Some of my readers are hearing impaired. They will be pleased to learn that Arrowhead Regional Medical Center, which is the main campus of the county hospital, has entered into a voluntary compliance agreement with the U.S. Attorney’s Office that will ensure that those who are deaf or severely hard of hearing will be able to communicate with the medical staff there…
While Arrowhead Regional is by most of the reports I have received a well run-institution, in 2012 a deaf woman told the U.S. Department of Justice that personnel there had not provided her with a certified sign language-capable interpreter so she could stay up to speed with regard to the care being given to her husband during his stay at the hospital. Subsequent to that, another woman, also deaf, lodged a complaint that while she was a patient at Arrowhead Regional, no sign language interpreter was available for her…
According to a government statement, federal investigators looked into the matter and a dialogue with Arrowhead Regional administrators was begun, leading, according to the government, to “extensive discussions with the hospital. Arrowhead Regional agreed to voluntarily resolve the allegations.”
According to U.S. Attorney Eileen M. Decker, “People who are deaf or hard of hearing have a right to clear and effective communication with physicians, nurses and all hospital staff members in order to ensure that they and loved ones receive the same medical care that is available to every other person.” I agree…
Have you heard? California’s legislators are about to hit us with a triple whammy on driving our cars. Senate Bill 16 would hike the current state gas tax by 10 cents a gallon, impose another r10 cents per gallon tax on the storage of gasoline [that’s a 20 cents per gallon total increase], raise the annual car registration fees for all vehicles by $35 and subject zero-emission cars to another $100 annual fee.
Why are lawmakers in Sacramento doing this? Because, they say, the state is out of money needed to repair state highways and roads. They need $60 billion complete the job and are looking to raise a quick $15 billion to get started.
The thing is, in California we already have the highest gasoline tax in the country, which is a primary factor in California having the highest gasoline costs in the nation. The justification for us paying those exorbitant taxes on our gasoline was so the state could build a state highway and road maintenance and repair fund to keep our transportation system in tip-top shape. What happened? The legislature and current and past governors raided that transportation fund and used the money for doing things other than keeping our highways and roads in good condition In other words, they stole from us…
I have a solution. I will author a piece of legislation in lieu of Senate Bill 15, The Count’s Transportation Tax Legislative Reform Act of 2015. It will require the state to refund to everyone in the state the gas tax they paid over the last seven years that was not used for highway and road repairs and institute a requirement that all gas tax paid heretoforward can be spent on nothing other than highway and road repair…
Now, if you will indulge me, I will repair to the front yard where I will watch Anthony and Hudson undertake to wash my Bentley…