. There is a price that you pay when you do that. I hope our Selectmen take a lesson from the Med-Care situation and from their own past experiences about what happens when you dictate to others.
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Med-care finally came to realize that they couldn't/shouldn't try and force the towns to agree to a multi-million, 30 year commitment without a vote. Rumford and Andover have now voted to remain with Med-care since the building was dropped. Mexico is sure to follow tonight.
Now, let's all work to draft a new inter-local agreement that will give Med-care the latitude to operate while ensuring that the towns have more say in major changes.
Andover has taken the first step. We've recommended that our rep be repalced. While he's done a good job in many areas, and has provided us with years of dedicated service (Thanks Ken), he's lost the confidence of the people. Hopefully other towns will also ensure that their reps are also true representitives of the peoples' wishes.
Med-care, you have my respect and appreciation. I've watched how many times you came back to the table to work this out. We are fortunate to have you here...true professionals.
Rumford as represented by some of the selectmen still looks pretty self-centered. What is their true intent regarding regionalization? For example, everyone on the board stated a desire to share the town manager with Mexico. This past week, two of them voted against the changes that could make it happen. Those changes passed anyway but it leaves a lot of questions as to their intent.
Rumford wants to be the ones running the whole show. They can not gather the concept that they are not the only town in the River Valley that has a say on how things should happen. They want to build a facility to house fire and Med-care. THEIR fire department!! Not Dixfield, or Mexico or Peru. RUMFORD!! who is going to spend the money for this? Is their anyone in any of the other towns that want to spend the money for a building in Rumford that will house a department that they will not be using? I don't think so.
After MedCare decided to drop its building plan, it was said selectmen celebrated their victory. In my opinion it is not all that much to jump up and down about. First of all three selectmen did not comply to what was voted on by citizens at the town meeting. That was specifically to reduce the financial impact to citizens of Rumford. Med Care agreed to put a hold on any further development of the project and not to bill Rumford for any cost associated with the project. The three selectmen who did not accept this proposal did nothing more than gamble at the last meeting that Med Care would back off and really put the community in serious jeopardy of not having any ambulance service. A gamble that they were very fortunate to get this time. This kind of bargaining or way to do business is at some point not going to work in our favor. Will the stakes be higher, we'll find out. This kind of negotiating will cetainly be noticed by potential investors who could easily look the other way rather than bothering thinking they could negotiate a fair and equitable agreement by investing in Rumford.
After MedCare decided to drop its building plan, it was said selectmen celebrated their victory. In my opinion it is not all that much to jump up and down about. First of all three selectmen did not comply to what was voted on by citizens at the town meeting. That was specifically to reduce the financial impact to citizens of Rumford. Med Care agreed to put a hold on any further development of the project and not to bill Rumford for any cost associated with the project. The three selectmen who did not accept this proposal did nothing more than gamble at the last meeting that Med Care would back off and really put the community in serious jeopardy of not having any ambulance service. A gamble that they were very fortunate to get this time. This kind of bargaining or way to do business is at some point not going to work in our favor. Will the stakes be higher, we'll find out. This kind of negotiating will cetainly be noticed by potential investors who could easily look the other way rather than bothering thinking they could negotiate a fair and equitable agreement by investing in Rumford.
That’s all we needed to know? Says who? Who gets to decide that? While the communities, especially the elderly and chronically ill fret about ambulance service the Selectmen withhold information about how we may have coverage. That’s irresponsible.
I believe the 3 selectman pushed again, like they always do, for their own agenda instead of taking care of the community. God protects children and fools. Thank god he does.
The selectmen had no back-up plan in place in the event Medcare did not decide to remove the building from their plan. It was a risk that in my opinion should not have been taken. Medcare agreed to the request asked of it by Rumford voters, and the majority of the selectmen went beyond that request and gambled ambulance service for this building. Whether or not an option might become available is not the issue. They went beyond their task and decided they wanted more. We were all lucky it went as it did. This kind of racketeering will not always prove favorable.
It really is a sad day when 3 elected officials put 6400 peoples lives and safety in jeopardy and got away with it. The battle was won because of Med-Care officials being in positions where they understand the critical need to ensure that the service would continue and that they could not convince these three to come to their senses. The Med-Care Board should be applauded for looking out for the people before their own interests. Now the same professionals that continue to come and provide and save lives everyday will still perform their duties and still continue to live in less than adequate facilities all the while feeling that the citizens take them for granted and do not care about their needs. That is the type of people they are, whereas they will continue to be above all of this and continue to be professionals unlike the elected officials of Rumford.
"DiConzo said "I'd like to see the Med-Care board redo the interlocal agreement between now and November for a referendum vote...I'd like to see discussion of a new regional public safety building. I don't care where it's built, as long as it serves the majority of the population."
Belanger said this is what he wanted to see happen and that would like to see something be done on a regional basis in the future with the building. He also said he didn't care where the building was constructed, as long as it was feasible.
Boivin said this was a positive step "as long as they (Med-Care board) don't bring the project back."" This was from the Rumford falls times. They DO care where it is built. They have stated several times that it should be in Rumford. And DiConzo's remark about it should "serve the majority of the population". It should serve ALL of the population. Belanger said this is what HE wanted to see happen. Does he care what anyone else wants to see happen? He wants to see something done on a REGIONAL basis. Med-Care IS done on a regional basis. Med-Care is the embodiment of regionalization. Boivin says that not building a new facility is a positive step as long as Med-Care doesn't bring the project back. Sounds like he doesn't think Med-Care needs a building that will accomodate the service. I can't imagine that these individuals will be very supportive of any building. Not even for regionalized fire service. They have cut every public safety entity they have. They contradict themselves almost every time they open their mouths. Maybe the fire deartment should just go back to horse drawn wagons, or bucket brigades. Maybe Med-Care should go back to buying old hearses and throwing the people in the back of it and hope they make it to the hospital in time. And maybe the police can rely on vigilantyism to control crime. Is that waht they want to see happen? They are slowly but surely getting there.
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